The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and its Members have elected this year’s new Fellows, and named the incoming class of RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
Join us in congratulating Dr. Ara Norenzayan, who has been elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Dr. Catharine Winstanley, who has been named a Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
Dr. Norenzayan and Dr. Winstanley are among a total of nine UBC faculty members being inducted for their research excellence.
Dr. Norenzayan, a professor in UBC’s department of psychology and co-director of the Centre for Human Evolution, Cognition, and Culture, studies the evolutionary origins of religion and the psychological impact of cultural diversity in today’s globalized world.
“Growing up in Beirut in the chaotic times of the Lebanese civil war, never did I imagine that Canada would be my permanent home and one day I would be a fellow of the RSC. I am excited and grateful for this honour and happy to be a part of the fantastic Psychology Department at the University of British Columbia.”
The 2020 Fellows have been elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement. Election to the academies of the Royal Society of Canada is the highest honour a scholar can achieve in the Arts, Humanities and Sciences.
Dr. Winstanley, a professor in UBC’s department of psychology and a researcher at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, explores the neurobiology of impulsivity and decision making to improve treatments for addiction and compulsive disorders.
“Being inducted into the Royal Society of Canada provides me with an opportunity to engage with scientists in different disciplines and will allow me to explore new ways of communicating our lab’s research to the public, which I’m really excited about. I’m truly honoured to be recognized and look forward to being part of this community of leading scientists and scholars.”
The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists is Canada’s first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership. Its Members provide the RSC with a multigenerational capacity to help Canada and the world address major challenges and seize new opportunities including those identified in emerging fields.
The 2020 Fellows and Members will be welcomed into the RSC this November during the RSC’s Celebration of Excellence and Engagement.
Citations
Dr. Ara Norenzayan, a social psychologist, has made ground-breaking contributions to the study of the origins of religion, and the psychological impact of religious and cultural diversity in today’s globalized world. His research appears in some of the most influential scientific journals and he is among the most highly cited social psychologists in the country. He is the author of the acclaimed book, Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict.
Dr. Catharine Winstanley explores the neurobiology underlying impulsivity and decision making, in order to improve treatments for addiction and compulsive disorders. Her work shows that pairing wins with casino-inspired sounds and lights during gambling simulations increases risky choice in rats and humans, and also alters the sensitivity of the dopamine system. This research may help explain why electronic gambling games are so addictive, and why drug and gambling addictions often co-occur.
