Dr. Dawn Bowdish Appointed as Executive Director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health
Following an extensive and lengthy search process, St. Joe's is very pleased to announce that Dr. Dawn Bowdish has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Dr, Bowdish is a highly respected academic researcher and leader who brings more than ten years of healthcare research into immunology and ageing.
Dawn’s scholarly background is significant and she has received many awards and honours, a few of which include: Canada Research Chair in Aging & Immunity 2014-2024; Breathe New Life Award – Top Rated Grant in the Ontario Thoracic Society/Ontario Lung Association’s Grant in Aid Program 2016-2017; Ontario Lung Association – Pfizer Canada Research Award in 2012; and Member of the College of New Scholars at the Royal Society of Canada.
Dawn’s administrative and committee experience includes: Member of the Board of Directors of the Lung Health Foundation; Member of the Executive Committee of the Ontario Thoracic Foundation; Member of the Executive Committee at the David Braley Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance at McMaster University; Member of the Executive Committee & Associate Director of the Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University; and a Member of the McMaster University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Dr. Bowdish is a Professor of Medicine at McMaster University. She holds a PhD in Microbiology & Immunology from the University of British Columbia, a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Microbiology from the University of Guelph and was a Canadian Institute of Health Research Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Oxford, Department of Pathology, in Oxford, England.
Dawn’s commitment and dedication to immunology, aging and respiratory diseases and her deep care for the health and well-being of others aligns closely with the mission, strategy and values of St. Joe’s Hamilton and the legacy of the Sister’s of St. Joseph.
Dr. Bowdish’s recruitment to this new role is a collaborative effort between McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton, and was bolstered by a $2 million commitment from The Marta & Owen Boris Foundation.
As Executive Director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, Dr. Bowdish will focus on maintaining the Institute’s world-class status and increasing its reach into research of chronic lung diseases.
Dawn’s start date is August 3rd, 2021.