September 25, 2025
Two Lawson Health Research Institute scientists, Drs. Richard Kim and Emma Duerden, are part of a prestigious group selected by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) to be fellows and new members of the RSC College for 2024.
Dr. Kim, Scientist at Lawson and Physician at London Health Sciences Centre, was selected as one of 104 new fellows elected by peers for outstanding achievements – the highest honour in the arts, social sciences, humanities and science. He says he’s honoured to be recognized by his peers for his work.
“I have been inspired by outstanding mentors and role models even from an early stage in my career,” says Dr. Kim, who is also the Wolfe Medical Research Chair in Pharmacogenomics at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
Dr. Kim’s work is focused on understanding why, at the molecular level, patients respond differently to medications. His team is looking at both genetic factors and non-genetic influences like drug interactions, diet and blood biomarkers. The goal is to advance knowledge and personalized patient care.
“I’ve always felt extremely fortunate to be able to do what I truly enjoy. It’s not just a job but a privilege and a passion. My team and colleagues have been outstanding, and I owe much of my success to the unwavering support from my family,” he says.
Dr. Duerden, Scientist at Lawson’s Children’s Health Research Institute, is one of just 56 new members of the RSC College, which welcomes mid-career leaders in emerging fields.
“It’s a huge honour. It’s an incredible, diverse group and I think it will open up a lot of opportunities to form new collaborations and work on programs related to child health,” says Dr. Duerden, who is also the Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience & Learning Disorders.
Her research focuses on both biological and social adversity and how it can impact early brain development and in turn, cognitive outcomes for children. The hope is that interventions can be developed and shared through public health institutions to ensure children can thrive.
“We used to say it takes a village to raise a child,” she says. “That’s still true but I think now there are a lot of global issues, so it’s a global village that is responsible for giving them a healthy start in life and to promote this throughout adulthood.”
A ceremony will be held on November 8 as part of the Celebration of Excellence and Engagement. A full list of the 2024 inductees can be found here.