News

Dr. Caitlin McArthur has been appointed the Shannex Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthy Aging in Dalhousie University's Faculty of Health. Dr. McArthur's five-year term will continue until June 30, 2031. This Chair, and the Shannex Research Lab in AI and Healthy Aging within the healthy aging research hub are part of a $2 million donation by Shannex to support research and education on healthy aging.

A registered physiotherapist and Associate Professor in the School of Physiotherapy, Dr. McArthur is a leading researcher in healthy aging, mobility, dementia, rehabilitation, and long-term care. She leads an interdisciplinary research program combining rehabilitation science, health services research, implementation science and advanced data analytics to improve outcomes for older adults across home care, community, and long-term care settings.

"I'm very excited about and grateful for this opportunity to lead research aimed at improving the lives of older adults across the continuum of care. Given our aging population, technological advances, and workforce challenges, now is the time to leverage the incredible data and collaborative networks available to support, enhance, and evaluate care of older adults," says Dr. McArthur. "In the role of Shannex Research Chair in AI and Healthy Aging, I look forward to forging new interdisciplinary collaborations, mentoring trainees, and working with community partners and individuals with lived and living experience to further our understanding of how data can transform care through ongoing, sustainable collaborations."

The Shannex Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthy Aging will advance the use of artificial intelligence to improve health, healthcare, and quality of life for older adults. Working at the intersection of healthy aging, mobility, rehabilitation, frailty, AI and machine learning, Dr. McArthur will lead the development, evaluation and implementation of innovative, data-informed solutions across the continuum of care. Through partnerships with healthcare providers, long-term care organizations, researchers and community stakeholders, this work will help enhance care delivery, promote healthy aging and strengthen health and long-term care systems.

“Our investments in healthy aging are rooted in a commitment to helping people live well at every stage,” said Jason Shannon, president of Shannex. “By working with academic partners like Dr. McArthur and Dalhousie University, we hope to harness the power of technology, data and research to put practical information and solutions in the hands of older adults and healthcare professionals so we can better understand each person’s aging journey.”

Dr. McArthur is uniquely positioned to lead this work through her clinical expertise, access to health data, implementation experience and strong partnerships across the care continuum. Her research has drawn upon large-scale health datasets, digital technologies and predictive risk algorithms to examine frailty, mobility, falls, fractures, social engagement and quality of care. She has secured more than $7.3 million in research funding as a principal or co-investigator and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers.

Dr. Brenda Merritt, Dean of the Faculty of Health, says the appointment is a wonderful recognition of Dr. McArthur's leadership and the impact of her work. Dr. Merritt adds that the Chair represents a bold step forward in health innovation, drawing on Dalhousie's research infrastructure and expertise to support low-cost assessments and interventions that are scalable in community, clinic, and long-term care settings — while bringing together academic and industry leaders to advance healthy aging across the lifespan.

"Shannex and Dalhousie share a common goal: making sure people get the best possible care as they age," says Dr. Merritt. "Shannex brings deep, day-to-day knowledge of what residents and care teams actually need, and Dalhousie brings the research, training, and tools to help meet those needs. Together, that's a rare opportunity — to turn evidence into practical solutions that help people stay healthier, longer, in the communities we both serve. We're grateful to Shannex for their vision and their investment in this work."