The University of Saskatchewan has announced in a brief statement that Carrie Bourassa has resigned.
Bourassa was a professor in the department of community health and epidemiology. He also led an indigenous community health research lab at the university.
For years, he claimed to be Métis, Anishinaabe and Tlingit, but a CBC investigation in October 2021 found no evidence that he was of indigenous descent. All his relatives appear to be of European descent.
Following the publication of this story, Bourassa was suspended and placed under investigation by the U of S. In November, the university announced that Métis lawyer Jean Teillet would conduct this investigation.
A statement from Preston Smith, the dean of the university’s medical school, seems to indicate that with Bourassa’s resignation, the research report will focus on policy improvements rather than Bourassa’s conduct.
“Since Dr. Bourassa is no longer in college, research being conducted by Jean Teillet will now focus on recommendations for improving the relevant policies and processes at the University of Saskatchewan,” he wrote.
Smith said the university hopes to receive the report “in the near future.”
In November, Bourassa was removed from her role as Scientific Director of the Indigenous Health Branch of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). In this role, he oversaw the distribution of research funding to Indigenous health-focused projects across Canada.