Dr Soumya Swaminathan, formerly the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), has been selected as one of the 10 outstanding individuals to be awarded honorary degrees during McGill University's Spring 2024 Convocation ceremonies.

• Swaminathan began her tenure at the WHO as Deputy Director-General (Programmes) in 2017.
• She was subsequently appointed as the organization's first Chief Scientist in March 2019.
• Dr Swaminathan served in this role throughout the Covid-19 pandemic until late 2022.

About McGill University

Over two centuries old, McGill, a public research university in Montreal, grants honorary degrees to individuals "who have lifetime records of outstanding scholarly, scientific, or artistic achievement, or of exceptional contributions to the public good through professional or philanthropic activity”, an announcement by the University said.