UBC faculty of medicine’s Drs. B. Lynn Beattie, Joseph Connors, Carol Herbert, Robert Krell and Roger Wong have been appointed to the Order of Canada.
Considered one of the country’s highest civilian honours, the Order of Canada recognizes those who have enriched the lives of others and made extraordinary contributions to the nation.
“The appointment of Drs. B. Lynn Beattie, Joseph Connors, Carol Herbert, Robert Krell and Roger Wong to the Order of Canada is a demonstration of their incredible commitment to the health and wellbeing of all Canadians,” says Dr. Dermot Kelleher, Dean of UBC’s faculty of medicine and Vice President, Health at UBC. “We are very proud of each of their contributions, and deeply moved by their passion for improving the lives of patients and families here in B.C., and across the nation.”
Dr. B. Lynn Beattie
Dr. Beattie, a professor emeritus in the department of medicine and founding head of the division of geriatric medicine, is being recognized “for her pioneering contributions to the field of geriatric medicine in Canada and abroad.”
She has been a tireless advocate for patients and older people and made an enduring contribution to dementia research and care in Canada. In 1983, she established the Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders, where she served as the medical director from its inception until 2005, and again from 2009 until her retirement in 2013. The clinic, a partnership between UBC and Vancouver Coastal Health, remains the only facility of its kind in B.C., providing assessment and support for thousands of patients and their families each year.
Dr. Beattie has served on the Board of the Alzheimer Society of Canada as Chair of the Research Policy Committee and served as President of the American Geriatrics Society and the Canadian Geriatrics Society.
Dr. Joseph Connors
Dr. Connors, a clinical professor emeritus in the department of medicine, is being recognized “for his contributions to the study and treatment of lymphoid cancers, and for his role in the advancement of lymphoma care in Canada.”
An award-winning clinician scientist, Dr. Connors is best known for his clinical investigations into the biology and treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemias and myeloma. He has published more than 450 peer-reviewed scientific articles addressing various aspects of research into lymphoid cancers. Dr. Connors served as the clinical director of the BC Cancer Centre for Lymphoid Cancer from 1989 to 2018.
He previously served as a member of the executive committee of the Hematology Site Group for the NCIC Clinical Trials Group, on the scientific advisory board of the Lymphoma Foundation Canada and on the organizing committee of the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma. Dr. Connors is a current member of the organizing committee of the International Symposium on Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Dr. Carol Herbert
Dr. Carol Herbert, an adjunct professor in the School of Population and Public Health, is being recognized for “her contributions to the fields of clinical and academic medicine, as a family physician, medical educator, researcher and administrator.”
She is internationally known for her leadership in primary care research, and for her work in clinical health promotion, patient-physician decision-making, and participatory action research with Indigenous communities, focused on diabetes and on environmental effects on human health.
She was formerly head of the department of family practice, founding head of the division of behavioural medicine, and a founder of the UBC Institute of Health Promotion Research.
Dr. Robert Krell
Dr. Robert Krell, a professor emeritus in the department of psychiatry, is being recognized for “his contributions to our understanding of mass ethnopolitical violence, and for his advocacy on behalf of Holocaust survivors.”
In his psychiatric practice, Dr. Krell was the director of child and family psychiatry and also treated Holocaust survivors and their families as well as Dutch survivors of Japanese concentration camps.
He established a Holocaust education program for high school students in 1976, an audio-visual documentation program recording survivor testimony in 1978 and assisted with the formation of child survivor groups starting in 1982. Dr. Krell also founded the Vancouver Holocaust Education Center, which opened in 1994 and which teaches 25,000 students and teachers annually.
Dr. Roger Wong
Dr. Wong, Vice Dean, Education, and a clinical professor in the department of medicine, is being recognized “for his contributions to the field of geriatric medicine, including the advancement of policies, education, and specialized, culturally sensitive health care.”
Over the course of his career, Dr. Wong, who served as the 13th President of the Canadian Geriatrics Society, has advocated tirelessly for older Canadians on the national stage. He founded state-of-the-art Acute Care for Elders units, a model that has been implemented across B.C., Canada and around the world.
This year, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Wong served as a member of the Government of Canada’s Special Task Force on Long-Term Care and COVID-19, working with a panel of experts from across Canada to provide advice on limiting infection spread and improving COVID-19 outcomes for residents of long-term care homes.
At UBC, Dr. Wong provides strategic leadership and oversees the faculty of medicine’s education programs across the province. He has been widely recognized for his outstanding contributions to medical education in B.C. and across Canada. In addition to his role as Vice Dean, Education, Dr. Wong is leading a new UBC initiative, Connecting with Compassion, which is helping combat the social isolation being felt by seniors living in long-term care homes in B.C.
This year’s recipients of the Order of Canada will be invited to accept their insignia at a ceremony to be held at a future date.