McMaster University Professor Dawn Bowdish is being recognized with the 2025 Research Canada Leadership in Advocacy Award for her dedication towards the advancement of health research and policy.
Bowdish, a professor with the Department of Medicine and executive director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, received the recognition on Oct. 9, 2025 at Research Canada’s national conference. Presented annually, the award recognizes individuals and organizations that promote health research and help guide policy.
“I’m thankful for this recognition and I’m thankful to work at two institutions, McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, that have been so supportive of researchers using their time and talents for advocacy work. Research Canada has done an exceptional job at promoting Canadian talent and advocating for Canadian research, which we’ve never needed more. With so much talent in research advocacy, it’s humbling to be recognized as this year’s winner,” Bowdish says.
In addition to Firestone, Bowdish is a member of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA), the McMaster Immunology Research Centre (MIRC) and the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR). She also holds associate memberships with the departments of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences and Chemistry & Chemical Biology.
“Dr. Bowdish’s ability to engage with policymakers and the public is remarkable. She has an extraordinary ability of communicating health research and has an unwavering commitment to improving public health. Congratulations, Dr. Bowdish,” says Paul O’Byrne, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.
From 2014 to 2024, Bowdish held a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Aging and Immunity. Her research has appeared in more than 180 peer-reviewed publications and consists of over 17,000 citations.
Her work has informed 10 policy documents and has been cited in 44 more. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Lung Health Foundation, Canada’s largest non-profit dedicated to lung health, that works to create provincial and national strategies for lung health.
Bowdish has been a leading voice during Canada’s most recent outbreak of measles and provided Canadians with important context and insight during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her reach extends beyond media, having contributed to Canada’s national COVID-19 vaccination guidelines and advised global pharmaceutical companies on vaccine strategies.
In 2024, Bowdish performed a one-woman show at the Hamilton Fringe Festival to spark conversations about health care. She runs the Bowdish Lab at McMaster where she mentors the next generation of infectious disease researchers.