UBC Graduate School of Journalism students have won five out of 12 Canadian Institutes of Health Research Communication Awards. Monica Tanaka, Kevin Sauve, Jodie Martinson, Anna Fong and Amelia Bellamy-Royds will be provided with $21,000 a year each towards their graduate studies. CIHR’s mandate is to create new knowledge and to translate that knowledge into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. The purpose of the Health Communications award is to increase the number of Canadian communicators engaged in communicating the findings and implications of health research.
Amelia Bellamy-Royds is from Ottawa, Ont. In 2006, she graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Science (honours) degree in Computational Biology. Following graduation, she spent two years working for the Parliamentary Information and Research Service in Ottawa, writing background papers and briefing notes on a variety of scientific topics for Senators, MPs and parliamentary committees.
Kevin Sauve was born and raised in the small South-Western Ontario town of New Dundee. He knew early on that he had a love for writing, but his love for science developed later, when he was introduced to human systems in senior high-school. He pursued an undergraduate degree within Biological Science at the University of Guelph, focusing on Molecular Biology while at the same time completing a minor in Neuroscience. A semester abroad in India, where he conducted an independent field study on environmental issues and human health within the developing nation, rekindled an almost lost desire to leave the laboratory and focus on writing. Returning to Guelph, he joined STAND, a student body aimed at raising awareness for the growing human-rights crisis in the Sudanesse city of Darfur, where he acted as Media and Promotions Coordinator. It was at this time that he developed an interest in Journalism, and began to search for schools that were capable of fulfilling his ambitions. As it turns out, the University of British Columbia’s School of Journalism was his top choice.
Jodie Martinson is from Calgary and has lived in many parts of Canada, the U.S., and Western Australia. She holds a BA in Environment and Development from the McGill School of Environment and studied film directing and producing at the Berkeley Digital Film Institute. She recently completed an hour-long documentary film entitled “To The Tar Sands,” which is part of this year’s Calgary International Film Festival. Jodie’s journalism focus is on the links between the health of ourselves, our communities, and our ecosystems. She was part of a research team at McGill University that helped to establish a culturally-appropriate protected area in Northern Quebec in partnership with the Cree Nation of Wemindji. She is primarily interested in using the mediums of video and radio documentary to work to improve the health of our planet, our communities, and ourselves.
Anna Fong is a Maritimer who hails from Nova Scotia. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Dalhousie University and will complete her final year of a Master of Journalism degree at the University of British Columbia. She received the Science Journalism award and was offered a Roger’s Broadcast scholarship from King’s College. Anna also worked with the School of Nursing in a Marijuana media discourse project and assisted with the “Future Directions in Science Journalism” conference. This summer she worked with CTV Atlantic and would like to continue her career in broadcast journalism with a focus on science stories.
Monica Tanaka is originally from Ottawa, but has lived in Montreal and London over the past five years. She received a B.Sc. in psychology and biology from McGill University in 2007. Whilst in England she had the opportunity to intern with the BBC Focus magazine, a science & tech monthly magazine based in Bristol.
