Simon Fraser University Faculty of Health Sciences

Simon Fraser University Faculty of Health Sciences
Name	Faculty of Health Sciences
Established	2018
Type	Faculty
City	Burnaby
Province	British Columbia
Country	Canada
Parent	Simon Fraser University

Contents

Simon Fraser University Faculty of Health Sciences is the professional and research faculty at Simon Fraser University focusing on population health, clinical practice, health policy, and interdisciplinary health sciences. The faculty interacts with a wide network of institutions including British Columbia Ministry of Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Providence Health Care, and community partners across Metro Vancouver, fostering links to provincial, national, and international organizations such as Health Canada, World Health Organization, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Wellcome Trust. Its programs connect with professional bodies like the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia, Canadian Physiotherapy Association, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and cross-institutional collaborators including University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, McGill University, University of Toronto, and McMaster University.

History

The faculty was launched amid provincial health workforce planning and academic restructuring that involved stakeholders such as B.C. Premier John Horgan and funding announcements from the Government of British Columbia. Early planning built on partnerships with legacy departments at Simon Fraser University and drew on expertise from researchers formerly affiliated with institutions like Vancouver General Hospital, BC Children's Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto), and St. Paul's Hospital (Vancouver). Its formation paralleled national trends influenced by reports from Canadian Medical Association, Royal Society of Canada, and commissions such as the Romanow Commission. The faculty's growth has been shaped by grants and collaborations with agencies including Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and philanthropic contributions from donors associated with organizations like BC Cancer Foundation.

The faculty offers undergraduate and graduate pathways connected to professional accreditation and interprofessional education models used by schools like Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Degree offerings include entry-to-practice programs comparable to those at University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, graduate research degrees akin to programs at University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, and professional certificates modeled after curricula from University of Oxford and McMaster University. Program areas emphasize clinical training, population health, global health, and health policy, drawing curricular inspiration from international programs at Yale School of Public Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Imperial College London, and University of Melbourne. The faculty aligns practicum and clinical hours with standards referenced by regulators such as College of Physiotherapists of Ontario and frameworks used by Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region.

Research themes mirror strategic priorities seen at research hubs like Salk Institute, Institute for Systems Biology, and national centres funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Core centres and initiatives partner with institutes including BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, and networks like CanCOVID. Research clusters span epidemiology, digital health, rehabilitation science, and health services research, with cross-appointments linking to units at Simon Fraser University School of Computing Science, Department of Psychology (Simon Fraser University), Beedie School of Business, and institutes modeled after MRC Epidemiology Unit. Collaborative projects have involved agencies such as Statistics Canada, Canadian Institute for Health Information, and international partners like European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Leadership includes a dean supported by associate deans and chairs analogous to administrative structures at University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, McGill University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. Faculty recruitment has drawn scholars formerly affiliated with Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, University College London, and Karolinska Institutet. Administrative functions collaborate with provincial regulators including College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and national bodies such as Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Nurses Association. Senior academic staff have secured awards and recognition from organizations like Canada Research Chairs, Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and international honours comparable to those from the European Research Council.

Admission processes reference practices from competitive programs at McMaster University, University of Toronto, and University of British Columbia, and involve criteria used by professional regulators such as College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia. Student support services coordinate with campus associations like Simon Fraser Student Society and peer groups similar to those at Canadian Federation of Students chapters. Extracurricular opportunities include placements and exchanges with partners such as Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Canadian Red Cross, and global electives that mirror exchange agreements with institutions like Karolinska Institutet, University of Sydney, and University of Auckland. Scholarships and bursaries are funded through mechanisms similar to those at Canadian Institutes of Health Research and foundations including the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

Physical and clinical infrastructure includes simulation labs, interprofessional learning spaces, and research facilities informed by designs at Biosafety Level 3 laboratories and teaching hospitals such as Vancouver General Hospital, BC Children's Hospital, Royal Columbian Hospital, and Surrey Memorial Hospital. Clinical education occurs through formal affiliations with health authorities Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Interior Health, and specialty centres like BC Cancer and BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services. Technology and data partnerships involve collaborators such as Canada Health Infoway, Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy, and provincial digital health initiatives modeled on systems used by NHS Digital. The faculty's facilities support translational work aligned with networks like Canadian Cancer Trials Group and collaborative care models exemplified by programs at St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto).