Shannon Cobb

Shannon Cobb joined CIHR in 2021 and delivers on CIHR’s Open Science initiatives, including the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy for Publications and health research data, to help make the results of Canadian health research more accessible so they can be used more broadly, resulting in benefits for health and health care. Shannon is also a member of the Integrated Institute Team for the CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health.

Shannon has over 30 years of experience in the public and private sector. Prior to joining CIHR, Shannon led the Open Science initiatives and other interdepartmental and stakeholder liaison actitivites at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through her role on the Policy and International Relations team. Shannon also held positions related to research grants program delivery, program literature and institutional eligibility (Council Secretariat), and corporate Communications (NSERC and the Networks of Centres of Excellence). Previous to her work at NSERC, Shannon was the Manager of Communications at CANARIE Inc., and a Policy and Partnerships Advisor at Industry Canada (currently Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada/ISED).

Shannon grew up in Ottawa, Ontario and St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and is a proud mother of two teenagers. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Dalhousie University and has served on various national and international committees during her career, as well as a number of volunteer roles.