Carol P. Herbert

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PRAM

The University of
Western Ontario

Department of
Family Medicine

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Dr. Carol P. Herbert
Department of Family Medicine
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Email: carol.herbert@schulich.uwo.ca

Carol Herbert is Professor of Family Medicine at Western University in London, Canada, cross-appointed to the Department of Pathology and an Affiliate Member of the Department of Women’s Studies & Feminist Research, and of McGill's PRAM Centre (Participatory Research at McGill). She served as Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario from 1999-2010 and was Royal Canadian Legion Professor and Head of the UBC Department of Family Practice from 1988-98. She was founding Head of the Division of Behavioural Medicine in the UBC Department of Family Practice and a co-founder of the UBC Institute of Health Promotion Research. She is former Editor of the international journal, Patient Education and Counseling (1994-99) and on the editorial boards of the Annals of Family Medicine, Healthcare Papers, and Patient Education and Counseling.

Dr. Herbert is a UBC graduate in Honours Biochemistry (1966) and in Medicine (1969). After internship and additional training in Pediatrics, she was a full-service family physician and clinical instructor at the REACH community health centre, a UBC teaching facility in Vancouver, from 1971 until 1982 when she joined the full-time faculty in the UBC Department of Family Practice.

Dr. Herbert has been committed to social justice and access to health care throughout her career. Under her decanal direction, Schulich grew in size and reputation as a socially responsible medical school which provides exceptional student experience in a research-intensive environment, including community-based experience for all MD graduates. She spearheaded development of the Southwestern Ontario Medical Education Network which includes a regional campus in Windsor as well as partner communities across southwestern Ontario. She was a pioneer in developing services for sexually assaulted adults and children in B.C. and was co-founder and co-director of the Sexual Assault Service for Vancouver (1982-88). She is a recognized leader in inter-professional education and collaborative practice, women’s health and mentorship of academic women. She has chaired or served on multiple task forces on health policy and health professional education.

She is a past Chair of the National Research Committee of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and a past President of the North American Primary Care Research Group. She was Founding Chair of the Joint Action Committee on Child and Adolescent Health, a joint committee of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Canadian Pediatric Society (1997-2000). She was a member of the Health Canada Scientific Advisory Board (1999-2003), co-chair of the National Expert Committee on ‘Interprofessional Education for Patient-Centred Collaborative Practice’ for Health Canada (2003-2007), a member of the Ontario Expert Panel on Infertility and Adoption (2008-09) and of the CAHS Expert Advisory Committee on Chronic Disease Management which published a 2010 Assessment report. She is a past President of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (2004-06).

She is internationally known for her leadership in primary care research, and for her work in clinical health promotion, patient-physician decision-making, and participatory action research with aboriginal communities, focused on diabetes and on environmental effects on human health. She was instrumental in introducing participatory research to the primary care research community and co-authored Guidelines for Participatory Research in Health Promotion which have been widely used. Current research projects include health impact of toxic contaminants in indigenous communities in Canada and in Africa ; a realist review of participatory research - what works, for whom, and in what circumstances; and the impact of gender and generational changes in an academic department of Surgery.

She has held a number of Visiting Professorships, including UBC, McGill and Visiting Overseas Scholar at St. John’s College, Cambridge University. Awards include Partners in Research Biomedical Research Ambassador Award (2010), SELAM Award for Excellence as a role model, advocate and mentor for women in medicine & dentistry (2009), the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons Visiting Professorship in Medical Research (2009), Maurice Wood Award for Lifetime Achievement in Family Medicine Research (2007), Ian McWhinney Award for Family Medicine Education (2007), AAMC Women in Medicine Leadership Development Award (2006), Queen's Jubilee Medal (2002), UBC Faculty of Medicine 50th Anniversary Medal (2000), UBC Wallace Wilson Alumni Award (1998), UBC Faculty Citation for Community Service (1995), Vancouver YWCA Woman of Distinction for Health and Social Services (1985), and London YMCA Woman of Excellence (2007). She is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and holds honorary fellowship in the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow and the Royal Australian College of General Practice. She is a founding Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and Foreign Associate Member of the Institute of Medicine, U.S. National Academies of Science.

February 2012