Four faculty members named to Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

Four UCalgary scholars have been named to the Royal Society of Canada’s (RSC) College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

The RSC College is Canada’s first national multidisciplinary honour for emerging intellectual leaders, recognizing the next generation of Canadian changemakers whose research, scholarship and creative work demonstrate excellence in their fields.  

Drs. Liena Kano, Hadis Karimipour, Pamela Roach and Maja Tarailo-Graovac, all PhD, are among the 2026 RSC College cohort.

“UCalgary’s newest RSC College members are advancing knowledge and opening new avenues of inquiry,” says Dr. Ed McCauley, PhD, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary. “We are proud to see their exceptional scholarship recognized by the RSC and to celebrate the contributions they are already making in their fields. These new appointments are a powerful acknowledgment of the growing impact of their work.” 

This year’s new College members will be officially inducted into the RSC during a ceremony in Ottawa this November.  

Meet this year’s UCalgary RSC College members

Dr. Liena Kano, MBA'01, PhD'13. Professor of Strategy and Global Management, Haskayne School of Business   

Kano is an internationally recognized scholar whose work spans international business, strategic management and entrepreneurship. Her research on global value chains, family firms and business history is helping shape more resilient, sustainable and human-centred approaches to globalization.  

Kano’s work has informed policy discussions at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, European Commission and World Bank, with implications for how Canadian firms can strengthen competitiveness in global markets.  

She is the McCaig Family Future Fund Professor of International Family Business at the Haskayne School of Business and has held leadership roles in scholarly associations across Canada and globally, including the Academy of International Business, the Academy of International Business Canada Chapter, and the Strategic Management Society. Her honours include the John F. Mee Award for management history research, election as an Academy of International Business Fellow and multiple Best Reviewer awards recognizing her sustained service to the community. 

Learn more about Kano’s research. 

Dr. Hadis Karimipour, PhD. Associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering

Karimipour is a leading authority in cybersecurity, specializing in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to enhance the security of critical infrastructure.   

She is the Canadian Research Chair in Secure and Resilient Cyber-physical Systems, where her research advances AI-driven threat detection, quantum-resilient security and cyber-physical protection. Her work has influenced global security strategies, strengthened Canada’s cybersecurity capacity, and contributed to the safety, economy and well-being of Canadians. She has been cited by influential organizations such as the World Bank and the European Commission.   

Among Karimipour’s honours are the Killam Emerging Research Leader Award, Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine, Canadian Security Top 10 Under 40, and Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence Award. She is amongStanford/Elsevier's Top 2% Scientists since 2021. 

Learn more about Karimipour’s research. 

Dr. Maja Tarailo-Graovac, PhD. Professor in the departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Medical Genetics at the Cumming School of Medicine

Tarailo-Graovac is transforming how rare diseases are diagnosed, understood and treated through genomics — the study of a person’s full set of DNA. Her interdisciplinary research combines patient studies, laboratory models, advanced DNA testing and data analysis to uncover complex genetic causes of rare diseases.

Tarailo-Graovac's work has helped identify more than 20 new gene-disease links and has advanced genetic discoveries into clinical care. Through the Silent Genomes Project, her work has improved access to genomic diagnosis for Indigenous patients and families, while strengthening culturally respectful research. Her research tackles complex questions about how two people with the same change in DNA develop different disease presentations.

Her discoveries have been published widely, including in The New England Journal of Medicine, and she has been recognized with honours including the 2024 CSMB New Investigator Award. Tarailo-Graovac is a member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine.

Learn more about Tarailo-Graovac’s research.

Dr. Pamela Roach, BSc'03, PhD. Associate professor in the departments of Family Medicine and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine  

Roach is a citizen of the Otipemisiwak Métis Nation within Alberta and a recognized leader in dementia and Indigenous health research. As the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health Systems Safety, she leads an international program focused on developing Indigenous-specific approaches to dementia care, assessment and prevention.  

She is the research director, Indigenous engagement in the Office of the Vice-President (Research) at UCalgary, where she is guiding the development of the university’s Indigenous Research Implementation Plan that aims to advance supports for Indigenous research across campus. She is also deputy director at the O’Brien Institute for Public Health. 

She has received multiple honours, including the 2025 Killam Emerging Research Leader Award, the 2024 AFMC Indigenous Health Advocacy Emerging Leader Award, and the 2021 Glenda MacQueen Distinguished Leadership Award. 

Roach is a member of the O’Brien Institute, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education at the Cumming School of Medicine.

Learn more about Roach’s research.