Head of Operations and a Staff Scientist II– UHN Biospecimen Services, University Health Network

Heidi Wagner is Head of Operations and a Staff Scientist II of the UHN Biospecimen Services at the University Health Network in Toronto, Ontario. She has over 15 years of professional experience in the biobanking, surgical pathology and health research sectors, and has held several leadership, clinical and research roles at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. In these roles, she has successfully expanded biobanking services and created sustainable operating units that deliver cutting-edge services to the research community. She has advocated for patient engagement in biobanking services and promoted industry-academic collaborations. In her current role, she brings together patient initiatives, best practices and governance policies, philanthropy engagement, industry partnerships and supports for a rapidly evolving research enterprise.

Wagner is an active service member of her profession. She chairs the UHN Biospecimen Services Governance Board and is part of the UHN Consent Management Working Group and the UHN Tissue Subcommittee. Most recently, Wagner is the recipient of the 2021 ISBER Special Service Award which she received for organizing and chairing the UHN-ISBER Virtual Regional Meeting in October 2020. She currently serves on numerous ISBER committees and working groups including the 2021 Annual Program Committee, the 2021 Regional Meeting Committee, the ASCP Biobanking Exam Committee, the Biospecimen Science Working Group, and the International Repository Locator Working Group. Her academic background combines a BSc. in Anatomic Pathology with a board certification as a Pathologists' Assistant. Heidi is currently enrolled in the Global Executive MBA -Healthcare and Life Sciences at the Rotman School of Management 2024.

Member since 2023