Professor Minerva Thame among honorees for Jamaican Women Pinnacle Awards Gala 2026

Renowned Jamaican physician and researcher Minerva Thame will be among 15 women recognized at the Jamaican Women Pinnacle Awards Gala 2026, an event highlighting influential leaders whose work has made a significant impact in Jamaica and across the diaspora.

The awards ceremony, held in observance of International Women’s History Month, is scheduled for March 14 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. The gala will celebrate women from a wide range of industries and leadership roles who have contributed to national and regional development.

A leading figure in academic medicine, Thame serves as Professor of Perinatal and Paediatric Medicine and Consultant Paediatrician in the Department of Child and Adolescent Health at The University of the West Indies and the University Hospital of the West Indies. Her career has combined clinical work, research, teaching and institutional leadership focused largely on improving the health of mothers and children.

From 2021 to 2025, she made history as the first woman to serve as Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the university’s Mona campus. Before that role, she held several senior posts, including head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Health, deputy dean, director of graduate studies and research, and consultant paediatrician at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Throughout her career, Thame has worked extensively with newborn and high-risk infants, including serving as one of the consultants overseeing the Special Care Nursery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She has also trained generations of medical students, nurses, midwives, and paediatric specialists who now practice throughout Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

Her research has focused on maternal and fetal health, examining how factors such as maternal body composition and nutrition influence fetal growth and birth outcomes. Much of her work has explored issues affecting pregnant adolescents, older mothers and women living with sickle cell disease.

Thame’s contributions have earned numerous awards, including the Principal’s Award for Most Outstanding Researcher in the Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research. She has also been honored with the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International and recognition from the Jamaica Medical Foundation for her work in child health.

Beyond the university and hospital setting, she continues to influence regional public health. She currently chairs the Research Advisory Committee at the Caribbean Public Health Agency and serves on the Regional Eminent Persons Panel of the ANSA McAL Foundation, which administers the Anthony N. Sabga Awards for Caribbean Excellence.

Recently appointed Emerita Professor by The University of the West Indies, Thame is being recognized at the upcoming awards gala for a career dedicated to advancing paediatric and adolescent health and mentoring the next generation of Caribbean medical professionals.