Rebekah Jacques
Citizen of Métis Nation
Physician (Forensic Pathologist)
Email: rjacque5@uwo.ca
Credentials: Hons. BSc., MHSc (bioethics), MD, FRCPC (AP & FP)
Pronouns: she, her, wiiya
Rebekah Jacques, a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario serving as Chair for the Thames Bluewater Métis Council, currently works as a forensic pathologist at the London Health Sciences Centre. She is also an Assistant Professor at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, where she teaches on subjects such as trauma, postmortem examinations, and the role of pathologists as expert witnesses. In her career, Rebekah has focused on the ethics of how legal and medical investigations engage with Indigenous peoples, including how information about cause of death can be better shared to support healing. This formed the basis of a textbook and the Pathology Ethics Website. She was appointed to the inaugural Tri-agencies reference group for the appropriate review of Indigenous Research. She has played a key role in the creation of hundreds of waived post-secondary tuition fees and privacy rights for former foster care children. She was instrumental in changes laws to improve the lives of children in care. During her term as an Inaugural member of the National Advisory Committee on Residential School Missing Children and Unmarked Burials she authored a document for families on understanding the role of forensic disciplines in the search for residential schools missing children. She has been invited to speak by multiple communities and nations impacted by Residential Schools for knowledge exchange events.
Education
- Masters of Health Science in Bioethics, University of Toronto, Bioethics, Joint Centre for, Graduate
- Doctor of Medicine, Queen’s University, Medicine, Graduate
- Bachelor of Science, University of Toronto, Biology, Undergraduate
Awards
- Dr. Steven Blizzard Trailblazer Award
- People’s Choice Award at the Canadian Bioethics Society Conference, Presentation Entitled: Respecting Indigenous people’s human dignity in death: Ethical duties of the forensic pathologist utilising autopsy tissues in courts of law, Canadian
- Bioethics Society, Type: People’s Choice Award at the Canadian Bioethics Society Conference
- Martin McKneally Capstone Project Award, Evaluation of postmortem organ & tissue donations in Ontario’s medico-legal death investigation system. University of Toronto
- Queen’s Medical School Book Award, Queen’s University
- Science and Research - Third Place, History of Medicine Conference
- Queen’s University AMS/Boyd Upper Prize, Queen’s University
- Peter Cruse Award, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Annual Conference
Publications
Books and Book Chapters
Jacques, R. (editor). Forensic Pathology - A Guide for Death Investigation Bioethics and Other Medicolegal Principles. Publisher: Springer. 2024
Collins KA, Jacques, R. Physical abuse and elder homicide (Chapter 8). In: Collins and Byard, editor(s). Geriatric Forensic Medicine and Pathology: Cambridge University Press; 2020. p.130-153, DOI: 9781316823040.
Review Articles
Zyla A, Jacques, R. Fatal Rapunzel Syndrome: Gastric and intestinal trichobezoars in a child with trichotillomania. American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology (accepted with revisions)
Yang, E., Jacques, R., Herath, J., 5-year Retrospective Review of Diltiazem Associated Deaths. Journal of Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy, 2017 Mar; 5 (3): 1-4.
Jacques, R., Shkrum, M., Hospital Autopsy Quality Control and Assurance. The London Health Sciences Centre Experience. Canadian Journal of Pathology, 2014 Jun; 6 (4): 107-117.
Jacques, R, Kogon, S., Shkrum, M.. An experimental model of tool mark striations by a serrated blade in human soft tissues. American Journal of Medical Pathology, 2014 Mar; 23 (4): 320-322.
Ninivirta L., Jacques, R. Postmortem Identification. PathologyOnlines.com: PathologyOutlines.com; 2023.
French K., Jacques, R. Postmortem changes and artifacts. PathologyOnlines.com: PathologyOnlines.com; 2020.
Case Reports
Wells M. Jacques, R. Montero Odasso M. Thalamic infarct presenting as catastrophic life-threatening event in an older adult. 2011 Aug 3, Coauthor
