Dr. Marissa Becker (pictured right), who received MMSF funding in 2010, has been named executive director of the Institute for Global Public Health (IGPH), effective September 1, 2026.

A professor at the University of Manitoba’s College of Community and Global Health, Dr. Becker holds a cross-appointment in medical microbiology and infectious diseases at the Max Rady College of Medicine.  

In 2010, she received MMSF’s three-year Shaun Lamoureux and Kerry Bittner Clinical Research Professorship in Population Health Award for her project, "Improving Infectious Treatment Outcomes Among Vulnerable Populations."

The Institute for Global Public Health (IGPH) was established in February 2020. It was based on the foundation built by the Centre for Global Public Health, which was created in 2008 to enhance the University of Manitoba’s leadership in global public health.

Dr. Becker uses a program science framework for her research. Program science is defined by the IGPH as “the systematic application of theoretical and empirical scientific knowledge to improve the design, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs.”  

Her research program focuses on understanding HIV and other infectious disease risk, vulnerability and outcomes among marginalized populations, with a specific focus on adolescent girls, young women and female sex workers.  

Learn more about the IGPH.