College of Health Sciences Associate Deans announcement

Dear Colleagues,

I am excited to announce the appointment of Patricia Manns and Lawrence Richer as Associate Deans for the College of Health Sciences effective July 1st, 2022. 

The Associate Dean, Education and the Associate Dean, Health Research are key members of the college leadership team. As they contribute to the college, they will also remain active members of their home faculties. Both of these positions report to the College Dean while engaged in College of Health Sciences work.

Patricia Manns, Associate Dean, Education

Patricia (Trish) Manns, PhD (Health and Human Performance), MSc (Kinesiology) is a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and has served as the Associate Dean-Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine since 2017. She completed graduate work in the area of Exercise Science at the University of Saskatchewan and Oregon State University. Working with people with stroke and multiple sclerosis, her research focuses on the development and testing of strategies to maintain or improve health and everyday function. Trish trained as a physical therapist and has worked clinically as a neurological physical therapist in both Canada and the United States.

Lawrence Richer, Associate Dean, Health Research

Lawrence Richer, MD, MSc (Clinical Epidemiology) is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and a practicing Pediatric Neurologist. He serves as the Vice-Dean Research (Clinical) of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Center Director of the Northern Alberta Clinical Trials and Research Center (NACTRC), and academic lead for the Precision Health Signature Area. He also holds the Alberta Health Services Chair in Health Informatics Research. In his leadership roles, he is committed to advancing support for impactful health research at the University of Alberta, leveraging health data to improve patient outcomes and health innovation. His research interests focus on clinical trials, real-world evidence, the application of precision health in pediatric autonomic disorders and the treatment of pediatric migraine.

For more information about activities within the College of Health Sciences, please visit our news and notices page. Contacts for development, communications and marketing, finance, human resources, IT, research, and student services can be found on the CHS partnership network website.

My sincere thanks to our advisory committees for their time and care in making these crucial academic appointment recommendations.

Sincerely,

Greta Cummings
Interim Dean, College of Health Sciences