Alison Orth is the Director of Clinical Trials British Columbia, part of Michael Smith Health Research BC. She brings over 25 years of leadership experience across the private and public sectors, guiding organizations, programs, and multi-disciplinary teams through complex system change.

In her current role, Alison is dedicated to strengthening the clinical trials ecosystem in British Columbia and across Canada. She serves on several provincial and national committees where she champions initiatives to improve trial access, efficiency, and the overall experience for clinical trial participants. Her leadership has been central to projects such as developing a collective vision for clinical trials in BC, designing a single research ethics review service across the province’s health authorities, and contributing to the creation of a national clinical research workforce strategy.

Alison is passionate about removing barriers that prevent patients and communities from participating in clinical research, with a focus on equity, inclusion, and patient-centered approaches. She is a strong advocate for building research capacity within community hospitals and supporting innovations such as decentralized and mobile clinical trial models.

With a career spanning both clinical research and organizational development, Alison is energized by opportunities to build collaboration among researchers, clinicians, patients, and policymakers to build a stronger, more connected research environment. Through her work, she is committed to ensuring that British Columbia and Canada remain leaders in clinical research while expanding opportunities for patients to access cutting-edge care through clinical trials.