Dr. Ellen Bialystok is part of the York Research Chairs program that acknowledges research excellence within the university community
Ellen Bialystok is a superstar. The York University researcher studies the effects of experience on cognitive function and brain organization across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on bilingualism. Her findings point to a lifelong "bilingual advantage," which could offset or delay symptoms of age-related brain deterioration, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Bialystok's work has received wide attention from both within and beyond the research community, and this year, she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada.
At York, she holds the Walter Gordon York Research Chair of Lifespan Cognitive Development, an appointment conferred through the York Research Chairs program. These chairs, created exclusively for York University faculty members, acknowledge research excellence within the university community, says Mark Roseman, director of Strategic and Institutional Research Initiatives at York University.
York's vice-president, Research & Innovation Dr. Robert Hache adds "York's researchers are among some of the world's leading scholars and experts. We are proud to have established the York Research Chairs program, an initiative that will help to further build, support and intensify world-renowned research taking place at the university."
The program is modelled on the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program, explains Dr. Roseman, and York recipients are on the same level as CRC chairholders. "We expect them to meet the same standards of excellence," he says. "And we have the same rigorous selection and peer review process. We also provide a comparable level of support and recognition."
The calibre of research conducted by chairholders like Dr. Bialystok and Nantel Bergeron, whose work furthers the understanding of complex algorithms in computer science and mathematics and provides insights into the super-symmetry of nature, speaks for itself. And receiving this high level of recognition from within the university raises the profile of the researchers. It can also help to attract talent and funding, says Dr. Roseman.
Yet the honour also comes with expectations. "We encourage our chairholders to undertake leadership activities to further accelerate their discipline," he explains. "They are expected to nurture up-and-coming researchers, for example, or lead collaborative efforts within their field."
In addition to celebrating research excellence, the program brings together experts from various faculties and disciplines – creating a "powerful multidisciplinary community of accomplished researchers," says
Dr. Roseman. "They are all superstars.
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