Media

OTTAWA, June 1, 2011  —  The University of Ottawa and its Faculty of Health Sciences are proud to announce the appointment of internationally renowned researcher Dr. Angel Foster as the Echo Chair in Women’s Health Research, a testament to the University’s commitment to improve the quality of life of women in Ontario.

The Echo Chair in Women’s Health Research aims to advance policy relevant research, knowledge, mentorship and service in women’s health and population health. Accordingly, the Chair will hold an academic appointment in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences and will be located at the Institute of Population Health.

Professor Foster’s research will pay close attention to the different needs and realities of women with respect to health, specifically to mental health and addictions, chronic disease, and sexual and reproductive health. It will share means to improve women’s health with researchers, decision-makers and the public.

“As the Echo Chair in Women’s Health Research, I look forward to building on my body of work on reproductive health in the Middle East and North Africa, and I welcome the opportunity to expand my research portfolio to include work on reproductive health policy in Canada, particularly in Ontario,” said Dr. Foster. “I am especially excited to collaborate with the innovative and multidisciplinary group of colleagues here at the University as well as in the wider Canadian research community.”

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Foster as the Echo Chair in Women’s Health Research. She is a widely –respected researcher with an international reputation as a women’s health specialist, with collaborations in developing as well as developed countries,” said Mona Nemer, vice-president, research at the University of Ottawa.

“Our colleague Angel Foster will be part of an outstanding multidisciplinary team, and this will allow her to share her passion for and her expertise in quality of life for women with the Faculty, the University as a whole and the community,” adds Dr. Denis Prud’homme, dean of uOttawa’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

A 1996 Rhodes Scholar from Oregon, Professor Foster holds a doctor of philosophy degree in Middle Eastern studies from Oxford University. Grounded in the fields of medical anthropology and public health, her doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on women’s comprehensive health care in Tunisia and involved more than two years of fieldwork. She also holds a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and both a master's degree in international policy studies and a bachelor's degree in international relations and biology from Stanford University.

About Echo: Improving Women’s Health in Ontario
Created in 2007 as the focal point and catalyst for women’ s health in Ontario, Echo’s mandate includes promoting equity and improving health for women in the province by working in collaborative partnerships with the health system, the community, research and policy stakeholders.

About the University of Ottawa and the Faculty of Health Sciences
The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world

The Faculty of Health Sciences implements the University’s vision with a goal of developing health professionals who provide leadership in evidence-based practice that ensures and promotes the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.