Sharon Gilroy-Dreher is a stroke survivor and nationally recognized advocate for women’s cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. Following her cerebellar stroke in 2015, where she had to advocate for her own care, she became a Patient Partner in research, bringing lived experience to projects at Sunnybrook Research Institute and Western University. She is currently engaged in multiple funded studies, advisory committees, and national initiatives focused on improving outcomes for women’s heart and brain health.
Sharon has shared her perspective as a plenary speaker at the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit (2021) and Stroke Congress (2019), and as a workshop planning committee member and facilitator at Stroke Congress (2024). She is a founding member of Heart & Stroke’s Community of Survivors and has served on national and provincial leadership groups advancing women’s heart and brain health research, patient engagement, and health policy change.
Professionally, Sharon is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), Certified Leadership Coach (CLC), and Emotional Intelligence Practitioner (EQP) with over 30 years of experience advising senior leaders across diverse industries. She also holds a Board Governance microcredential and brings strong skills in board leadership, strategic planning, organizational leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
