2024 May Cohen Award for Women Mentors

Congratulations to Dr. Michelle Graham (Professor, Division of Cardiology) on receiving the 2024 May Cohen Award for Women Mentors from the Canadian Medical Association.

The May Cohen Award for Women Mentors is presented to a female physician and CMA member who has demonstrated outstanding mentoring. Award recipients will have:

• encouraged, facilitated and supported mentees in career and leadership development
• acted as an effective role model in medicine or medical leadership
• contributed to the development of women's mentorship advocacy at the regional, national and/or international level

Within the male-dominated specialty of cardiology, Dr. Michelle Graham is a supporter, advocate and champion of women in the field.

Dr. Graham earned her medical degree at the University of Ottawa before completing internal medicine and cardiology training at Western University and Dalhousie University respectively. She then did a fellowship in interventional cardiology at the University of Calgary. Until recently, she was the only female interventional cardiologist in Alberta.

In 2023, Dr. Graham became the first female director for the University of Alberta’s division of cardiology. She is also president of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS).

Over the past two decades, she has been a dedicated mentor to around 75 people across Canada — both men and women — including medical students, residents, junior faculty members, fellows and others.

Dr. Graham is an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, and is Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology (CJC) Open, where she led a special edition on equity, diversity and inclusion in 2021.

Dr. Graham is recognized internationally for her own research as well, with primary interests in perioperative medicine, cardiac care in the elderly, processes of care and precision medicine. She has published 155 peer-reviewed articles and has been an investigator on more than $31 million in peer-reviewed grant funding.

“Dr. Graham is an extraordinary mentor for many reasons. She is open and honest. She is fully committed to ensuring that her mentees and trainees achieve their full potential. In fact, she continues to provide engaged mentorship, advocacy, sponsorship and coaching long after formal mentorship pairings have ended.”

— Dr. Narmin Kassam, Chair, Department of Medicine

Dr. Michelle Graham is receiving the CMA May Cohen Award for Women Mentors for her dedication to advancing equity in medicine and outstanding mentorship of others.