Coming together to create a healthier world

I love September. The trees are still in their glory, yet that hint of cool is in the air. And there’s nothing like those fresh knapsacks as the academic year begins anew.

Since taking the reins in July as Dean of Temerty Medicine and Vice-Provost Relations with Health Care Institutions, I have been meeting with faculty and leaders across our campuses and partner institutions. There are many common challenges, and I’m committed to working together to turn those into opportunities to do better for science and medicine.

You’ll see more about my initial priorities with the publication of our 2024 Dean’s Report next week, so today I’d like to introduce myself to those of you I’ve yet to meet.

I am a Torontonian through and through. The eldest child of immigrants, I grew up in North York in a typical suburban community with many newcomers to Canada. One of my fondest childhood memories is visiting the local public library every Saturday with my mom and brother to load up on books for the week.

After U of T medical school and internship, and residency training at Western University, I pursued clinical fellowship and research training at Duke University in Durham, NC where I cared for children with kidney disease and explored the science of transplant immunology and cell migration. It was an inspiring and immersive time that led to three years as a junior faculty member and clinician-scientist at Duke.

Coming home to work as a physician-scientist at SickKids, my research has focused on the cellular mechanisms that promote progression of kidney disease and on translational approaches to enhance the function and longevity of kidney transplants. But I’ve also been deeply committed to mentorship and growing programs that bring young people into the wonderful wide world of science.

Like many, my own path in life was not straightforward and gave me insight into how we can support promising young scholars for whom life circumstances may seem insurmountable.

Because people are our strength

Temerty Medicine has an incredible pool of talented, compassionate educators, health professionals and scientists, learners and staff, from all cultures of the world: we are the backbone of Canadian biomedical research, and an essential hub for health sciences and medical education across Ontario and beyond.

But we, like all of society, have faced profound challenges over the last few years — COVID-19, a worsening climate emergency and ongoing conflicts around the world. We have been tested like never before, and there is much work to do to rebuild relationships and restore trust where it has been broken.

We must find new ways to come together around our shared values and our shared purpose: to educate a compassionate and engaged next generation, to advance knowledge and understanding of health and disease, and to do so with curiosity, humility, and a foundational respect for others.

When we build bridges — between us and our colleagues, between us and our learners, between us and our patients, and with all sectors of the public — we know we can create a healthier world. I hope you’ll join me with an open mind and a generous spirit to advance our work together.

Lisa Robinson
Dean, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions, University of Toronto