UBC’s Faculty of Medicine prizes recognize exceptional Canadian scientists for their groundbreaking contributions to research in brain health, heart disorders and cancer
Louise Pilote, MD, PhD, has been awarded the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine’s 2025 Margolese National Heart Disorders Prize for her transformative work integrating sex and gender into cardiovascular research.
The prize is one of the UBC’s prestigious National Research Prizes, which celebrate individuals who exemplify excellence in scientific research and ongoing impact in their respective fields.
Dr. Pilote is a tenured professor of medicine and clinician scientist at McGill University and serves as deputy director of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. She is an internationally acclaimed leader in sex and gender science, cardiovascular research and big data methodologies.
Dr. Pilote is renowned for developing innovative tools to measure gender and evaluate its impact on health outcomes, particularly in cardiovascular disease. As the founder and leader of GENESIS—a team of 50 investigators across Canada—and a key contributor to global gender medicine initiatives such as GENDER-NET Plus, a network of over 30 international researchers, Dr. Pilote significantly advanced the integration of gendered social determinants into health research.
Dr. Pilote’s leadership not only expanded scientific understanding but also built research capacity as she trained graduate students and earned accolades for mentorship. Through prolific scholarship that bridges medical and social sciences, Dr. Pilote has transformed gender-informed medicine and continues to advance equity-focused health care globally.
“We celebrate this year’s recipients, whose extraordinary research contributions embody the very best of Canadian science and its global impact,” said Dr. Wyeth Wasserman, vice dean, research, UBC Faculty of Medicine. “Their innovative research and leadership have improved health outcomes today, but also set the stage for future discoveries that will better the lives of people across Canada and beyond.”
Read about all the recipients here.