Dr. Pamela Roach, PhD, appointed as Director, Indigenous Health Education at the Cumming School of Medicine

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Pamela Roach as the Director of Indigenous Health Education within the Indigenous, Local and Global Health Office for a five-year term effective May 1, 2021. The Director of Indigenous Health Education will lead efforts to support the Cumming School of Medicine’s (CSM) strategic priorities and goals to advance Indigenous health and respond to the Indigenous Health Dialogue. The Director will provide guidance and expertise to incorporate and enhance reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion measures in curriculum offerings to ensure content is culturally relevant for Indigenous peoples and includes anti-racist teachings.

Dr. Roach is a Métis scholar and member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. She has worked in health services research for over 18 years in a variety of roles in academic and community health care settings, both in Canada and the United Kingdom. She completed her PhD in Medical and Human Science at the University of Manchester before moving back to Canada where she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Family Medicine at the University of Alberta.

She advocates for improving health systems safety by working at the intersection of health services and medical education to impact population and individual level health outcomes.

“As the new Director of Indigenous Health Education, I am very excited to work with Dr. Crowshoe, Dr. Mosher, the Indigenous, Local and Global Health Office team, and the rest of CSM in further developing longitudinal and embedded Indigenous health and antiracism curriculum across all our learning streams. I will focus on teaching and assessments, curriculum design, and capacity building across our Faculty. I am driven by the difference we can make to the culture and environment to enhance the learning experience and the experience of Indigenous students, staff and faculty in the CSM.”

The experience and dedication brought by Dr. Roach will be essential in advancing Indigenous health within the CSM. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Roach on her appointment.