BIOCAPS Spotlight: Dr. Carol-Ann Courneya

Dr. Carol-Ann Courneya completed her PhD at UBC in 1987 under the supervision of Dr. John Ledsome.  She did a three year Heart and Stroke Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Baker Medical Institute with Dr. Paul Korner, and returned as an Assistant Professor at UBC in the Department of Physiology in 1990. Her research interests have included cardiovascular physiology (whole animal blood pressure control), medical education including admissions, problem-based learning, and the role of arts and humanities in learning medicine.  She was a recipient of the UBC Killam Teaching prize, the National 3M Teaching Fellowship, and the Webber Distinguished Educator Award.

What motivated you to pursue a career in academia?

I was a first-generation student at the University of Guelph, and had no idea what careers a university education could prepare me for. I loved the physiology courses I was taking, and all my classmates were gunning for medicine, so I assumed that was what I would do. I got a chance to talk with a doctor about careers; when he asked me why I wanted to be a doctor I said “so I can teach medicine”. He replied that perhaps I should consider doing a PhD, rather than an MD, and then teach in a medical school. Once in grad school I figured out that to be hired as a professor I would need research skills and publications. That took me to Australia for a 3-year postdoc at a leading Heart Disease Research Centre. In 1990 I returned to UBC as an Assistant Professor.

How has your career shaped you into what your are?

Put simply, I figured out along the way that when you genuinely follow your deepest interests and passions doors open.

In your tenure at UBC, what areas did you contribute to?

I have been lucky enough to have had three different stages to my career at UBC.  Pre-tenure I built a lab and did whole-animal physiology research with Dr. Gabrielle Weichert, Craig Kamimura and Dr. Birgitta Woods.  Post-tenure I moved into medical education research and practice. That immersed me in the educational development of thousands of UBC medical students as well as having a role in development of a medical school in Kathmandu Nepal. The third phase of my career at UBC saw me transition to the role of Assistant Dean in the Office of Student Affairs in the Faculty of Medicine, where I worked with a Dream Team of caring, and compassionate colleagues. (..you know who you are!).

What is a legacy you are leaving?

In 2000 I founded and managed two arts projects for health sciences trainees and practitioners. “Heartfelt Images” is a collection of astonishing cardiac-inspired art created by UBC medical and dental students. In 2010 I founded “White Coat Warm heART” (WCWA) which became our annual national medical education art exhibit. The art in WCWA is across a variety of themes, made by and for health care trainees and practitioners from across the country. Both collections can be viewed online at teachingmedicine.com. Inspired by this creative work, I published two papers on the role of making art in learning medicine.

How do you envision your life and interests changing in retirement, and are there any specific plans or aspirations you have?

In 2019 I trained as an End-of-Life Doula with a plan to start my Doula practice once I retired from UBC. I could not be more excited to begin my practice on the Sunshine Coast in January!

What are you most grateful for from UBC?

I will forever be grateful for the true friendships I developed at UBC as a PhD student, as a faculty member, and in the Dean’s office. I look forward to continuing those relationships moving forward.

Who are you most grateful for?

The students of course. They are what propelled me into my career, and from whom I learned the most.

Photos throughout Dr. Courneya’s career