New Chief – Schulich Heart Program

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Harindra Wijeysundera as the new Chief of the Schulich Heart Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Dr. Wijeysundera takes over on October 22, 2020 from Dr. Bradley Strauss who has held the role since September 2010. During that time, Dr. Strauss has provided strong, reliable and visionary leadership to the Schulich Heart Program that has made significant advances during his tenure.

Dr. Harindra Wijeysundera is a graduate of the University of British Columbia. He completed postgraduate training in internal medicine and cardiology and the Clinician-Scientist Training Program at the University of Toronto. Dr. Wijeysundera obtained a PhD in clinical epidemiology and health care research from the University of Toronto. He holds certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in internal medicine and adult cardiology. He also holds certification in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease from the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Wijeysundera began his career with Sunnybrook in 2008 as staff in the department of medicine. He has since established himself as an expert in the field of cardiology, evidenced by national and international awards, successful peer-reviewed funding, a high degree of research productivity and leadership roles in both research and health policy. Dr. Wijeysundera has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles where he was either the senior responsible author or co-author. He is an associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist with the Sunnybrook Research Institute.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Wijeysundera on his appointment and thanking Dr. Strauss for his hard work and dedicated service to this role. We wish them both continued success.

Andy Smith, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS
President & CEO
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre