Dr. Katherine Frohlich appointed Scientific Director of CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health

News release

May 15, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Today, Dr. Michael J. Strong, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), announced that Dr. Katherine Frohlich has been appointed Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health for a term of four years, effective September 1, 2023.

Dr. Frohlich is one of Canada’s leading public health researchers. She is a professor at Université de Montréal's Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and School of Public Health, as well as an associate researcher at the Université de Montréal-affiliated Centre for Research in Public Health. Funded for over 20 years by both CIHR and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Dr. Frohlich is an interdisciplinary scholar who seeks to better understand and reduce social inequities in health for young people in cities. Her work straddles the fields of health promotion, social epidemiology, sociology of health and health geography. Dr. Frohlich co-holds the Myriagone McConnell-Université de Montréal Chair on Youth Knowledge Mobilization with colleagues from Université de Montréal's Faculty of Arts and Science. She currently runs a large-scale research project called Levelling the Playing Fields, focusing on the interplay between urban planning and health promotion and how cities can provide more opportunities for children and young people to play freely outdoors and better access urban spaces. Dr. Frohlich sits on the editorial boards of two scientific journals: Health & Place and Social Science & Medicine.

As Scientific Director, Dr. Frohlich will develop and advance research initiatives that address population and public health priorities in Canada while supporting the implementation of CIHR’s Strategic Plan. During Dr. Frohlich’s term, the Institute will be based at Université de Montréal.

Quotes

“I am delighted that Dr. Frohlich is joining CIHR as Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health. She brings a wealth of experience and an exceptional record of achievement as a public health research leader. She will build on the Institute’s achievements in advancing research that aims to improve health across diverse population groups and promote health equity in Canada and globally.”

Dr. Michael J. Strong
President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

“Canada is facing major health challenges such as the health effects of social inequities and climate change, a development exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reinforcing the science to confront these issues is an urgent challenge. It is a great honour for me to take up this task as the next Scientific Director of IPPH. I bring to the role over 20 years of experience in social science-informed interdisciplinary public health research. Amongst my ambitions for Canadian research at IPPH is to help strengthen CIHR’s Pillar 4: research that seeks to better understand how social, cultural, environmental, occupational, and economic factors shape health and health inequities in the Canadian context and globally.”

Dr. Katherine Frohlich
Incoming Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health

“The past few years have taught us how central the topic of population health is to our scientific, social and political concerns. I am therefore delighted that Professor Katherine Frohlich has been appointed to lead the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health. I am confident that she will put into action the collaborative and inclusive approach that characterizes health researchers at Université de Montréal for the benefit of Canada's research community and, ultimately, its entire population.”

Daniel Jutras
Rector of the Université de Montréal.

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Contacts

Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system.

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