Dr. Desai Shan, an assistant professor of occupational health and safety at Memorial University, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Junior Faculty Research Award – one of the Faculty of Medicine’s prestigious Dean’s Excellence Awards. A ceremony will be held on June 20 to celebrate this year’s recipients.
Dr. Shan is a leading expert in maritime occupational health and safety. She was selected for the award in recognition of her exceptional research contributions to this field.
The Dean of Medicine at Memorial University, Dr. Dolores McKeen, said:
“We are very pleased that Dr. Shan has been given the 2024 Dean’s Excellence Awards - Junior Faculty Research Award. Since joining the Faculty of Medicine in 2020, Dr. Shan has demonstrated exceptional dedication and outstanding contributions to research in the field of occupational health. She has shown excellent career trajectory through her acquisition of multiple research grants, consistent productivity, and establishment of national and international presence in ocean frontiers research. We are fortunate to have Dr. Shan at Memorial and happy that her work is supported by the Ocean Frontier Institute.”
With more than 40 publications and seven book chapters focused on occupational health and safety for Canadian and international seafarers and fishing workers, Dr. Shan’s research aims to improve the health and safety of maritime communities. In addition to sharing her expertise with governments, industry, and communities, Dr. Shan also serves as an international maritime labour law expert on the Canadian National Seafarer’s Welfare Board.
“Receiving the Dean's Research Excellence Award is a great honour,” says Dr. Shan.
“I am deeply grateful for this recognition and remain dedicated to advancing my research and endeavours in the fields of occupational health and ocean governance with even more passion and commitment in the future.”
Dr. Shan was also the lead researcher on a recent project exploring gaps in Canadian seafarer welfare, which refers to services offered to individuals working on board a sea vessel.
Funded by the Ocean Frontier Institute’s Seed Fund program, the project led to the publication of a report in Maritime Policy on the services currently available and suggestions on how to leverage these resources to address any gaps in support.
