The national announcement, made March 13, 2025, supports 179 chairholders across Canada with more than $153 million in research funding. These appointments recognize excellence and leadership in research, furthering UCalgary's momentum as a hub for innovation and societal impact.
"We are proud to see the newly appointed and renewed Canada Research Chairs at the University of Calgary," says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research). "This continued support from the Government of Canada empowers our scholars to pursue impactful research aligned with the priorities of Canada's national tri-council agencies."
To get a glimpse of the cutting-edge research at UCalgary, we asked the newly appointed and renewed CRCs: What excites you most about your field of study?
New Chairholders
Dr. Catherine Alum Odora Hoppers, PhD, Werklund School of Education
Tier 1 CRC in Pluralistic Societies: Transdisciplinarity, Cognitive Justice and Education (SSHRC)
"I am struck first of all, by the escalation of conflicts in societies and regions of the world due to the uneven patterns of resource distribution and thereby uneven development [...] I seek not a breakdown, but a breakthrough; a paradigm of constructive human action. That is the frame which my CRC Chair in Pluralistic Societies: Transdisciplinarity, Cognitive Justice and Education is placed."
Hoppers is an internationally recognized UNESCO expert in basic education, lifelong learning, and science and society.
Dr. Myrle Ballard, PhD, Faculty of Science
Tier 2 CRC in Weaving Indigenous Science and Sustainability Science (NSERC)
"I am using the Three-eyed seeing framework I developed and part of this is being the voice for Our Relations for their protection and conservation. I am also honoured to speak and understand Anishinaabe mowin as my mother tongue. The language is so rich and powerful and is a guide to the work I do which is using Anishinaabe mowin for place based (Indigenous names of spaces and places) baseline biological monitoring and identifying indictors that have changed since the original names based on the role of the ecosystems as named by Indigenous people. I also get to see our places and spaces and meet amazing knowledge holders."
Ballard, an Anishinaabe from Lake St. Martin First Nation, focuses on Indigenous science and the environmental and ecosystem knowledge held by many Indigenous Peoples. Dr. Ballard served as the first Director of the Indigenous Science Division at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
Dr. Koren Roach, PhD, Schulich School of Engineering
Tier 2 CRC in Integrative Musculoskeletal Biomechanics (CIHR)
"I am excited that my research has the potential to make a tangible impact on people's lives through etiology characterization and early detection of debilitating musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoarthritis. The quick pace at which advancements occur in this field is thrilling, as it allows for continuous learning, adaptation, and improvement. My work, situated at the intersection of human motion analysis and advanced medical imaging, leverages multimodal analyses combining joint biomechanics, MRI data, physical activity metrics, and demographic factors to investigate the causes of osteoarthritis. This approach aims to uncover early biomarkers that predict high-risk patients and develop targeted, patient-specific treatments that slow or prevent the progression of osteoarthritis. I find it incredibly motivating and intellectually stimulating to apply my research to help the millions of people affected by arthritis and improve their quality of life."
Roach's work integrates motion analysis, imaging, and demographics to advance osteoarthritis diagnosis and care.
Dr. Mayank Sabharwal, PhD, Schulich School of Engineering
Tier 2 CRC in Sustainable Hydrogen Engineering (NSERC)
"What excites me most about hydrogen is its potential to shape a cleaner, more sustainable future and decarbonizing industries and transportation. Developing sustainable hydrogen production and end-use technologies paves the way for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and more importantly, supports energy security by diversifying the global energy mix. My research group is developing novel materials to improve the efficiency and lifetime of hydrogen-based energy systems for their widespread adoption. For me, the prospect of contributing to the next-generation hydrogen energy systems is incredibly inspiring it's a chance to be at the forefront of a clean energy revolution that can have a profound, lasting impact on both the environment and the economy."
Sabharwal's research aims to revolutionize hydrogen-based energy systems and support global energy transitions.
Dr. Erika Janitz, PhD, Schulich School of Engineering
Tier 2 CRC in Quantum Hardware Engineering (NSERC)
"Quantum sensors harness quantum phenomena to measure environmental properties with enhanced accuracy, sensitivity, and spatial resolution, enabling previously impossible measurements critical for fundamental science and many industries. As the most "market-ready" quantum technology, sensors could have considerable near-term and local impact, allowing, for example, mineral detection for oil and gas, mining, and agriculture. The world is on the precipice of a quantum technological revolution, and I am excited to contribute to Canada and UCalgary's growing leadership in this field."
Janitz brings a multidisciplinary background in electrical engineering and physics, with academic roots spanning McGill University, Harvard, ETH Zurich, and the University of Waterloo. The Canada Research Chair will drive innovation in quantum computing hardware through collaborative, high-impact engineering research.
Dr. Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni, PhD, Faculty of Arts
Tier 1 CRC in Pluralistic Societies: Epistemic Pluralism and Ecologies of Knowledges (SSHRC)
Dr. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, a globally recognized scholar in decolonial theory, will begin his chair later this year, advancing frameworks for knowledge diversity and inclusion.
Renewed Chairholders
Dr. Brandy Callahan, PhD, Faculty of Arts
Tier 2 CRC in Adult Clinical Neuropsychology (CIHR)
"It is such a privilege to work in an area with such a broad impact on people's lives. For the last several years my research has specifically focused on what happens to children with ADHD as they transition into adulthood and later life, which is very exciting because this is an area of knowledge that's been almost completely unexplored. Almost 1 in 5 Canadians with ADHD is currently aged 50+, and the rest are getting older every year. I consider myself so fortunate to be able to contribute to understanding how these individuals will experience aging and discover factors that can support optimal brain health into their later years."
Ashley Harris
Dr. Ashley Harris, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine (CSM)
Tier 2 CRC in Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Brain Injury and Pain (CIHR)
"I am excited to use advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and spectroscopy methods in combination with creative study designs to develop new knowledge about the brain and clinical disorders. MR spectroscopy has great potential for understanding the brain, but we need to further develop and refine our methods to gain the most robust data."
Harris is an associate professor in the Department of Radiology at the CSM. She is a member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Owerko Centre for Neurodevelopment and Child Mental Health and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the CSM.
Sorana Morrissy
Dr. Anca (Sorana) Morrissy, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine
Tier 2 CRC in Precision Oncology (CIHR)
"Cancer is a dynamic ecosystem, where interactions between malignant and non-malignant cells fuel tumour growth and therapy resistance. As I begin my second term as a Tier II Canada Research Chair, I'm excited to leverage cutting-edge computational biology and data science approaches to develop therapies that can disrupt this ecosystem beyond its capacity to recover. This appointment enables me to build on the collaborative foundations established with exceptional research and clinical partners and will help accelerate the translation of precision medicine discoveries to patients who need them most."
Morrissy is an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the CSM. She is a member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute at the CSM.
This distinguished group highlights University of Calgary's diverse research excellence, spanning quantum computing, sustainable hydrogen engineering, Indigenous science, and musculoskeletal biomechanics. Their work strengthens the university's interdisciplinary research capacity.
Explore how UCalgary's research ecosystem drives bold, transformative innovation at Research at UCalgary
