June 3, 2026 - Winnipeg, MB
Research Manitoba is pleased to welcome Dr. Heather Blewett as the new Chair of CHIPER's Health Research Ethics Board (HREB).
Dr. Blewett has been a Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada since 2011 and is located at the St. Boniface Research Centre in Winnipeg. Her research program focuses on the influence of food on health and metabolism, with expertise in human nutrition, clinical trials, and immunology.
Her interest in research began at a young age when she accompanied her mother, a laboratory technician at the University of Manitoba, and was introduced to the research environment. Inspired by those early experiences, she pursued a career in science with the goal of improving health through food.
Dr. Blewett completed her PhD in the Department of Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba in 2006. She subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in nutritional immunology at the University of Alberta and a second postdoctoral fellowship at the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine, where she gained experience using clinical trials to evaluate Canadian crops in the treatment of vascular disease.
Since joining Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Dr. Blewett has led research examining the health effects of Canadian crops including soy, flax, barley, peas, and berries. Her work has focused on substantiating food health claims, investigating potential anti-nutrients, and exploring the effects of food products on immune function in the context of chronic diseases.
Dr. Blewett has also been actively involved in research ethics. She became a member of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Human Research Ethics Committee in December 2013, was appointed Co-Chair in June 2022, and became Chair in December 2022.
"I look forward to joining the CHIPER team to continue contributing to responsible research practices," said Dr. Blewett. "I enjoy learning about the diverse research projects taking place across Manitoba and engaging in ethical discussions with the goal of supporting investigators in conducting studies that benefit society while minimizing risks to participants."
As Dr. Blewett assumes this new role, Research Manitoba extends its sincere thanks to Dr. John Arnett for his many years of dedicated service as Chair of the HREB. His leadership and commitment have helped guide the board's work over many years, and RITHIM and Research Manitoba are grateful for his contributions.
Please join us in thanking Dr. Arnett for his service and welcoming Dr. Blewett to her new role.
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Contact:
Communications, Research Manitoba
info@researchmb.ca | researchmanitoba.ca | rithim.ca
Research Manitoba
Research Manitoba promotes, supports, and coordinates the funding of research excellence and innovation in health, natural and social sciences, engineering, and the humanities in Manitoba. Research Manitoba supports local talent development by providing research support to early career researchers and graduate students, along with fostering strategic partnerships to strengthen research and innovation in Manitoba.
RITHIM
RITHIM is a best-in-class provincial program for health research in Manitoba involving multiple stakeholders. RITHIM is unique across Canada in that it harmonizes ethics, privacy and health institutional assessment review processes, creating a more efficient process for health research reviews in Manitoba.