Six UCalgary faculty among Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women

Six University of Calgary faculty have been named to the Women's Executive Network’s (WXN) list of Canada's Most Powerful Women. This prestigious award recognizes and celebrates professional women for their leadership and achievements that have meaningfully transformed industries, companies, communities and the country.

One of those named is Dr. Kirsten Fiest, BSc'08, PhD'14, scientific director of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health. 

Fiest, an associate professor in the departments of Critical Care Medicine, Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), was honoured as an Amex Emerging Leader for her work leading and supporting research, education, mentorship and community engagement. 

"It’s an incredible honour to be recognized as one of Canada’s most powerful women," says Fiest. "Being celebrated for my contributions to teaching, mentorship, research and leadership is truly meaningful. This award represents the culmination of my career achievements to date, and I’m deeply grateful for this recognition. 

"I hope that seeing the incredible women honoured with this award inspires more women and girls to step forward and pursue leadership roles (if that’s their goal). As a society, we would greatly benefit from this, and I look forward to seeing women from all backgrounds represented in leadership positions."  

Other recipients from the UCalgary were: 

• Dr. Hanan Bassyouni, MD'98, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, CSM;
• Dr. Hadis Karimipour, PhD, associate professor, Schulich School of Engineering;
• Dr. Deborah Kurrasch, PhD, professor, departments of Medical Genetics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, CSM; member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) and Hotchkiss Brain Institute;
• Dr. Dianne Mosher, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, and associate dean, Indigenous, Local and Global Health Office, CSM; member of the ACHRI and the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health; and,
• Dr. Fareen Zaver, MD, MSc'22, associate dean, Office of Faculty Development, and associate professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, CSM.

Empowering innovation through exceptional leadership

Since Fiest’s appointment as scientific director of the O'Brien Institute in 2023, she has exemplified what it means to be a visionary and innovative leader. Under her leadership, the O'Brien Institute continues to be a leading voice and platform dedicated to improving health systems, keeping people healthy and supporting impactful research.

Through her leadership, the Institute has made strides in addressing some of the most pressing public health challenges, including an area that has long been underfunded and underrepresented: women’s health.

Research on women’s health often receives inadequate funding and attention, leaving critical gaps in the diagnosis, treatment and access to care that women experience. These disparities not only affect public health outcomes, but also have profound social and economic implications.

To address this, the O'Brien Institute established the Sex, Gender and Women’s Health Research Hub. The Hub aims to bridge these gaps by fostering collaboration among researchers, health-care providers, policymakers and community partners to implement evidence-based solutions that improve health outcomes for women. 

As scientific director, Fiest also champions the work of the O’Brien Institute’s Centre for Health Policy (CHP). The CHP works to develop and promote evidence-informed policies that integrate considerations for health to strengthen the well-being of our communities and advance public health. One of its key initiatives, the Health System Sustainability Initiative, is dedicated to improving the long-term sustainability of Canada’s healthcare systems by designing policies that increase value for money and improve health outcomes. 

Supporting the next generation of research leaders

Mentorship has been a cornerstone of Fiest’s career, reflecting her commitment to fostering growth and development among students, colleagues and peers. Over the last eight years, she has taken up mentorship roles at UCalgary and the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG). Her enthusiasm for learning is motivation for the numerous mentorship roles she undertakes. 

Fiest's passion for mentorship and continuous learning is deeply felt by those she supports, like Thérèse Poulin, a master’s student.

“Working with Dr. Fiest has had an immeasurable impact on my career,” says Poulin, BSc'23. “She has helped me develop essential skills in leadership, resilience, communication, creativity and innovation. These skills have prepared me for a future in health research and medicine. Dr. Fiest celebrates my successes and supports me through setbacks."

Fiest has been recognized for her traits as a mentor and leader by her mentees and colleagues and received the Research Mentor Award from UCalgary's Department of Critical Care Medicine in 2020.

Advancing patient-centred research to improve critical care outcomes

As an avid learner, Fiest’s research focuses on partnering with patients and their family members to improve care and health outcomes for critically ill patients and their families. 

One area of focus is delirium, a condition commonly experienced by patients in intensive care units (ICUs), which is linked to significant long-term challenges for both patients and their loved ones. To address this, Fiest actively involves ICU patients and their families in the prevention, detection and management of delirium, fostering better outcomes through engagement and partnership.

Similarly, patients who undergo transitions when leaving the ICU often experience gaps in their care that place them at increased risks of negative outcomes. Fiest has dedicated part of her research over the years to addressing the issue of transitions in care for ICU patients and their family members. 

In 2019, she received a $1.1-million grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to help improve transitions in care from the ICU to the ward or home for patients and their families. Her research program is developing a patient- and family-centred transitions-in-care tool that will be used by patients, and their families and their medical caregivers, to improve their care and recovery after leaving the ICU.

Fiest’s research reflects her deep commitment to learning, sharing knowledge and driving innovation. Central to her approach is a focus on patient and family involvement, ensuring they play an active role in shaping the research process. 

By prioritizing patient engagement, she empowers individuals and their families to take control of their care, ultimately fostering improved health outcomes and a more inclusive approach to health-care innovation.