Dr. Devon Greyson receives inaugural Research Impact Award for societal contribution of Information Science

Dr. Devon Greyson, an assistant professor of UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, receives inaugural Research Impact Award from the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T).

Dr. Greyson is a leading expert in public health communications. They are the Applied Public Health Chair in “Building Trusted Population Health Information Systems and Intervention” at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Greyson’s research focuses on public health communication and the use of information by publics, clinicians, and health systems. Devon has a special interest in perinatal and pediatric health decision-making and experiences. Current work focuses on vaccine decision-making, use of cannabis during pregnancy and lactation, and mitigating the impacts of medical disinformation. Dr. Greyson is a qualitative and mixed methodologist with an interdisciplinary background that spans gender studies, information science, and public health.

Sponsored by Rutgers University, this award makes more visible the dimensions of the societal contribution of Information Science and provides role models and examples for new scholars wishing to translate research into practical benefits for others. The award shapes and nourishes information science as a discipline by encouraging future research that has important impact. This, in turn, supports researchers’ career development, as impact is highly valued by academic institutions and governments when assessing research contributions and research quality.

The award recognizes Greyson’s “multifaceted knowledge translation and exchange practices to impact both research and practical outcomes. As an information scientist cross-trained in population health, a highly cited and productive mid-career health information scientist, and an active teacher and practitioner of knowledge translation strategies, [Greyson’s] knowledge mobilization demonstrates important ways information science can make contributions within our own field and in addressing broader societal challenges.

“I am honoured to be the inaugural recipient of this important new award that shines a spotlight on the myriad ways information science makes societal contributions,” said Greyson. “As an information scientist working in applied public health research, I work to improve the ways we use information to address health inequities, and engagement with decision-makers and communities is an important part of this work. I hope this award will stimulate further interest and excitement among information scientists who are partnering with or embedding in health research and other public interest domains.”

A version of this announcement originally appeared on the ASIS&T website.

Learn more about Dr. Devon Greyson and their research.