91ÒùĸÊÓƵ

Every year, the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry asks students to nominate faculty members for the Excellence in Mentoring Award. In Basic Science, there are two awards. The Tier 1 award is for senior faculty (>15 years on faculty) and a Tier 2 award for junior faculty. This year, Dr. Robin Clugston was recognized with the Tier 2 award for his commitment to the next generation of scientists and health researchers.

Since joining the Department of Physiology in 2016, Dr. Clugston has focused on being a successful supervisor in the lab. Starting small, with one Masters, one doctoral and a few undergraduate students, he has grown not only in research excellence – through CIHR awards amongst others – but also in his ability to develop strong researchers. The addition of this award is especially meaningful to him for two reasons. “We don’t tend to acknowledge successes such as mentorship internally,” he says. Then adds, “This one is especially important because nominations come only from the mentees.”

As the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry points out, mentoring involves not only sharing information and technical skills but also providing emotional support, encouragement, and fostering self-evaluation and goal-setting. Dr. Clugston shares this philosophy, viewing mentorship as a deeply rewarding experience—sometimes even more so than research itself. “91ÒùĸÊÓƵ is nebulous,” he reflects. “It’s hard to measure your impact. Mentoring is tangible and shows the impact you truly make.”

It can also be fun too. Amidst the materials and methods that fill his lab in the Medical Sciences Building, you will also find a long list of past sports bracket challenges, from NHL to UEFA and even “Fat Bear Week” (eating after all, is indeed a sport). Also, true to Edmonton’s obsession with the weather, Dr. Clugston oversees the lab’s Snow Globe Challenge. The rules are easy – guess the first snow day and your name goes on the snow globe (although much like the Stanley Cup, the prize stays in the lab).

Dr. Clugston is not alone in recognizing the importance of this award. Dr. Greg Funk, the Chair of the Department, emphasized that the training of our graduate students is one of the Department’s most important functions and a responsibility to which we are deeply committed. highlighting that mentors in the Department of Physiology have received this honor in four of the last five years. He adds, “Mentoring goes far beyond the sharing of knowledge and supervision. It is a life-long commitment to challenge trainees to reach their full potential.”

In a field where accolades often focus on publications and grants, the Excellence in Mentoring Award shines a light on the quieter, yet profoundly impactful side of faculty life.

Congratulations again and we look forward to the next (bracket) challenge!