Professor
EDNA Park
Lecture
The 2016 Professor Edna W. Park Lecture was held on
November 10th, and brought Timothy Caulfield to the
podium as this year’s Edna Park Lecturer. Timothy
Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair in Health law and
Policy, a Trudeau Fellow and Professor in the Faculty of
Law and the School of Public Health and Research Director
of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta. He
is known for his writing in popular press which covers a
range of health and science policy issues. With media being
a main window for the public to gain access and exposure to
information, such as research findings, it is important to
ensure that the message that comes across is true to what
the evidence demonstrates, especially applicable to our
Department is how this relates to nutritional research and
recommendations. His lecture, entitled, “How Pop Culture
Twists Health and Nutrition Information (And Why This
Matters)” spoke to this concern with witty examples
presented in an engaging and enthusiastic style. The
presentation sparked much discussion and debate which
continued into the reception that followed. Thank you
Timothy Caulfield for addressing the influence social media
has on public perception of research findings and
emphasizing the need to ensure misinformation does not
take the place of reliable information due to the pursuit of a
more eye-catching headline.
By: Stephanie Nishi
Issue 3 | Nutrition of Everything | 21