Dr. Asha Hollis, BHSc’17, MD’22, MSc’22

Dr. Asha Hollis has taken every opportunity to make a difference. Growing up in Calgary, Dr. Hollis pursued her academic journey at the University of Calgary, completing her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences, followed by a joint MD and MSc through the Leaders in Medicine program at the Cumming School of Medicine. 

"I spent nine years in post-secondary education at UCalgary, which really was a phenomenal experience,” says Dr. Hollis. “Through my time at the university, I had opportunities to get involved in advocacy work and work with pediatric patients, initially through research and now as a resident physician in pediatrics."

Her master’s degree research in neuroscience consisted of a clinical trial aimed at enhancing motor skills through non-invasive brain stimulation with the goal of helping children who suffer lifelong disabilities due to strokes at birth. This research earned her the prestigious Banting and Best Canada Graduate Scholarship in 2018. Her journey continued through medical school, in which she excelled, securing a pediatrics residency at the University of Alberta, where she continues to impact children's lives significantly.

Her advocacy work began during her undergraduate years, inspired by her mentor, Dr. Juliet Guichon, SJD, who introduced her to the power of making a difference through advocacy. 

"We often feel that these problems are so big that we can't necessarily make a difference but, really, we just need people who want to try and be involved," Dr. Hollis recalls. 

One of her notable contributions was leading UCalgary in adopting the Global Access to Medicines Principles in 2019. This initiative aimed to ensure health-related inventions developed at the university were accessible in financially constrained countries. Inspired by her mother's journey as a refugee from Sri Lanka, Dr. Hollis recognized the importance of making medical innovations affordable in low-income regions. 

"Finance, like the cost of medicine, is a huge barrier to accessibility in low-income countries — but that shouldn't be a reason people don't receive the treatment they need," she says.

Dr. Hollis’s work against tobacco use and vaping has been particularly impactful. Recognizing the allure of flavoured tobacco products to youth, she co-founded Banding Against Menthol in 2014, leading efforts that contributed to a provincial ban on menthol-flavoured tobacco in Alberta in 2015. During her medical training, she identified the rising threat of vaping among youth and co-founded Stop Addicting Adolescents to Vaping and E-Cigarettes (SAAVE). Her advocacy included media engagements, op-eds and presentations to government committees, significantly influencing public policy.

"I've always loved kids. They are amazingly resilient and face many challenges but still enjoy life and bring joy to whatever situations they're in,” says Dr. Hollis. “Working with children, we have an opportunity to have a lifelong impact. They have generations ahead of them, and being able to positively impact them from an early age is so meaningful."

In 2019, Dr. Hollis created and co-developed the SOLVE Mystery Toolkit, an interactive educational program for middle school students to raise awareness about the health risks of vaping. Backed by Health Canada, this innovative program has been used by more than 6,000 students across Canada and the U.S., receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback. Licensed to the Heart and Stroke Foundation for national distribution, the tool kit is also employed by the RCMP and other organizations in their outreach programs. Despite her demanding residency, she continues to expand the SOLVE program, working on cultural adaptations for Indigenous populations and exploring further international reach. Her commitment to rigorous, evidence-based advocacy and education exemplifies her leadership and dedication to public health.

Dr. Hollis credits her success to the mentors and colleagues who supported her journey. "So many people have helped me along the way," she notes, highlighting Dr. Adam Kirton, MSc’96, MD, her research supervisor, and Dr. Laura Davies, MD, a pediatrician at the Alberta Children's Hospital, as key influences. 

"We never do anything by ourselves; it's always part of a team, and we have incredible allied health-care professionals and nurses who work together to provide the best care," says Dr. Hollis, whose commitment to global health is evident with an upcoming international rotation in Kenya on the horizon. "I hope I'll have even more opportunities to provide care and learn from these experiences." 

Her goals include becoming a caring, compassionate pediatrician, while continuing to engage in impactful advocacy and research. Her passion for improving children's lives, combined with her innovative approach to advocacy and education has already to led to her being named to Edify’s Top 40 under 40 in Edmonton and Canada’s Most Powerful Women, Top 100 Awards. She continues to inspire the next generation of leaders and advocates in medicine.

“One of the most important lessons I have learned from the children I care for is how to be positive and continue to live with joy even in the face of scary situations. As Dr. Seuss said, ‘I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.’”