Professor Timothy Allen Caulfield is one of a rare breed of scientist who is equally as adept as an accomplished researcher as he is interpreting his work to engage and inform the public. A key figure at the forefront of communicating relevant, engaging, evidence-based and practical information that has helped protect society and enhance health and well-being, the University of Lethbridge will present Caulfield with an honorary degree at Spring 2023 Convocation.
Science misinformation, while always prevalent in society, has taken on new momentum since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amplified through social media, misinformation and misrepresentations of science have endangered the public and shone a bright light on scientific discovery and communication. Caulfield’s voice has been particularly relevant in stemming the spread of misinformation.
“The pandemic made it hard for everyone to try and make sense of who to trust and what information was the right information. Tim Caulfield has been a source of engaging, relevant, evidence-based information for years and to have him step forward and take on the responsibility of countering the false claims and informing the public was absolutely essential,” says Charles Weaselhead, ULethbridge chancellor. “The University is proud to present professor Caulfield with an honorary degree in respect of the valuable role he played throughout the pandemic and continues today.”
Caulfield will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Science, honoris causa, at Spring 2023 Convocation, Ceremony I, on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium.
Timothy Allen Caulfield
A Canada Research Chair in Public Health Law Policy and Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta, Timothy Allen Caulfield’s research spans disciplinary boundaries such as stem cells, research ethics, the representation of science in the general media, and public health policy. He has authored over 350 academic publications.
Caulfield has also made a concerted effort to reach the public through his work and lead the conversation about public health policy. His outreach efforts have included two national bestselling books that address health misinformation: The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness and Happiness and Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash. He also hosted and co-produced the popular television program A User’s Guide to Cheating Death, which has been shown in over 60 countries and streamed on Netflix.
Caulfield’s voice has been particularly relevant in the wake of the global pandemic and his expertise has been featured extensively on significant national media platforms discussing issues behind vaccine hesitancy and communicating the science behind the COVID-19 virus. He has taken the lead on two significant initiatives as a result, serving as Chair for the Royal Society of Canada task force on evidence-informed perspectives on major societal challenges in response to and recovery from COVID-19, as well as taking a leadership role in Science Up First, a national collective of scientists, researchers, health-care experts and science communicators who share the best available science in creative ways to stem the spread of misinformation.
Caulfield’s books and articles have greatly helped to blunt the damage of false claims and fallacies and was ranked No. 6 on Maclean’s Magazine’s 2023 Power List of Top 10 Health Care Innovators. As well, he is a Member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He also earned the Distinguished Academic Award from the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations and the Fleming Medal for Excellence in Science Communication.