FHS professor Jeff Reading appointed to Order of Canada

by Sharon Mah 

On June 30, 2023, Faculty of Health Sciences professor Jeff Reading was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada. He is being recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to Indigenous health research and for his leadership in bringing Indigenous perspectives to scientific and health institutions. 

“I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to work with some many passionate and committed people who supported me,” says Reading. “To be included in a group of accomplished Canadians is an honour and even more special as the Governor General Mary Simon is Inuit.”

Reading is a well-respected scholar who has dedicated more than two decades of his career enhancing knowledge in Indigenous health, both nationally and globally. During this time, in addition to contributing as a researcher, he has also helped establish and lead Indigenous health scholarship initiatives for several organizations, broadening the scope and depth of Indigenous health research in Canada. He was the founding Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Health Research at the University of Victoria, and served as the inaugural Scientific Director of the Institutes of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) between 2000 – 2008. From 2012-13, he travelled to Australia where he led the development of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute’s Global Indigenous Health stream, and served as the inaugural Interim Director for the donor-supported Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health (WBIIH) in 2015. He currently is a co-director of the new Centre for Collaborative Action on Indigenous Health Governance at SFU, working with CCAIHG co-director and FHS assistant professor Krista Stelkia to establish a research program focusing on excellence in Indigenous Health research.

“It feels amazing to have been part of a bigger social movement, to have the opportunity for leadership and to learn from community and colleagues in Canada and globally,” reflects Reading. “To be able to make a difference in the lives of so many people in a variety of important ways is extremely gratifying.”

There have been several occasions where Reading has provided invaluable academic leadership to peers in the realm of Indigenous health scholarship. Early in his career, he played a pivotal role when Canadian ethics guidelines for Aboriginal health research were introduced. He held the first endowed research chair at the University of Toronto’s Department of Public Health, bringing attention to multiple issues impacting Indigenous health, including (but not limited to) social determinants of health, environmental issues including provision of safe potable water, and accessibility to health care. Reading currently holds the Inaugural British Columbia First Nations Health Authority Chair in Heart Health and Wellness at St. Paul’s Hospital, which is based at SFU.

Reading’s incredible contributions have been previously recognized with multiple awards including one from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and one from the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation in Canada. In 2005, he was elected an inaugural Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

In addition to his current work with the CCAIHG, Reading has been working with FNHA, Providence Health Research Foundation, the Cardiology department at St. Paul's Hospital, and the BC Heart and Stroke Foundation to support Hishuk-ish tsawalk (everything is one, everything is connected): Restoring healthy family systems in Indigenous communities, a long-term study being led by Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) that aims to improve health and wellness outcomes for Indigenous children. “Our work with the Nuu Chah Nulth tribal council (NTC) under the leadership of NTC Health Director, Ms. Lynette Lucas is very exciting,” says Reading. “It is the commitment of [FHS] faculty, staff and students that excites me as we work in service to Indigenous communities. It is most gratifying when community owns and leads research to improve their health and well-being.”

Reading will be traveling to Ottawa at a future date for the ceremony to install him as a member of the Order of Canada.