Founder and President

Teresa Norris is a dynamic leader in sexual health education, widely recognized for her extensive expertise in Human Papillomavirus (HPV). As the Founder and President of HPV Global Action, an international Canadian charity, she has dedicated over two decades to advancing public health through innovative, evidence-based communication strategies.

Teresa’s dedication to this work is deeply personal, driven by the loss of a close friend to cervical cancer at a young age. This experience fuels her commitment to promoting healthy relationships and prevention. Since 2006, the Healthy Relationships_101 presentations have reached over 100,000 students across all province and territory in Canada, equipping youth with the knowledge to make informed choices about their health and well-being. Known for her engaging and relatable approach, Teresa excels at making complex health topics accessible and impactful for audiences of all ages. Educators, staff, and students across the country consistently
endorse these public health education efforts, with comments available here.

Beyond education, Teresa is a leading researcher and advocate in global health. She serves as the Lead Principal Investigator on the Integration project (Introducing Novel Tools to Enhance Gynecological Research and Treatment), The PAVE Consortium, an international initiative in collaboration with the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), aimed at reducing women’s vulnerability to diseases such as cervical cancer and Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) in Eswatini.

Under Teresa’s guidance, HPV Global Action has spearheaded projects that have driven policy changes and expanded access to HPV vaccination and cervical screening across Canada. Additionally, as a lecturer at the University of Quebec in Montreal, Teresa teaches sexual health education and communication techniques, further extending her impact on future generations of health professionals. Her contributions to public health continue to shape the landscape of sexual and reproductive health in Canada and beyond.

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Publications

Design of the HPV-Automated Visual Evaluation (PAVE) Study: Validating a Novel Cervical Screening Strategy
Silvia de Sanjosé, Rebecca B Perkins, Nicole Campos, Federica Inturrisi, Didem Egemen, Brian Befano, Ana Cecilia Rodriguez, Jose Jerónimo, Li C Cheung, Kanan Desai, Paul Han, Akiva P Novetsky, Abigail Ukwuani, Jenna Marcus, Syed Rakin Ahmed, Nicolas Wentzensen, Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, Mark Schiffman On behalf of the PAVE Study Group

WHO calls ISSVD to action on elimination of female genital Shistosomiasis
Marc Steben, MD; Eyrun Floerecke Kjetland, Teresa Norris

Ensuring a Successful Transition From Cytology to Human Papillomavirus
Gabrielle Griffin-Mathieu; Ben Haward, Ovidiu Tatar, Patricia Zhu, Samara Perez, Gilla K Shapiro, Emily McBride, Erika L Thompson, Laurie W Smith, Aisha K Lofters, Ellen M Daley, Juliet R Guichon, Jo Waller, Marc Steben, Kathleen M Decker, Marie-Helene Mayrand, Julia M L Brotherton, Gina S Ogilvie, Gregory D Zimet, Teresa Norris, Zeev Rosberger

Deworming adolescent girls and woman of reproductive age, WHO Policy Brief
Professor Theresa Gyorkos, Professor Donald Bundy, Francisca Mutapi, Paul Emerson, Teresa Norris

COVID-19 Won’t Be the Last (Or Worst) Pandemic: It’s Time to Build Resilience Into Our Cervical Cancer Elimination Goals
Marc Steben, MD, Teresa Norris, Zeev Rosberger

La pandémie de COVID-19 ne sera pas la dernière (ni la pire) : Il est temps d’intégrer la résilience à nos objectifs d’élimination du cancer du col de l’utérus
Marc Steben, MD, Teresa Norris, Zeev Rosberger

What can NGOs do in communicating HPV prevention
Amelie McFadyen, Teresa Norris, Therese Lethu, Jennifer Smith

Canada’s Role in Accelerating Global Elimination of Cervical Cancer
Marc Steben, George Wurtak, Silvia de Sanjosé, Marina Salvadori, Francois Coutlée, Alberto Severini, Salah Mahmud, Eduardo Franco, Ann N. Burchell, Hélène M. Gagné, James Bentley, Laurie Elit, Magali Lecavalier-Barsoum, Deborah Dudgeon, Nitika Pant Pai, Angela Karellis, Catherine Popadiuk, Laurie W. Smith, Teresa Norris, Amelie McFadyen, Jennifer Blake, Roger Simard

A mixed two-dose vaccination schedule: Not enough evidence to support a policy change in Quebec
Zeev Rosberger, Marc Steben, Teresa Norris, Amelie McFadyen, Gilla K. Shapiro

Quebec’s Mixed Schedule In HPV Vaccination Program, Research Project Turned Prematurely into a Public Health Program
Marc Steben, Teresa Norris