Dr. Lisa Freeman

Dr. Freeman (she/her) grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, and trained in both family medicine and public health and preventive medicine. Most recently practicing as a public health specialist physician in Ottawa, Ontario, she graduated with her MD from the University of Manitoba and completed both residency and graduate school, earning her Master in Public Health in Health Promotion, at the University of Alberta. She has worked in clinical family medicine as well as in various public health roles from municipal to federal levels. She enjoys teaching and mentoring and has previously held academic appointments at the University of Alberta and Dalhousie University. Dr. Freeman is currently an Adjunct Professor and Clinical Lecturer at the University of Ottawa.

 

As a woman living with disabilities who uses a wheelchair, Dr. Freeman is especially interested in issues of sexism and ableism within medicine and healthcare systems, as well as in broader society. Drawing from her work in public health and preventive medicine, with a focus on health promotion, she is interested in how systemic and environmental changes can move us toward universal accessibility and true inclusiveness, with a focus on equity and intersectionality.

 

Dr. Freeman currently shares her time between Ottawa, Ontario, and Montréal, Québec. With myriad professional and personal lived experiences with chronic illness, disability, medicine, and research,   she blends expertise and experience in her presentations and teaching sessions providing both theoretical background and practical pearls to participants.

 

Merely by existing in public Dr Freeman is often an activist and advocate for accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion. As well as a specialist physician she is also an aunt, daughter, flautist, teacher, volunteer, wife, and writer who loves to be outside and enjoys improving her English and French. Dr. Freeman will inspire you towards IDEA, centering accessibility in discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion to create a truly welcoming world for all.