Family medicine faculty member recognized for excellence in postdoctoral supervision

Fiona Kouyoumdjian has been honoured with an award of Excellence in Postdoctoral Supervision from the Faculty of Health Sciences Postdoctoral Association (FHS PDA). The FHS PDA grants this award to mentors who have displayed exceptional support for postgraduate fellows’ research.

Kouyoumdjian, an assistant professor of family medicine and lead investigator of the prison health research program, was nominated for the award by two postdoctoral trainees, Kate McLeod and Amanda Butler, to recognize her acclaimed mentorship.

In their nomination, Butler and McLeod share that Kouyoumdjian has given them the knowledge and skills necessary to “write peer-reviewed publications, attend academic conferences, cosupervise students, engage in knowledge translation activities, work with a range of collaborators, including academics, community members, clinicians, and people with lived/living experience, and build networks of local, national, and international colleagues.” 

Her active engagement in the research endeavours of postdoctoral trainees displays her determination to provide guidance to help them reach their full potential and pursue a path toward academic and occupational excellence.

“Fiona is a highly effective communicator who provides timely, candid, and supportive feedback for the benefit of our work and development. At every opportunity, she shows her commitment to our growth and success as researchers and as individuals,” said Butler and McLeod. 

Kouyoumdjian has established a growing collaborative community of researchers and knowledge users in the field of prison health, demonstrating both her leadership in this area and an exceptional approach to sharing knowledge, skills, and insights with colleagues and trainees. “Fiona is firmly committed to ensuring that the products of research are made accessible and is a constant source of tangible support by creating opportunities for her postdoctoral fellows through collaboration on ongoing research projects and leveraging her professional networks,” said Butler and McLeod. 

The success of her postdoctoral trainees and in the field of prison health is evidence of Kouyoumdjian’s exceptional leadership. She has provided invaluable guidance and her ongoing support demonstrates her commitment to her trainees’ growth and success. This award is a well-deserved acknowledgement of her postdoctoral supervision. 

Congratulations, Dr. Fiona Kouyoumdjian!