Moving evidence into action for lung health across Canada
At the Lung Health Foundation, we know that lasting change in lung health happens when research, policy and community action work together. That’s why we’re pleased to welcome Marie Chia as our new Vice President, Health Systems Partnerships, Research & Advocacy, effective November 9, 2026.
Meet Marie Chia
Marie Chia brings 20 years of experience working at the intersection of research, programs and policy. Throughout her career, her focus has been clear: moving evidence into action.
Most recently, Marie was a Director in the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada at the Public Health Agency of Canada. She led or directed seven annual reports to Parliament between 2019 and 2025, including the 2022 report on climate change as a public health issue, which examined wildfire smoke and air pollution. Her work on a report about stigma is also highly relevant to lung health, recognizing how stigma can create barriers to diagnosis, treatment and care for people living with COPD and other smoking-related lung diseases. Developed with public health and community-based organizations, academic experts, Indigenous partners and government departments, the reports continue to inform policy and programs across Canada’s public health system.
A Career Built on Partnership and Evidence
Earlier at the Public Health Agency of Canada, Marie oversaw the design and management of the Innovation Strategy, a national, multi-million-dollar program that supported the identification, implementation and scale-up of community-based health interventions.
Before joining the federal public service, Marie was Director of the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative, a national partnership of Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. With a budget of up to $4 million annually, the initiative brought researchers, policymakers and advocates together to set a national research agenda spanning the social and biomedical sciences. This experience is especially relevant to lung health as tobacco use remains the leading cause of lung cancer and COPD, and advancing evidence-based tobacco control is central to preventing disease and improving health outcomes.
Marie has also served as Assistant Director at the National Cancer Institute of Canada, where she shared responsibility for the peer review of more than $60 million in annual research funding and helped translate research findings for patients, families and the cancer community. Earlier, as a health analyst at the Library of Parliament, she supported the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.
Marie holds an MSc in nutritional sciences and a PhD in medical biophysics from the University of Toronto, as well as a Master of Public Health from the University of Waterloo. Her research training focused on cancer prevention and experimental therapeutics, and she has authored 21 peer-reviewed publications spanning cancer biology, nutrition and public health policy and practice.
What Her Role Means for LHF
As Vice President, Health Systems Partnerships, Research & Advocacy, Marie will lead the Lung Health Foundation’s work to build strong partnerships across Canada’s health systems, advance lung health research and champion policies that improve the lives of people living with lung conditions. Marie’s breadth of experience bringing governments, researchers, community organizations and Indigenous partners together will help ensure LHF’s work is grounded in evidence and shaped by the communities we serve.
We’re proud to welcome Marie Chia to the Lung Health Foundation and look forward to the impact her leadership will have in advancing lung health for all Canadians.
