Professor Gruben has been a core member of the CHLPE since its inception in 2015, throughout that time sitting on its Executive Committee and leading its theme on Reproductive Health and Technologies as well as the Ottawa Hub for Harm Reduction. Her scholarship probes some of the most difficult contemporary legal and ethical issues related to health care, including assisted reproduction, harm reduction, organ donation and transplantation, and health care professional self-regulation. She is the co-editor of the 5th edition of Canada’s leading health law text, Canadian Health Law and Policy (LexisNexis, 2017). She also serves on the boards of the Canadian Health Coalition and AMS Healthcare. Vanessa is herself a graduate of our own Faculty of Law.
Professor Gruben takes over the reins from the Centre's inaugural Director, Colleen Flood, who became the Dean of Law at Queen's University this past July. Under Professor Flood’s visionary and energetic leadership, the Centre has grown since 2015 to become the largest academic health law and policy centre in Canada and one of the largest in the world. She built it into a thriving community with collaborative bridges throughout the Law Faculty and the broader university. Among the many flagship activities at the Centre, Professor Flood launched the annual Summer Institute in Health Law and spearheaded annual multidisciplinary conferences on cutting edge issues such as medical AI, and public health responses during the pandemic. The Centre has become a home for a dedicated crew of students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows working with its associated faculty.
During this time of transition, the Centre was in the able hands of Sophie Nunnelley, who has been Acting Director of the Centre since July. Nunnelley’s research focuses on intersections of health law and human rights, with a particular focus on mental health law, legal capacity and decision-making, and the regulation of health-related AI. She is currently an AMS Fellow in AI and Compassion. She has led the Centre with a deft hand these past few months and remains an indispensable member of the core team, having returned to her regular role as Associate Director.
Congratulations to Professor Vanessa Gruben, and our thanks to Dean Colleen Flood and Sophie Nunnelley.