Bone and Joint Institute

Alison Allan has been named associate vice-president (research) at Western. She will support and expand research in the medical and health sciences in her new role, starting Oct. 1. “I am absolutely delighted to have Alison join our leadership team,” said Penny Pexman, vice-president (research). “I look forward to working more closely with her to support efforts to strengthen health research in London and help create a healthier future for all.” Allan is director of the Breast Cancer Canada Translational Research Unit at London Health Sciences Centre, where she is a distinguished oncology scientist. She is also chair of the department of anatomy and cell biology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and jointly appointed as a professor in the department of oncology.

“I am really looking forward to this new chapter in my academic and leadership career journey. While I love being a researcher and a department chair, I see the associate vice-president (research) role as a wonderful opportunity to make a broader impact.” – Alison Allan, Schulich prof and incoming associate vice-president (research)

Described as a leading cancer researcher, she studies metastasis – the spread of cancer cells to a different part of the body – including new treatments and testing biomarkers to monitor disease progression. Allan said she “benefited immensely” from the expertise and support of Western Research over the years – on everything from grant applications to navigating regulatory processes – and hopes to provide other researchers with a similar level of support. In the role, Allan will help drive the university’s priorities by supporting the Bone and Joint Institute and the Western Institute for Neuroscience, developing health research funding strategies and strengthening relationships with hospital and health research institute partners. “The health and medical research community in London is highly collaborative and innovative, and I think there are untapped opportunities to leverage those connections to improve Western’s collective research impact,” Allan said. “I look forward to working to enhance interdisciplinary research efforts through greater engagement of clinical and health professional researchers.” Allan also hopes to help advance inclusion and diversity alongside the inclusive research excellence and impact team at Western Research, as well as Western’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. “I am very passionate about inclusive research excellence. Western has a very diverse research community, with so many researchers that bring different backgrounds and lived experiences to their work,” Allan said. “I hope to amplify more of these voices and engage them more deeply in Western’s health and medical research mission.”