We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gillian Hanley to the position of Executive Director, Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI), Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), and Director, WHRI, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), and commencing May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2031.
Dr. Hanley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the UBC and a Canada Research Chair in Population-Based Gynecologic and Perinatal Outcomes. Drawing on her training in economics, health services research, and epidemiology, Dr. Hanley’s current research is focused on improving women’s health through population–based data, with particular emphasis on ovarian cancer prevention, gynecologic cancer survivorship, and perinatal mental health. Dr. Hanley is an internationally recognized leader in ovarian cancer prevention, whose work has informed clinical practice guidelines in Canada and beyond. She has been an active member of the WHRI for over a decade, and plays a leadership role in women’s health research collaborations across the country.
“Women’s health research is gaining long-overdue momentum nationally and internationally, and WHRI is uniquely positioned to help lead that transformation. I am excited to build on the Institute’s strong foundation, and the remarkable momentum established under Dr. Lori Brotto’s leadership, by fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, supporting trainees and researchers, and advancing impactful, data-driven research that improves the health of women, gender-diverse people, and families across British Columbia and beyond. I believe deeply in the power of collaborative, data-driven research to generate meaningful improvements in health and health care, while also recognizing that investing in women’s health is fundamentally important to the social and economic wellbeing of our communities.”
As Executive Director, Dr. Hanley will oversee WHRI operations, including research programs, funding and compliance, staff and resource management, and strategic planning, while ensuring alignment with UBC, PHSA, and Health Authority priorities. Dr. Hanley’s experience and direction will be instrumental to the WHRI as we continue to work toward achieving our 2025-2028 strategic priorities. Acting as a key spokesperson and ambassador, she will build and maintain strong relationships with academic, health system, government, community, and philanthropic partners locally, provincially, nationally, and internationally, embodying the theme of our five key strategic goals, “building community, advancing excellence”.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Lori Brotto for her exceptional leadership of WHRI over the past decade. Under Dr. Brotto’s guidance the WHRI flourished, becoming a nationally recognized leader in women’s health research and growing our membership to become the largest women’s health research entity in Canada by membership, with over 700 member investigators and over 1,000 research trainees as of 2025. As we enter a new chapter in WHRI’s history, the Institute is well-positioned to continue to lead from the west and have a tangible impact on health outcomes for women and newborns, and trans and gender-diverse people, both nationally and internationally. We also thank Dr. Gina Ogilvie for her interim leadership and steady guidance during this transition period.
Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to all WHRI staff and investigators who participated in the search for our next Executive Director by attending vision presentations from each candidate, engaging in Q&A sessions, and sharing feedback throughout the process. Your assistance has been immensely valuable in this process.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Gillian Hanley to the role of Executive Director, WHRI, PHSA, and Director, WHRI, FoM, UBC.