Lara Cooke

Dr. Lara Cooke serves as Professor of Neurology and Head of the Section of Neurology at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, a position appointed in 2019. She concurrently chairs the Physician Learning Program Provincial Steering Committee and leads Calgary's Physician Learning Program office, demonstrating deep integration between clinical neurology and medical education leadership.

Her academic foundation includes a Masters of Physiology from the University of Western Ontario followed by comprehensive medical training at the University of Calgary (MD, residency, fellowship). She further specialized through graduate-level Medical Education training at the Cumming School of Medicine, complementing her FRCPC neurology certification.

Dr. Cooke's research centers on medical education innovation, particularly residency training methodologies, program evaluation frameworks, and physician development through structured audit-feedback systems. Her work directly informs national initiatives like CanMEDS and Competence by Design, with emphasis on communicator competencies and workplace-based assessment.

As an educational leader, she pioneered the Teaching Scholars in Medicine Program and Faculty Development Office during her tenure as inaugural Assistant Dean. Her residency program direction and continuing medical education leadership demonstrate sustained commitment to shaping physician development across career stages, with headache medicine remaining her clinical anchor point.