We are pleased to announce that Dr. Gina Ogilvie has been appointed interim Director, Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI), UBC Faculty of Medicine and interim Executive Director, WHRI effective to April 30, 2026.
Dr. Ogilvie is a professor in the School of Population and Public Health and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Control of HPV-Related Disease and Cancer, as well as Senior Advisor, Research for BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre. She has served as Associate Director at WHRI since 2020, and previously served as acting Executive Director in 2016 and 2022.
Dr. Ogilvie is a globally-recognized leader in women’s health research, public health and prevention science. Her research—spanning cervical cancer prevention, reproductive health, HPV vaccination implementation and health systems evaluation—has been highly influential in setting and directing health policy both in Canada and around the world. For her contributions to improving health outcomes for women, Dr. Ogilvie has been recognized with numerous awards, and has been elected to the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
As interim Director, WHRI, Dr. Ogilvie will provide strategic leadership during this transitional period, ensuring continued excellence in women’s health research and supporting faculty, trainees and staff. She will help sustain existing collaborations with health system partners, community organizations and national and international networks, while fostering opportunities that advance equity-oriented, high-impact research.
Dr. Ogilvie’s appointment follows the leadership of Dr. Lori Brotto, who served as Director, WHRI from July 2016. Under Dr. Brotto’s leadership, the Institute became formally recognized as a UBC Faculty of Medicine research centre and witnessed significant growth, expanding from 120 to 750 members. During her time as Director, the Institute also founded the Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada—helping unite researchers across the country.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Brotto for her exceptional leadership, dedication and longstanding commitment over the past decade. Her vision, energy and contributions have played a central role in advancing women’s health scholarship and supporting a vibrant, collaborative research community. We wish Dr. Brotto all the best in the next chapter of her career.
Please join us in thanking Dr. Ogilvie for her interim leadership.
This leadership update was shared on March 25, 2026 by:
Wyeth W. Wasserman, PhD
Vice Dean, Research
Faculty of Medicine
The University of British Columbia
Roanne Preston, MD, FRCPC
Interim Chief Medical Officer
BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre