Shanthi Johnson

Biography

Shanthi Johnson, PhD, RD, FDC, FACSM, FGSA
Dean, School of Public Health
Dr. Shanthi Johnson is professor and dean at the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. She is an internationally renowned researcher in the area of aging and health. Dr. Johnson’s research program involves health promotion and falls/injury prevention among older adults with a multidisciplinary perspective (exercise, nutrition, and other psychosocial components). Specifically, the research program is of two-fold: 1) Epidemiological research related to the surveillance and monitoring of falls and fall-related injuries among seniors and 2) Intervention research focusing on the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of factors associated with enhancing physical function and reducing falls among seniors in community and long-term care settings. Dr. Johnson’s research interest also extends to the study of aging in place in rural areas within the population health context, social isolation in seniors, and nutritional considerations for long-term care. She is passionate about serving vulnerable seniors and has worked extensively in the area of home care, long term care, and with minority ethno-cultural communities. Her research program is community engaged and policy relevant with the active involvement of stakeholder groups at various levels. She has a well-established research record and has secured significant provincial, national and international grants, including CIHR, CFI and others for over 20 years, delivered over 300 presentations, published over 150 articles and reports in prestigious journals such as the Lancet, appeared before the Canadian Senate Committee as an expert witness, and served on many grant adjudicating panels nationally and internationally including the CIHR, Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, European Commission, United Kingdom-Joint Call for Research on Ageing, and South Africa — National Research Foundation.
Dr. Johnson also has significant leadership and administrative experiences. From 2008–2014, she was Associate Dean (Graduate Studies and Research) in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina. She has served on various boards and committees from local to international levels such as the Eastern Kings Community Health Board and Annapolis Valley Health in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, and President of Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. From 2012-2018, she served as a member of the National Seniors Council which advises the Government of Canada on aging issues. She holds a Masters of Administration in Leadership from the University of Regina’s Kenneth Levene Graduate School of Business.
Other noteworthy national and international roles/recognitions include: Fulbright Scholar in the US, Endeavour Executive Fellow in Australia, Global Initiative of Academic Networks visiting professor in India, a Deutscher Akademischer Austaussch Dienst Scholar in Germany, and Understanding China fellow in China. Given her academic and research leadership, she has been awarded fellow status with Dietitians of Canada, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Gerontological Society of America. In 2014, Dr. Johnson was named the Female Professional of the Year by the India Canada Chamber of Commerce and, in 2016, received the Award of Innovation by the Regina Chamber of Commerce for her research and community contributions.