Hope Anderson [B.SC. (HONS.)/92, PHD/97] is the new dean of the College of Pharmacy.
The professor, who grew up in Regina, holds a PhD in pharmacology and therapeutics from UM and completed postdoctoral studies at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute and the University of California, San Francisco.
Anderson joined the UM faculty in 2003 as an assistant professor of pharmacy. From 2017 to 2025, she served as vice-dean, graduate and postdoctoral studies for the Rady Faculty.
She is a principal investigator at the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine at St. Boniface Hospital’s Albrechtsen Research Centre. Her research focuses on how risk factors for cardiovascular disease promote the development of heart failure.
We spoke with her about her vision for leading the College of Pharmacy.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the health sciences, with a deep focus on research?
It started when I was an undergraduate student in microbiology at UM and had research opportunities here in the Rady Faculty.
In my fourth undergraduate year, my dad had a heart attack. They gave him two years to live if he didn’t receive a heart transplant.
That was in 1992. He didn’t receive a heart transplant until 2007, and he’s still alive to this day. That experience gave me a lens to see how important research is. What kept him alive was knowledge derived from research. I chose to focus on cardiovascular disease because I was curious about what was happening to someone I love.
Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your path?
I’ve been fortunate to have many mentors in academia. They instilled in me a deep commitment to values that have become my cornerstones: good citizenship, pursuit of excellence and service.
One mentor who stands out is Dr. David Collins, who was dean when I joined the College of Pharmacy. He showed me what meaningful support looks like through a lens of equity, having welcomed me to UM when I was six months pregnant.
What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?
In my role as the vice-dean for graduate studies, I worked collaboratively with our educators to elevate graduate education across the Rady Faculty.
We worked together to increase our focus on the graduate learner experience, making sure they receive the mentorship and support they need to succeed in their careers. This student-centred approach can have long-lasting impact as our master’s and PhD graduates enter the workforce.
What is your vision for the College of Pharmacy?
My hope for the next five years is to unleash our potential for positive impact together. By leveraging our strengths — our expertise, innovation, creativity, commitment to care and pursuit of scholarly excellence — we will continue to shape the future of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences, while making a meaningful difference in our communities.
What’s your advice for students at the College of Pharmacy?
Make your years of study here as rich as possible. Look to make connections that resonate with you, both within and outside academia and research. Explore avenues to support your wellness and resilience — we have many resources you can access and opportunities to develop your skills.
BY DANICA HIDALGO CHEREWYK