2025 MUFA Award for Outstanding Service Winner

As an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), and Director of the Research Methodology Centre at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Dr. Mbuagbaw embodies the ideals of service, leadership, mentorship, and scholarly impact at McMaster University.

Dr. Mbuagbaw’s service contributions have had wide-reaching impact at McMaster and beyond, with exceptional commitment to building research capacity, scholarly excellence, inclusive education, and equity-focused leadership. His support across clinical and non-clinical departments has been pivotal in advancing McMaster’s education and research goals. Internationally recognized for his work in global health, HIV research, and equity-driven methodologies, he has served as a trusted advisor to institutions including the World Health Organization, the Canadian Drug Agency, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Mbuagbaw has elevated McMaster’s global research profile, shaping clinical trial design and health equity research. His previous honors include the University Scholar distinction and the Anne & Neil McArthur Research Award.

Dr. Mbuagbaw has also demonstrated his dedication to service at McMaster as a committed leader in equity, diversity, and inclusion through participation in numerous initiatives — serving as EDI Lead and steering committee member for Canadian Network for Statistical Training in Trials (CANSTAT), as Co-Chair of McMaster’s Black Faculty Cohort Hiring Committee, as a referee for equitable admissions in the Honours Health Sciences program, as the lead investigator for Strategic Excellence and Equity in Recruitment and Retention (STEER/R) research program at HEI, and as Co-Chair of a community of practices for inclusive teaching at the Faculty of Health Sciences. These are just some examples of Lawrence’s dedication to service at McMaster.

Lawrence has also supervised and mentored nearly 30 students and post-doctoral fellows spanning several departments and faculties at McMaster. His service reflects an unwavering dedication to advancing inclusive, collaborative, and impactful scholarship. Lawrence has always inspired his colleagues and trainees alike, through his openness to collaborate and provide support in both research and teaching.

citation by Wojtek Wiercioch