Advancing women’s health: Dr. Innie Chen awarded distinguished research chair

Dr. Innie Chen is committed to advancing the health of women in Ottawa and beyond. 

As the new Dr. Elaine Jolly Chair in Women’s Health and Gynecology Research at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), Dr. Chen will focus on improving surgical care for women with common uterine conditions, building on a decade of practice-changing research and innovation. 

Her work has already informed national clinical guidelines, reduced surgical complications and improved recovery for thousands of patients. Her focus for the future is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and big data to predict surgical risks and address health inequities, opening new methods for more personalized care and overcoming invisible barriers in health systems. 

Supported by generous donations to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the Dr. Elaine Jolly Chair in Women’s Health and Gynecology Research was established to honor Dr. Jolly’s pioneering work and the vision she shared with Shirley E. Greenberg to advance women’s health. 

“I am deeply honoured to uphold Dr. Jolly’s legacy. Early in my career, I had the privilege of working with her and being inspired by her strength and resolve for women’s health. As physicians, we often bear witness to the barriers women face in accessing care. Such experiences drive my commitment to research that makes care safer and more responsive to women’s needs,” says Dr. Chen, a physician in TOH’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, OHRI Scientist, and Professor at the University of Ottawa. 

The Jolly Chair was established in 2015 with the idea that it would be transferred to different researchers over time, so that a wide range of research could be supported. The first two researchers to hold the chair, Dr. Amanda Black and Dr. Sony Singh, made important contributions to women’s health in areas such as birth control and endometriosis. 

“Women’s health is an important priority for The Ottawa Hospital and we’re very pleased to be able to support research in this area,” says Dr. Rebecca Auer, Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation at TOH and CEO and Scientific Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. “Dr. Chen’s research exemplifies the innovation and impact that this Chair was designed to support.”