Dr. Ben Davis, dean of the Faculty of Dentistry (Bruce Bottomley photo)

The new Black Health Researchers’ Hub was officially opened in the Collaborative Health Education Building on February 24, 2026.

There was drumming, a libation to ancestors, and many inspiring speeches. The three deans of the health faculties that had supported the creation of the new space, Drs. Brenda Merritt (Health), David Anderson (Medicine), and Ben Davis (Dentistry) were in attendance to offer their congratulations to Drs. OmniSoore Dryden and Barbara Hamilton-Hinch who tirelessly co-led the project 

The new BHRH is unique at Dal and will enable researchers to collaborate in a culturally safe space on a unique set of health issues focused specifically on Black health. 

“In our Faculty, an often-heard mantra is ‘oral health is health’,” said Dr. Ben Davis. “We hope to work with the Black Researchers’ Hub in addressing many of the oral health disparities facing African Nova Scotians–including access to care.”

Davis concluded by saying that the BHRH was “good news for the health professions at Dalhousie, it is good news for Black health researchers, and it is great news for our Black community members.”

Read ‘A new chapter in Black health research at Dal’.