Erica Frank

Erica Frank, MD, MPH, FACPM is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, with primary appointments in the School of Population and Public Health and the Department of Family Medicine. She also serves as Affiliate Faculty in Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies. Dr. Frank was previously the Tier I Canada Research Chair in Preventive Medicine and Population Health and a UBC University Sustainability Initiative Fellow. Her work spans public health research, medical education innovation, and sustainable design.

Dr. Frank's educational background includes:

• B.A. in Honors and Independent Studies from Smith College (1982)
• M.P.H. from Emory University with emphasis on Health Education and Epidemiology (1984)
• M.D. from Mercer University (1988)
• Preventive Medicine Residency at Yale University (1990)
• NIH Prevention Research Fellowship at Stanford University (1990-1993)

Dr. Frank's research focuses on the intersection of physician health practices and patient outcomes, medical education innovation, and public health interventions. She is internationally recognized for her "Healthy Doc = Healthy Patient" initiative, which demonstrates the strong relationship between physicians' personal health habits and their clinical prevention practices. Her work has established that physicians with healthier personal habits provide more effective preventive care to their patients. She has conducted national studies in Canada, Colombia, Israel, and the U.S. to validate this relationship across diverse healthcare systems.

Dr. Frank is the Founder and Inventor of NextGenU.org (2001), a groundbreaking platform providing free, accredited health sciences education globally. NextGenU.org now serves learners in every country worldwide and offers the world's first opportunities for certified courses and degrees for free through partner universities. Her work in this area represents a major contribution to democratizing health education and addressing global health workforce shortages.

Her recent scholarly work demonstrates a clear trajectory toward leveraging technology for global health education and addressing substance use disorders through innovative educational approaches. The publications reveal a consistent focus on open-access pandemic education, digital health interventions, and strategies to improve healthcare worker training worldwide. Her research spans from foundational work on physician health practices to cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence in health professional education, with a strong emphasis on equity and accessibility.

Dr. Frank's notable awards and recognitions include:

• American Medical Association Pettis Award (1987)
• American College of Preventive Medicine Rising Star Award (1996)
• Rollins School of Public Health Outstanding Alumnus Award (1998)
• National Cancer Institute Director's Group Award (2012)
• American College of Preventive Medicine Distinguished Service Award (2012)
• American College of Preventive Medicine Gold Humanism in Medicine Award (2015)
• Faculty Emerging Leader in Global Health Innovation (2015)
• Nomination for WHO Director-General by the Canadian Medical Association and ACPM (2016)

Dr. Frank has been instrumental in securing numerous grants to support her research on physician health practices and medical education innovations. She has served as Principal Investigator for multiple national studies across different countries, examining the relationship between physicians' personal health habits and their clinical practices. Her work with NextGenU.org has attracted significant funding to scale free, accredited health education globally. She has also led major projects on substance use disorder training for healthcare workers in Kenya and other resource-limited settings. Dr. Frank is available to co-supervise graduate students and has mentored numerous researchers in public health and medical education.

Dr. Frank founded and directed the Museum of Population and Public Health at UBC, creating a unique space for public engagement with population health concepts. She has also been involved in sustainable design initiatives at UBC, helping develop three of the campus's "Top 10 Campus Gems" including a skatepark, an outdoor classroom, and the Bioenergy Research & Demonstration Facility display. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges public health, education, architecture, and sustainability.