A physical therapist and child development specialist by training, Martha Piper is a major force in the rejuvenation and advancement of research in this country. President and vice-chancellor of the University of British Columbia (UBC) and former vice-president of Research at the University of Alberta, she successfully advocated for the Canada Research Chairs Program to recruit scientists and to encourage them to remain here. Also a trusted government advisor, she has helped to bring about the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Believing that universities must play a role within their communities, she is the impetus behind UBC's Downtown Eastside Learning Exchange, providing disadvantaged people with access to higher education.