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University of Victoria

Dr. Lisa Kalynchuk

Dr. Lisa Kalynchuk

Vice-President Research & Innovation

Contact:
250-721-7973

About

The role of the Vice-President Research and Innovation (VPRI) is to promote and facilitate research and creative activities at the University of Victoria. To do this, they:

  • develop and implement strategic plans to support a rich research environment
  • create and oversee sound research policies and procedures that meet the highest ethical and regulatory standards
  • work with potential research funders to enhance available resources
  • promote the mobilization of knowledge created through research for societal benefit
  • seek to enhance the reputation of the university through the excellence of the research conducted by its faculty and students

Through two associate vice-presidents and four directors, the VPRI portfolio includes responsibility for eleven Senate and Board approved research centres and institutes, the Office of Research Services, Animal Care Services, and the Research Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization unit.

Biography

Dr. Lisa Kalynchuk is an innovative and inspiring leader who always seeks to push the boundaries of what is possible. She was appointed to her initial five-year term as Vice-President Research and Innovation at UVic on July 1, 2019, and reappointed for a second term in December 2023. Prior to this appointment, she was the Associate Vice-President Research from 2017-2019.

Dr. Kalynchuk holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Alberta and an MA and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia. She completed postdoctoral training at the Douglas Hospital Mental Health Institute at McGill University. Dr. Kalynchuk is an active researcher who is known internationally for her work on chronic stress, the neurobiology of depression, and the development of biomarkers for mental health disorders. 

Before joining UVic, Dr. Kalynchuk was a tenured Professor and Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Neuroscience in the Department of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. She also served as Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Health Research and Special Advisor to the Provost and contributed to academic governance as Director of the Neuroscience Research Group, Chair of Senate and Chair of the University Planning and Priorities Committee. Prior to her work at USask, Dr. Kalynchuk was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Psychology at Dalhousie University, where she held an NSERC University Faculty Award. 

Dr. Kalynchuk brings great passion and energy to her work as a senior leader. She takes a consultative, team first approach and is committed to inclusion and diversity of thought. She has led several major strategic planning exercises, including the development of Aspiration 2030, UVic’s research strategy, and been a driving force toward doubling UVic’s research revenues and success in several major national funding competitions.