Joy Johnson leads Simon Fraser University’s strategic research initiatives and facilitates international opportunities that foster research collaborations and student exchange. Her work focuses on facilitating research excellence and helping the University respond to new opportunities. She works with members of SFU’s eight faculties to ensure they have the support and resources required to conduct excellent cutting-edge research in all its forms. Building on her long-standing leadership and research experience, she works with faculty, students and staff to secure research partnerships within the community and industry.

Dr. Johnson joined the university in September 2014 after serving as the Scientific Director for the Institute of Gender and Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) since January of 2008. She has a long-standing interest and leadership in the field of gender and health. She served on the inaugural steering committee for the B.C. Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health and was a co-leader on the B.C. Network for Women’s Health Research.

Dr. Johnson has a highly productive program of research focusing on health promotion and health behaviour change. Drawing on a broad array of theoretical perspectives, her work explores the social, structural and individual factors that influence the health behaviour of individuals. A major thrust of her work focuses on sex and gender issues in substance use and mental health.

Dr. Johnson’s work has been recognized with numerous awards including the UBC Killam Research Prize. In 2010, she was recognized as one of British Columbia’s 100 Women of Influence. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

As part of SFU’s commitment to innovation, Dr. Johnson is also responsible for developing initiatives that support students and faculty members to harness new ideas and innovations for the benefit of society.