Heather Munroe-Blum

Dr. Munroe-Blum (O.C. Ph.D. FRSC) became the 16th Principal, Vice-Chancellor and Senior Officer of McGill University in 2003. An accomplished scholar in the fields of epidemiology and public policy and a distinguished administrator, she is a member of McGill’s Faculty of Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. She has dedicated her career to the advancement of higher education, science and innovation, in Canada and internationally, advising governments and other organizations on the role that universities, research, and highly qualified talent play in advancing international competitiveness and enriching societies.

Among her main objectives as Principal of McGill is a commitment to strengthen the university’s leadership at the world level with respect to research, graduate education, student experience, and positive societal contribution. Hallmarks to date of her leadership at McGill have been advancement of governance, promotion of strategic areas of excellence and impact in research and scholarship, and enrichment of the student experience. Her Principal’s Task Force on Student Life and Learning has led to measures and improvements to enhance the university experience for McGill’s 33,000 students.

She serves on numerous not-for-profit and private boards. She is President of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (CREPUQ) and she serves on the Board of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and the Executive Committee of the Association of American Universities (AAU). She chairs the AUCC Standing Advisory Committee on University Research (SACUR). She is a member of the Board of Governors of the Council of Canadian Academies. She is a member of Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC), of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and of the Trilateral Commission. She serves on the boards of the Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, the Conférence de Montréal, the Yellow Pages Group, and the Canada Forum of Rio Tinto Alcan. She was a founder and a founding director of the Medical and Related Sciences Discovery District (MARS) and Genome Canada (where she also served as Vice-Chair of the Board) and has served on the boards of the former Medical Research Council of Canada, Neurosciences Canada, the Four Seasons Hotel, Alcan, Hydro One, and the Nestlé Canada Advisory Board, among others.

Born in Montreal, she holds a Ph.D with distinction in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in addition to M.S.W. (Wilfrid Laurier University) and B.A. and B.S.W. degrees (McMaster University). Prior to assuming the position of Principal at McGill, she served at the University of Toronto as a Professor, a Governor, Dean of Social Work, and, as Vice-President, Research and International Relations (1994 to 2002). She has also been a professor at York University and McMaster University. Prior to her doctoral studies and academic career, she worked as a psychiatric social worker and contributed to clinical research and the development of mental health policy.

She has received numerous honors and awards. Named an Officer of the Order of Canada for her outstanding record of achievements in science, innovation and higher education policy, she holds numerous honorary degrees from Canadian and international universities and is a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She is a Senior Fellow of Massey College. In 2008, she was named a Grande Montréalaise, Montréal’s highest honour.

She is married to screenwriter and teacher Len Blum, and they have one daughter.