Killam Emerging Research Leader Awards spotlight exceptional early career research contributions

On Oct. 24, University of Calgary celebrated the 2024 Killam Emerging Research Leader Awards, recognizing three scholars whose groundbreaking work is making waves in their fields. These early career researchers received the awards for their potential to make a significant impact in health, science and social policy.

Awarded were Drs. Deinera Exner-Cortens, Timothy Friesen and Jennifer Zwicker.

"This year’s emerging research leaders are pushing the boundaries of their respective fields,” says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research), "We are proud to support their efforts, and look forward to all that they will achieve in their promising careers. Congratulations to Drs. Exner-Cortens, Friesen and Zwicker!"

The awards, funded by the Killam Trusts, align with the priorities of Canada's three major research councils: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Dr. Deinera Exner-Cortens, BSc’07, PhD

Associate professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (Childhood Health Promotion)

Exner-Cortens is a leader in childhood health promotion, specializing in youth mental health, violence-prevention and healthy relationships. She led the first studies on the long-term impacts of adolescent dating violence, including future intimate-partner violence. In 2021, she published the first national data on adolescent dating violence in Canada, which continues to guide organizations globally. Her work bridges research and practice through collaborations with government, schools and non-profits.

Exner-Cortens’ research is frequently applied in real-world settings, even contributing to a crucial suicide prevention module for educators in rural areas.

She is actively involved with the Centre for School Mental Health, serves as a lead evaluator for WiseGuyz and is a scientific co-director of PREVNet. She also contributed to the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and is an outstanding advocate for teen dating violence prevention.

"I am so honoured to have received this award," says Exner-Cortens. "The work it recognizes is a team effort, and would not be possible without our trainees, community and academic partners, and youth themselves. This award also brings attention to how critical it is for us to work across sectors to prevent teen dating violence in Canada, so that all youth can develop in safe and healthy ways."

Learn more about Exner-Cortens’ research.

Dr. Timothy Friesen, MSc’07, PhD’14  

Associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Current physical laws suggest that matter and antimatter should be nearly identical, and our universe should have formed with equal amounts of both. Why it is instead dominated by matter is a mystery Friesen is dedicated to answering.

As an experimental physicist pursuing precision measurements of antimatter to test the foundations of physics, Friesen’s had his share of career-defining firsts.

"I am honoured to receive the Killam Emerging Research Leader Award and would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my incredible students, postdocs and collaborators, whose hard work and dedication made this possible," says Friesen.

His groundbreaking research has captured widespread attention. Friesen has been published extensively in leading journals, including nine publications in the prestigious journal, Nature. His work has been cited thousands of times and he’s received numerous grants to support his research. On one project aimed at uncovering the truth behind the question, “does antimatter fall down?” Friesen garnered substantial media attention. He was interviewed on CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks, with the result named one of Physics World’s Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2023.

Friesen is a key member of the ALPHA collaboration at CERN, focused on studying antihydrogen atoms, the antimatter counterpart of hydrogen. He also chairs the Department of Physics and Astronomy’s Undergraduate Affairs Committee and regularly chairs sessions and judges student talks at the CAP congress.  

Learn more about Friesen’s research.

Dr. Jennifer Zwicker, MPP’13, PhD

Associate professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, director of Social Policy and Health, School of Public Policy and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (Disability Policy for Children and Youth)

Zwicker is a national leader in advancing policies that affect children and youth with disabilities and their families, leveraging her expertise in neuroscience and policy. Her innovative transdisciplinary research has significantly shaped service design and informed reports for both Canadian and international organizations, influencing key legislation like the Disability Tax Credit and the Canadian Disability Benefit.

"It is a privilege and an honour to be recognized alongside the remarkable Killam Scholars," says Zwicker. "I hope this recognition raises awareness of the urgent need to address the mental and physical health challenges faced by youth with disabilities and their families in Canada."

Her research focuses on addressing critical policy gaps to enhance access to services for children with disabilities and evaluating the socioeconomic effects of related interventions. Within UCalgary, Zwicker contributes to the Azrieli Accelerator’s research on improving supports, services and systems to enable neurodiverse individuals and their families to thrive.

Recognized as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in 2021 and among Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2023, her leadership and service continue to reshape disability policy and child-health outcomes in Canada.

Learn more about Zwicker’s research.