Leading Ladies: The many hats of Dr. Ursula Anderson
Dr. Ursula Anderson is an internationally-known physician and leading expert in the field of paediatrics, mental health, preventative medicine and public health. But that’s not all. She is also a published poet and author with an avid interest in the philosophy of religion.
Born in Cheshire, England during World War II, Dr. Anderson attended medical school at Liverpool University when she was just 16 years old. After graduating she received diplomas in Public Health and Child Health and became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians in England. She moved to the United States to complete a fellowship in paediatrics at the American Academy of Paediatrics and a fellowship in psychology at Yale University.
In 1969, Dr. Anderson became the Chief of the Division of Community Paediatrics at SickKids and an Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. She was a Project Investigator in General Paediatrics at SickKids Research Institute throughout the 1970’s, and received a National Health Grant to conduct the Toronto Child Health Study examining the physical and mental health of children in the city.
Throughout her career she held several high ranking academic and governmental positions including Research Consultant at the World Health Organization, director of maternal and child health for Buffalo and Erie County, and chair for the New York State Task Force on Health Manpower.
A strong believer in the interconnectedness and interdependence of humanity, Dr. Anderson reflects this belief in her books and in her life. After the war, her parents could not afford to pay for her medical education. A group of Loreto nuns took her in as a boarder and paid for her schooling. Now she runs a scholarship and bursary program for students at the Loreto School in England. One of her books, Connections, reflects this idea that all humans are connected to one another through their mind, body and soul.
Dr. Anderson is currently studying the effects of energy on childhood disorders and writing a book of love poems that will soon be published.