Denise G Hemmings obtained her Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MMI) in 2001 and did a Post-Doctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta (U of A). She is a Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, cross-appointed in MMI at U of A, recipient of a CIHR New Investigator award in 2010 and the former Chair of Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST). Her lab investigates the impact of chronic infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV), a Herpesvirus, in breast cancer and also its impact on metabolic and vascular dysfunction in aging. The other major focus in her lab is to understand the dual vascular functions of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid, in pregnancy, namely permeability, vascular tone and their inter-regulation.