Karin Humphries, UBC Heart and Stroke Foundation Professor in Women’s Cardiovascular Health
The UBC Heart and Stroke Foundation Professorship in Women’s Cardiovascular Health is the first research program in BC to focus on how gender-based differences affect cardiovascular disease.
The Professorship, held by Dr. Karin Humphries, strives to integrate cardiovascular care, education and research for women throughout the province, including rural communities.
Dr. Humphries’ research focus is on the detection and early treatment of cardiovascular disease. She aims to find new ways to improve the education of physicians, women and their families on heart disease and stroke. She will also develop strategies to improve outcomes for women at highest risk, including Aboriginal and South Asian women and those of poor socio-economic status.
“For decades, cardiovascular disease was considered a man’s disease,” Dr. Humphries recalls, “but the reality is that more women are dying of heart disease than men. Although evidence suggests that gender differences can affect the prevalence, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of cardiovascular disease, we haven’t seen enough research in this area of study.”
Dr. Humphries is a leading research scientist at the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) at St. Paul’s and Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at the UBC Faculty of Medicine with extensive experience studying gender-related differences in cardiovascular disease. As a professor, she is also a national Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada spokesperson on women’s cardiovascular disease issues.