Today, Dr. Tammy Clifford, Acting President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, announced that Dr. Chelsea Gabel has been appointed Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health (IIPH) for a term of four years, effective October 1, 2024. This appointment is the result of a consultative approach with national Indigenous organizations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous health experts, and an Advisory Circle grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.
Dr. Gabel is Red River Métis originally from Rivers, Manitoba, and a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF). She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Aging and Society and the Indigenous Studies Department at McMaster University and holds a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Well-Being, Community Engagement, and Innovation. Dr. Gabel has shown exceptional leadership in conducting community-engaged research, providing valuable insights into the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. She previously led the Indigenous Mentorship Network of Ontario and the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) National Coordinating Centre. Notably, Dr. Gabel produced a groundbreaking report on Indigenous health care in rural Manitoba and has spearheaded multiple digital storytelling projects documenting Métis experiences with health and well-being across the prairie provinces.
As Scientific Director of IIPH, Dr. Gabel will play a lead role in advancing CIHR's Indigenous health research agenda in collaboration with Indigenous partners and communities across Canada and internationally. During Dr. Gabel's term, the Institute will be based at McMaster University.
