Feb. 3, 2023
Dr. Erin Brennand appointed department head, Obstetrics & Gynaecology
The Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and Alberta Health Services (AHS) are pleased to announce the joint appointment of Dr. Erin Brennand, MD, as department head, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, CSM, and Zone Clinical Department Head, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Calgary Zone, AHS. The appointment took effect Feb. 1, 2023.
Dr. Brennand is the first woman to hold this role, replacing Dr. Colin Birch, MD, who has led the department since 2018. We thank Dr. Birch for his leadership and service within the department.
Dr. Brennand is an associate professor in the departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Community Health Sciences at the CSM and is the founder and director of the Sex, Gender and Women鈥檚 Health Research Unit within the O鈥橞rien Institute for Public Health. She is also co-lead of the national Training Program which aims to develop the next generation of trainees as thought leaders and innovators in improving women鈥檚 biopsychosocial health in order to close sex- and gender-based gaps in Canadian health and society.
As a physician-scientist, advocate, and leader in women鈥檚 health Dr. Brennand鈥檚 research program focuses on critically examining current treatments in reproductive health, specifically female pelvic reconstructive surgery, to ensure women are receiving superior care that is tailored to their needs. Her research is informed by the stories of countless women she has cared for through her practice and a tireless pursuit to improve women鈥檚 health care. Through this work, she has become internationally recognized for her documentation of the risks of pelvic mesh complications and for developing a safer technique for mesh based urinary incontinence surgery.
Dr. Brennand completed her Doctor of Medicine with Special Training in Research at the University of Alberta followed by a residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology, clinical fellowship in Urogynecology/Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery and a Master鈥檚 in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Brennand was program director of the University of Calgary Urogynecology Fellowship and past inaugural Chair of the Research & Development Committee for the Canadian Society for Pelvic Medicine. She is committed to dismantling the stigma and inequities within female reproductive health to achieve better care and outcomes for Albertans.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Brennand on her new leadership role with the CSM and AHS.
Todd Anderson, MD Mark Anselmo, MD
Dean, Cumming School of Medicine Calgary Zone Medical Director
University of Calgary Alberta Health Services