Sonia Anand takes role of Associate Vice-President, Global Health

Sonia Anand has taken the role of Associate Vice-President, Global Health, effective July 1, 2023.

Sonia Anand is a professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Department of Medicine and Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact. She is also the Director of the Chanchlani Research Centre and a Senior Scientist at the Population Health Research Institute. Anand holds a Canada Research Chair in Ethnic Diversity and Cardiovascular Disease and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario/Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Population Health Research.

“I look forward to working with Dr. Anand and seeing her bring her ideas to life regarding the future direction of McMaster’s Global Health programming, including working closely with partners throughout the Faculty, University, our partner hospitals, and the broader community on a variety of initiatives,” said Paul O’Byrne, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Anand is internationally recognized for her research and advocacy for women’s cardiovascular health and populations of diverse ancestral origins. She has earned a global reputation for prioritizing research into women’s cardiovascular health, identifying health risk factors in diverse ethnic groups, and developing new therapies that benefit high-risk vascular patients globally. She has substantially impacted public policy and clinical practice locally, nationally, and globally.

In June 2022, Anand was appointed acting associate vice-president, Equity and Inclusion at McMaster University. She has also led the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) portfolio in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, since 2018. In addition, in her work outside McMaster, she is Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair for the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and an active member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences EDI Task Force.

Anand is a mentor and advocate for women in academic medicine and champions equity and inclusion within academia, healthcare, and the broader Hamilton community. In 2010, Anand was named among the top 100 women by the Women’s Executive Network for her accomplishments in research and medicine. This year, she was awarded the YWCA (Hamilton) Women of Distinction Award.

Anand completed her MD at McMaster in 1992, her MSc (1996), and PhD in Health Research Methodology (2002) at McMaster.

“I am excited to take on this leadership role, as it amalgamates my research and academic expertise, and personal passions. I look forward to reimagining the realm of Global Health within McMaster University and beyond, reshaping our approach and charting a transformative path forward building and expanding upon the solid foundation of Global Health education established by Dr. Andrea Baumann,” said Sonia Anand.