Dr. Heyu Ni inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) was established in 2004 and brings together Canada’s top-ranked health and biomedical scientists and scholars to make a positive impact on the urgent health concerns of Canadians. Its Fellows are individuals of great achievement within the academic health sciences in Canada, who serve the Academy as unpaid volunteers to provide assessments of, and advice on, key issues relevant to the health of Canadians. Last week, the Academy announced its new Fellows, among them Dr. Heyu Ni. 

Dr. Ni is a Canadian Blood Services senior scientist. He is also a professor in the departments of laboratory medicine and pathology, medicine, and physiology at the University of Toronto, and a scientist at the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto). Dr. Ni is an expert in thrombosis and hemostasis, platelet biology and bleeding disorders, including autoimmune and alloimmune thrombocytopenias.  

Dr. Ni’s research has improved and re-defined our understanding of thrombosis and hemostasis, mechanisms that are critical for health as they underlie conditions such as heart attack, stroke and bleeding disorders. He has established models of several bleeding disorders, advancing understanding of these life-threatening diseases. His work to better understand bleeding disorders informs more appropriate clinical practice for both diagnosis and treatment of these disorders and helps to optimize transfusion practice and use of blood products such as platelets and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg).   

Dr. Ni holds numerous patents, has published more than 120 peer-reviewed original research articles, many of which are in top-ranked journals. He has founded a spin-off company to advance his research discoveries into new anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic therapies. Dr. Ni is also the chair of the Canadian China Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, which promotes collaboration between the two countries, and is a consultant for medical and scientific affairs for the Chinese Society of Blood Transfusion. 

“I feel great honour that my work has been highly respected. This Fellowship will enhance my opportunities to communicate with government and policy makers to improve our health policy to better service Canadians as well as patients worldwide.”   (Dr. Heyu Ni) 

Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences are nominated by their Fellow peers and selected based on their internationally recognized leadership, academic performance, scientific creativity and willingness to serve. Dr. Ni’s selection as a Fellow endorses his standing as a highly recognized world-leader in his field, as well as his commitment to creativity, excellence and service. Dr. Ni’s Fellowship also highlights the importance of his research to the health of Canadians and beyond. 

Also among the Fellows announced last week was Dr. Dean Fergusson, a professor at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and a Canadian Blood Services adjunct scientist. Congratulations to Dr. Ni and Dr. Fergusson. 

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Through discovery, development and applied research, Canadian Blood Services drives world-class innovation in blood transfusion, cellular therapy and transplantation—bringing clarity and insight to an increasingly complex healthcare future. Our dedicated research team and extended network of partners engage in exploratory and applied research to create new knowledge, inform and enhance best practices, contribute to the development of new services and technologies, and build capacity through training and collaboration. Find out more about our research impact. 

The opinions reflected in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Canadian Blood Services nor do they reflect the views of Health Canada or any other funding agency.