Faculty of Health Sciences

Dr. R. Brian Haynes is one of the founders of evidence-based medicine, the McMaster–born innovation regarded as one of the most important medical advances of the past 150 years. Dr. Haynes joined the University in 1977 as an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, with a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine. He later established the Health Information Research Unit, built the Health Knowledge Refinery and chaired his home department. He retired as professor emeritus in 2016.

Dr. Haynes made vital contributions to defining evidence-based medicine by, for example, establishing hierarchies of evidence and developing health informatics tools. He was the first to interrogate a vast array of medical journal articles, discovering that less than one per cent of the conclusions espoused by those articles was scientifically valid and clinically applicable. He also pioneered the creation of internet-based information services to deliver these studies to clinicians and he used machine learning to develop theClinical Queries tool – which utilizes what has become known as “Haynes filters.”

A co-founder of the global not-for-profit Cochrane Collaboration, Dr. Haynes was a member of the organization’s inaugural board of directors, hosted the first annual Cochrane Colloquium, now in its 28th year, and founded the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre which engages all Canadian medical schools. He has also made significant contributions to leading medical journals including the British Medical Journal’s Evidence Updates and the American College of Physicians’ Journal Club, of which he is the founding editor.

Dr. Haynes has collected an impressive list of honours including Health Canada’s National Health Scientist Career Award, an American College of Physicians Rosenthal Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is an honorary member of the (US) Medical Library Association and the American Medical Writers Association. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada’s Academy of Sciences, a foreign associate of the National Academy of Medicine/Institute of Medicine, a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and an officer of the Order of Canada.

Alador Bereketab is a visionary student leader whose work at McMaster has redefined leadership across equity, mentorship, and the arts. As President of the Black Health Sciences Association, she launched structural initiatives to increase Black student representation and founded McMaster’s Black Health Conference, now one of the university’s largest student-led events. As a Director with the Ontario Ethics Bowl Organization, Alador built a province-wide leadership network by founding teams, creating national classroom resources, and mentoring hundreds of youth across Canada. Her influence now permeates every level of the Ethics Bowl,  leaving behind a living, growing network of ethical leaders. Beyond campus, Alador is a professional Afrobeats-classical violinist whose performances foster cultural celebration and connection across the country. Her work consistently bridges advocacy and artistry, creating lasting systems of impact. This fall, she will begin a Master’s in Family Medicine at McGill University as a McCall MacBain Scholar, continuing her commitment to inclusive excellence.

Jasdeep Dhir (she/her) is an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean of the Physiotherapy Program at McMaster University, recognized for her leadership and innovation in physiotherapy education.
Rooted in a teaching philosophy that prioritizes inclusivity, critical thinking, self-directed learning, and experiential education, Prof. Dhir has transformed classroom and clinical learning environments. Her leadership has advanced curriculum innovation, enhanced clinical education quality, and strengthened mentorship structures that support students, faculty, and clinical instructors alike.

Prof. Dhir has led numerous programmatic and national initiatives that have reshaped physiotherapy education. She has championed the integration of simulation-based learning as an essential pedagogical tool in clinical education and led the development of a national repository of resources centred on equity, diversity, and inclusion to support physiotherapy educators across Canada. Her scholarly work has directly informed justice-driven updates to the National Physiotherapy Entry-to-Practice Curriculum Guidelines, contributing to systemic change in physiotherapy education and practice.

A dedicated mentor, Prof. Dhir fosters student leadership and empowers learners to become agents of change within the profession. She is deeply committed to building authentic connections with students, creating learning environments where learners feel seen, valued, and supported in their educational journey. Prof. Dhir brings a collaborative and strategic approach to program development, curriculum design, and the scholarship of teaching and learning, consistently advancing educational excellence.

Through her work, Prof. Dhir embodies McMaster University’s values of innovation, inclusion, and societal impact, making her a leader in advancing health professions education and shaping the future of physiotherapy education.

Dr. Jeffery Weitz is a professor of medicine and of biochemistry and biomedical sciences who also holds the Tier I Canada Research Chair in Thrombosis and the Heart and Stroke Foundation/J. Fraser Mustard Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Research. He is also the executive director of the Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute. His scholarly work, which primarily influences the fields of thrombosis and cardiovascular research, has appeared in more than 650 peer-reviewed publications and 75 book chapters, generating more than 105,000 citations. Most notably, his work in creating and implementing a revolutionary treatment for blood clotting disorders has benefited millions of people worldwide.

Dr. Weitz provides leadership to his field through senior roles with organizations including the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the American Heart Association, and the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) where he is secretary-general and played a key role in creating and promoting World Thrombosis Day.

In keeping with his standing and accomplishments, Dr. Weitz has received an extensive list of honours both within Canada and internationally. Recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher – a distinction reserved for researchers in the top 0.1 per cent of impact – he is also a fellow of the American Heart Association, the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the European Union Academy of Science. He earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Society of Hematology and the American Society of Hematology’s Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize. He is also an officer of the Order of Canada.