U of C prof first Emeritus recipient for SEARCH Canada

Marja Verhoef, a full professor and Canada Research Chair in Complementary Medicine in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary is the first recipient to be appointed an Emeritus faculty member by SEARCH Canada.

SEARCH Canada was created to bring research closer to practice in health care by developing people in health service and research organizations, building relationships across academic and practice sectors, and providing local research information and access.

Those nominated for this recognition have demonstrated outstanding dedication and vision in achieving SEARCH Canada’s mission, and have made significant contributions to programs.

Verhoef served as a member of the SEARCH core faculty team from 1995 through to 2004. She was instrumental in developing and delivering the first SEARCH curriculum, contributing primarily in the area of research design and methodology. As a member of the Calgary faculty team for SEARCH II, she contributed to the development of the "Asthma Case" to demonstrate the application of mixed methods in applied research. She continued as a member of the Creating Evidence team throughout SEARCH III and IV, participating in curriculum and program re-design at every stage.

She was also a founding co-director of the Alberta Consultative Health Research Network (ACHRN), which later became SEARCH Custom. In that role, Verhoef established the staff and faculty teams required to provide research consultation across the province. She created positive linkages with the University of Alberta as the other coordinating site and lay the foundation of consultants, workshops and communications that contributed to the success of SEARCH Custom.

In her work as long-standing program coordinator for the annual Health Research Methods course at the University of Calgary, Verhoef was committed to providing easy access for SEARCH participants so that they could continue to develop and sustain research skills and interests and to keep their network vital.

Verhoef left her role on the faculty team to pursue her research interests as a Canada Research Chair in Complementary and Alternative Medicine.