We are pleased to announce the appointment of Lucy Gilbert, MD, as Chair, Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology (GBDO), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), McGill University. Dr. Gilbert assumes her new responsibilities on January 1, 2024, replacing Armen Aprikian, MD, who has served as Interim Chair since September 1 of this year. We thank Dr. Aprikian for his leadership over the past few months while he maintained his other key responsibilities, including his leadership roles at the Cedars Cancer Centre of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), and the Rossy Cancer Network.
Dr. Gilbert graduated with a medical degree from the University of Mysore, India, then went on to earn a specialist accreditation from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists in England, and an MSc in Cancer Care from the Institute of Cancer, University of London. She was a Fogarty Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, USA from 1990 to 1991.
In 2001, Dr. Gilbert joined McGill’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She created the subspecialty training program in Gynecologic Oncology at McGill, which was accredited by the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada in 2006.
Dr. Gilbert is Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the GBDO at McGill, and Director of both the Multidisciplinary Gynecologic Cancer Service and the Division of Gynecological Oncology at the MUHC. She also holds an Associate Appointment, Gynecologic Oncology at St. Mary’s Hospital Center as well as the Robert Kinch Chair in Women’s Health in the FMHS, which was established to promote research into the various and often underserved elements of women’s health, including reproduction, infertility, perinatal medicine, gynecological oncology and issues of women’s health in an aging population.
Dr. Gilbert is widely regarded for her research in gynecologic cancers. In 2002, she started the Women’s Health Research Unit of Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology at the MUHC, and in 2008, launched the Detecting Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers Early (DOvEE) research program. The program evolved into the Detecting Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers Early using genomics, or DOvEEgene program, for which Dr. Gilbert currently holds a Genome Canada grant for $6.2 million. Since launching the program, Dr. Gilbert has received nearly a dozen philanthropic awards to support her research and was named one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada in 2021 for her contribution to research in women’s health.
As a principal investigator, Dr. Gilbert is currently conducting more than 30 clinical trials. She has twice been recognized by Québec Science magazine for her scientific discoveries, and a genomic Pap test she developed received the magazine’s Découverte de l’année in 2018.
Dr. Gilbert is currently a Member of the Board of Governors at McGill and sits on the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee. In 2021, she received the GBDO Award for Research, and in 2022 was celebrated at the Office of the Vice-Principal of Research and Innovation’s Bravo gala.
Dr. Gilbert has given nearly 100 invited lectures and presentations in her time at McGill. She is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, six book chapters and has presented nearly 90 abstracts and poster presentations since 2010.
As Chair of the Department, whose members have a wide range of expertise and experience in oncology clinical care and cancer research, Dr. Gilbert will oversee faculty recruitment, mentorship, and career development while directing the Department’s academic activities. Building on her predecessors’ achievements, she will lead the further development and implementation of a unifying vision for the Department, which spans multiple locations and includes faculty members working in basic science, clinical research, professional training, graduate teaching and clinical care delivery. Dr. Gilbert will also make recommendations to the Dean on recruitment, academic appointments, promotion, tenure and governance.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Gilbert on this appointment and in wishing her every success in her new role.
Lesley Fellows, MDCM, DPhil
Vice-Principal (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Christian Pineau, MDCM
Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs