Dr. Marla Shapiro
Medical Contributor to Canada AM and CTV News
Toronto, Ontario
What Marla is Passionate About
Living Well: Staying Healthy, Staying Confident
To Dr. Marla Shapiro—known north of the border as “Canada’s Doctor”—living well means keeping a healthy lifestyle in all aspects of our lives: at work, at home, and at play. In her keynote speeches and seminars, she provides invaluable advice on a diverse range of mental and physical health topics, consolidating her vast experience at the forefront of medicine into her four pillars of health. She’s able to speak confidently and compassionately on today’s most important issues—nutrition, menopause, osteoporosis, healthy aging, stress, obesity management, anxiety, depression, and how we communicate with our doctors. And she’s adept at tailoring her talks to a variety of audiences and interests. Ever the informative guide, Dr. Shapiro inspires people of all ages (and all capacities) to regain confidence, rediscover creativity, and stay motivated.
Survivorship: Life in the Balance
Canadians know Dr. Marla Shapiro best as a respected medical consultant for CTV News, the host of Balance: Television for Living Well and as a health columnist for The Globe and Mail. Admired for her intelligence and accomplishments, “Dr. Marla,” or “Canada’s Doctor,” seemed to have it all. But in 2004, she learned she had an invasive form of breast cancer. Like the more than 20,000 Canadian women diagnosed each year with the disease, her world changed forever. But unlike most women, her status as a physician meant she had an insider’s knowledge of the disease—and its treatments. In her talks, Dr. Shapiro gives an intimate, inspiring, and often surprising account of her battle with breast cancer (captured in her book, Life in the Balance), from the shock of diagnosis to multiple surgeries, chemotherapy to double mastectomy, followed by reconstructive surgery and recovery. She candidly recounts her struggle going from the woman who routinely delivered all the right answers to her patients and family, to the woman who discovered there were no right answers when it came to her own life-altering decisions. Her talks are infused with emotion, humour, and her unwavering passion to teach. Hers is a message for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer or knows someone who has, but has special significance for women living with this harrowing disease.
Why You Need Marla
Dr. Marla Shapiro is a Certificant of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and a Specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. She is a Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and has her own family practice.
Since 2000, Dr. Shapiro has been the Health and Medical Expert for CTV NEWS. Viewers know her for her appearances on CANADA AM. Dr. Shapiro continues to be seen regularly on CTV News Channel and as the medical consultant on CTV National News. In addition she is a contributor to CTV’s W5
Dr. Shapiro is the recipient of the 2005 Media Award from the North American Menopause Society for her work in expanding the understanding of menopause, and won the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health Award for Excellence in Women’s Health Journalism in 2006 for her documentary Run Your Own Race.
Dr. Shapiro has written a regular column for the Globe and Mail. She currently writes her weekly blog on the CTVNews.ca website. Dr. Shapiro is the Founding Editor of Parents Canada Magazine.
In 2015, Dr. Shapiro was named a member of the Order of Canada, for contributions as a family physician and trusted source of health information.
Why You Will Love Marla
“An unsentimental insight into survival and resilience. Marla Shapiro generously shares some pretty tough life lessons from her defiant and single-minded battle with breast cancer. She permits us to see the driven, overachieving physician become a driven, overachieving patient. But she does it with humour, grace and gratitude—and newfound ‘balance.’ Thank you Marla.”
“An inspiring story from a brave and spirited woman. Dr. Marla reminds us that life is tenuous and precious and needs to be treasured.”
Chief Anchor and Senior Editor
CTV News
“…the feedback was extremely positive. Participants responded that they found the session to be valuable (93%), they learned something new (95%) and the information was communicated effectively (95%). Your presentation was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.”
Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan
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