Joanne Liu
Joanne Liu is a Canadian pediatric emergency physician and humanitarian leader known for her long career with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors Without Borders).
Joanne Liu is a Canadian pediatric emergency physician who led Médecins Sans Frontières as International President from 2013 to 2019. She is known for her work in medical humanitarian crises, from Ebola to conflict zones.
Early life and education
Born in 1965, Liu trained in medicine in Montreal, with academic ties to the University of Montreal and McGill University. She specialized in pediatric emergency medicine, laying the groundwork for a career at the intersection of clinical care and humanitarian response.
Career with Médecins Sans Frontières
Liu joined MSF in 1996 and completed dozens of field missions in refugee and conflict settings. She served as International President from 2013 to 2019, leading the organization through Ebola outbreaks, natural disasters, and attacks on medical facilities.
Global health advocacy
Beyond MSF, Liu has taught at McGill and the University of Montreal, focusing on pandemic preparedness and emergency care. She has advocated for protecting health-care access in crises and contributed to telemedicine initiatives in remote areas.
In short
- Canadian pediatric emergency physician and humanitarian leader
- International President of MSF (2013–2019)
- Over 20 years of field missions in crisis zones
- Advocate for pandemic preparedness and health-care access
Joanne Liu is a Canadian physician from Montreal whose leadership at MSF and academic work at McGill and the University of Montreal have made her a prominent Canadian figure in global health.
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Sources
- Stanford Humanities Center — https://www.stanford.edu/stanford-humanities-center/about/people/joanne-liuSupports: Biography, MSF presidency, humanitarian career, field missions, telemedicine and sexual-violence care contributions.
- WomenLift Health — https://www.womenlifthealth.org/profile/joanne-liu/Supports: Canadian physician status, MSF leadership, McGill affiliation, pandemic and emergency-health focus.
- World Health Organization TDR — https://tdr.who.int/global-health-matters-podcast/dialogues-a-conversation-with-joanne-liuSupports: Canadian pediatric emergency doctor, former MSF International President, McGill role, pandemic preparedness and emergency response.
- Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders — https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msf-welcomes-dr-joanne-liu-new-international-presidentSupports: MSF election and presidency, start with MSF in 1996, field work, telemedicine project, sexual-violence care.
- Université de Montréal — https://recherche.umontreal.ca/english/our-researchers/professors-directory/researcher/is/in17816/Supports: Clinical professor affiliation, Canadian leadership in MSF, broad field-mission history.
- Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue — https://hdcentre.org/person/dr-joanne-liu/Supports: MSF presidency dates, academic roles, humanitarian work, board role and chair position.
- PubMed Central — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3778499/Supports: Canadian doctor, pediatric emergency physician, MSF career since 1996, more than 20 missions, MSF-Canada presidency, telemedicine project.
- Governor General of Canada — https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/136-10867Supports: Recognition for leadership of MSF's clinical and epidemiological response to Ebola and advocacy for humanitarian response.