Dr. Shela Hirani, a Professor at the University of Regina’s Faculty of Nursing, Canada was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) at a ceremony held on October 18, 2025, in Washington, DC, during the annual Health Policy Conference. This significant achievement is one of the highest honours in the field of nursing and acknowledges Dr. Hirani’s outstanding global contributions to neonatal, maternal, and child health, as well as her unwavering advocacy for vulnerable populations.
The AAN fellowship recognizes the most impactful and influential nursing leaders who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in health policy, research, and practice.A globally recognized expert, Dr. Shela Hirani is the Founding director of the Breastfeeding Advocacy Research Lab at the University of Regina, where she conducts crucial research and spearheads initiatives to remove breastfeeding barriers for marginalized women, including immigrants and refugees. She has collaborated with international organizations to develop resources on infant feeding and was named one of the WHO’s top 100 outstanding women nurse leaders in 2020. Dr. Hirani is also an elected board member of several international, national, and provincial organizations, including her role as a Non-Executive Board Member for the Council of International Neonatal Nurses (COINN). Her work extends beyond academia, influencing policy and practice in diverse settings from disaster relief camps to workplaces and public spaces.
This latest honour adds to a long list of accolades, including the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, and being named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN). As a new Fellow, Dr. Shela Hirani will join the network of esteemed nurse leaders dedicated to advancing the AAN’s mission of improving health and achieving health equity. Her induction further strengthens her commitment to advocating for supportive programs and policies that positively impact the well-being of families worldwide.
Source: Canadian Nurse Journal
Related links:
https://www.coinnurses.org/post/celebrating-leadership-in-global-neonatal-nursing-dr-shela-hirani-inductedas-fellow-of-the-america
https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/blogs/cn-content/2025/10/18/canadian-nurses-honoured-as-fellows
https://aannet.org/news/news.asp?id=703938
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