University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine professors Dr. Rob Beanlands and Dr. Michael Seto have been elected fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), recognizing their sustained contributions to health research and their impact on knowledge, clinical practice and health outcomes.
Drs. Beanlands and Seto are among 59 new Fellows elected to the Academy in the 2026 cohort. Their election reflects the breadth and impact of health research at the Faculty of Medicine and its affiliated institutes and hospitals, spanning cardiovascular medicine and mental health research.
Election as a fellow to the CAHS is among the highest honours in Canada’s health sciences field.
Dr. Rob Beanlands
“Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. I look forward to what the future holds.”
Dr. Rob Beanlands
Dr. Rob Beanlands, full professor in the Faculty of Medicine and president and chief executive officer of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, is a leading clinician-scientist in cardiovascular imaging and translational cardiac research. He’s also the founding director of the National Cardiac PET Centre at the Heart Institute, Canada’s first PET facility dedicated to cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Beanlands’ research program focuses on using advanced molecular and nuclear imaging to better understand cardiovascular disease and improve patient care. Over decades, his innovative work has examined cardiac metabolism, blood flow, cellular function and neurohormonal activity, helping advance the use of imaging technologies in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.
“I am honoured and proud to have been selected as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Science,” he says. “It is noteworthy though that our achievements to understand disease and enhance patient care have only been possible because of the strong and committed team, with whom I have had the pleasure to work alongside, and who have been enabled by the positive culture for kindness, care and innovation at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.”
“Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. I look forward to what the future holds.”
A University of Ottawa alumnus, Beanlands has held numerous leadership roles in Ottawa’s broad clinical care and research ecosystem. He has led major multicentre research initiatives, contributed to care, guidelines and policy, and published extensively in the field of cardiovascular medicine. He now leads Canada's foremost heart health centre dedicated to understanding, treating and preventing heart disease.
His high-impact contributions have earned numerous honours, including the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Career Achievement Award, the Margolese National Heart Disease Award, and the Leadership and Distinguished Teacher/Clinician Awards from the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.
Dr. Michael Seto
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from the (CAHS) for the work that my collaborators and I have done to advance our understanding of child sexual abuse prevention...”
Dr. Michael Seto
Dr. Michael Seto is a full professor of psychiatry at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and research director at The Royal. He is also Director of the Forensic Research Unit and Director of Forensic Rehabilitation Research at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research.
Dr. Seto is internationally recognized for his research on sexual offending, including sexual offending against children and online sexual offending. His work has advanced understanding of factors associated with sexual offending and contributed to evidence-based approaches to assessment, treatment and prevention.
"I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences for the work that my collaborators and I have done to advance our understanding of child sexual abuse prevention, and to translate that knowledge to policies and practices that help protect children,” Dr. Seto says.
“I hope this recognition will draw more attention to the importance and urgency of this work."
His research has significantly informed clinical practice, public policy and diagnostic frameworks in Canada and internationally. He has authored four books and numerous scientific publications and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Sexual Abuse, the journal of the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse.
Through his work, Dr. Seto has advanced understanding of complex and sensitive issues while contributing to efforts to prevent sexual violence and improve outcomes for individuals and communities.