University of Alberta

Region: Edmonton Country: Canada

About Us
The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta in Edmonton has a storied history of success in world-class research, education and patient care. Established in 1913, it is now home to 20 departments, seven divisions, and many research groups, centres and institutes.

Renowned biochemist J.B. Collip, who taught at the U of A in the early part of the 20th century, set in motion the wheels of this research powerhouse with his major contribution to the development and purification of insulin. This laid the groundwork for what is now known around the world as the Edmonton Protocol, the standard care in clinical islet transplantation for the treatment of diabetes.

Today, the faculty is one of Canada's premier health sciences institutes and known internationally for its innovative medical education programs and for advancing medical knowledge through scientific research. With more than 50 residency programs, students are offered an abundant diversity of choices.

Clinical Collaborations
The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry has cultivated a unique and collaborative relationship with Alberta Health Services. The partnership has created a rich environment for education and research, and has allowed the two organizations to attract some of the top medical minds in the world. Students learn in an atmosphere of continual discovery, and witness and participate as secrets of disease are unlocked.

Renowned research groups, funding success
Researchers in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry explore every aspect of health and disease, from evidence-based orthodontics to pediatric pathology to changing public policy. Many of the research groups are recognized globally.

University of Alberta researchers are among the most competitive in the country in terms of funding from the major federal granting councils and other sources. The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry generated $189 million in research dollars in 2008-2009, making up approximately 40 per cent of the university's total.

Dean's Office
Dr. D. Douglas Miller is an internationally recognized cardiologist and clinician-scientist, a leader in academic medicine and an experienced chief academic/executive officer.

Prior to joining the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, Miller was a Regents' Professor (the highest academic status bestowed by the University System of Georgia) at the Medical College of Georgia, at Georgia Health Sciences University.

Miller served as dean of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), where he facilitated expansion of the medical school from one campus to four. As the MCG senior vice-president for health affairs, he also developed a new structure for interdisciplinary research by creating six discovery institutes for major translational projects, thus helping faculty across the university to increase research investments.

On the clinical side, he and his team created a more integrated model of health-care delivery by bringing physicians and hospitals closer together.

In 2010-11, Miller was the Robert G. Petersdorf Scholar-in-Residence with the Association of American Medical Colleges. He conducted empirical research for the association about the effects of national economies and health-care policies on physician workforce balance.

Miller was born in Brockville, Ont. He completed his undergraduate studies at Concordia University in Montreal, and went to medical school at McGill University where he also completed an internal medicine residency in 1981. He undertook a clinical and research cardiology fellowship at l'Institut de Cardiologie de Montreal, a clinical cardiology fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine and a cardiac imaging fellowship at Harvard University. He later went on to receive an executive master of international business from Saint Louis University.

Along with his administrative experience, Miller has held clinical appointments as an internist, cardiologist and medical imager on the medical staffs of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio, Saint Louis University, the Veterans Administration and the Medical College of Georgia.

Miller's career has spanned the clinical-translational science continuum, from basic research in the lab to clinical trials to patenting and implementation. His research interests include the inflammatory basis of coronary atherosclerosis, advanced imaging for the early detection of heart disease and the effects of gender on cardiovascular treatment and patient outcomes.

His work has resulted in more than 110 peer-reviewed papers and multiple patents, and he serves on the editorial boards of many high-impact journals.

"Balance is the firm foundation of organizational advancement towards any shared goal-this Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry already excels across all the academic missions," he says. "I am confident that continuing innovations in education, science and clinical care will emerge as this committed team seeks to build true partnerships for success across the faculties, the province of Alberta and the world."

Academic Plan
The Dare to Discover Academic Plan outlines four cornerstones that will anchor our leadership position and maximize our positive influence on the health and well-being of the public we serve.

The four cornerstones are:

Talented People
Learning, Discovering and Citizenship
Connecting Communities
Organization and Support

Facilities
The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta is home to and collaborates with several leading centres, allowing students and researchers access to some of the most modern and well-equipped facilities in Canada. These include: