Celebrating a Champion of Women's Heart Health: Dr. Colleen Norris Receives the King Charles III Coronation Medal
We are thrilled to share some remarkable news from our community: Dr. Colleen Norris, the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation’s Cavarzan Chair in Women’s Health Research, has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal by the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
This prestigious Canadian honour recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to our country or communities—and Dr. Norris embodies exactly that. Her tireless advocacy, groundbreaking research, and unwavering dedication to advancing women’s heart health have transformed lives and brought long-overdue attention to one of the most pressing—and often overlooked—issues facing women today.
As the lead of the Women's Heart Health Research Collaborative (WHHRC), Dr. Norris is on a mission to close the gender gap in cardiovascular research. Her work addresses the urgent need for sex-specific data and treatment strategies to better diagnose, treat, and prevent heart disease in women—conditions that often present differently in women than in men and are frequently misdiagnosed or dismissed.
"Everyone deserves a chance for a longer and healthier life, and through the WHHRC we are giving women who suffer from heart conditions that chance," said Dr. Norris. "Your support can lead to breakthroughs in research needed to address the unique challenges around women's heart health and prevent it from being overlooked as it has been in the past."
It’s a critical call to action. In Canada, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined. In Alberta alone, hundreds of women are discharged from emergency rooms with chest pain—only to suffer a heart attack within 30 days.
Thanks to champions like Dr. Norris, and supporters like you, we are turning the tide.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Norris on this well-deserved honour. Her work is changing the future of women’s heart health—and with continued support, the best is yet to come.
Learn more about the WHHRC and how you can get involved.