Biography

As President & CEO of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), Bev draws upon a wealth of experience in health research, practice and policy. Her commitment to integrating these areas is evident in her leadership at MSFHR and her roles as co-chair of the National Alliance of Provincial Health Research Organizations (NAPHRO), and executive lead of the BC Academic Health Science Network, which includes the BC SUPPORT Unit.

Since joining MSFHR in 2010, Bev has supported the Foundation through a period of organizational redesign and program expansion and helped establish MSFHR’s reputation as a leader in
knowledge translation. Under her leadership, the Foundation has launched a new suite of funding programs that focus on developing, retaining, and recruiting BC health research talent and supporting health system priorities.

Bev’s roles prior to MSFHR include health communications and knowledge translation consultant, researcher, writer and communications director. She remains an active member of the health research community and regularly publishes and presents internationally on how best to support the translation of research evidence into policy and practice, especially from a funder’s perspective.

Bev received her MA and PhD from SFU's School of Communication and holds adjunct appointments at UBC's School of Population and Public Health and SFU's Faculty of Health Sciences. Her research interests include knowledge translation, discourse analysis, health communication, risk communication, and public involvement in health research.