Paola Ardiles Gamboa is an award-winning practitioner scholar recognized for her innovative, collaborative and inter-sectoral approaches in health promotion policy, practice, research and education. She’s currently a senior lecturer at the faculty of health sciences at Simon Fraser University and is special projects advisor to the university’s vice-president of people, equity and inclusion.

In 2012, Ardiles was awarded the Dr. Nancy Hall Public Policy Leadership Award of Distinction, for her pioneering work at the local, provincial and national work to advance mental-health promotion in Canada.

Her interdisciplinary background includes a PhD in social innovation in public health from Torrens University in Australia, an MBA from SFU and a master of health sciences and a bachelor of science from the University of Toronto.