Dr. Olivieri, MD, MA, MFA, FRCP(C), is a Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto. Since 1995, arising out of research trials she initiated in children, Dr. Olivieri has been at the center of a controversy involving research integrity, the protection of patients in trials, and the influence of the pharmaceutical industry in medical research. The conflict continues to 2024.

Dr. Olivieri became the target of powerful enemies who attempted to derail her career. Years of lawsuits from Barry Sherman (CEO of the drug company Apotex who later met a mysterious death, and years of firings and an unsuccessful attempt to revoke her medical license), Dr. Olivieri ultimately successfully settled all legal proceedings. The last settlement was concluded with Sherman in late 2014, eighteen years after he issued his first legal threats.

In parallel with her legal successes, Dr. Olivieri was also exonerated of false charges. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada ruled her advocacy for vulnerable patients “commendable”. She was publicly honoured including by The Nader Foundation, The American Trial Lawyers’ Association, Drug Safety Canada, and with several honorary degrees. The American Association for the Advancement of Science presented Dr. Olivieri with The Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, which observed that “Nancy Olivieri is honoured for her indefatigable determination that patient safety and research integrity come before institutional and commercial interests and for her courage in defending these principles in the face of severe consequences.” Dr. Olivieri was the recipient of The John Maddox Prize in 2023 awarded to those who courageously “stand up for science and evidence, advancing public discussion around difficult topics despite challenges or hostility.”

Dr. Olivieri continues research in thalassemia patients in Asia, conducted through Hemoglobal®, a charity she founded with her colleague Sir David Weatherall, to improve care for vulnerable children affected with blood diseases. In 2003, Dr. Olivieri obtained a Masters in Medical Ethics and Law from Kings’ College, London, UK, with a thesis examining ethical resistance in medical research and created a course Health and Pharmaceuticals at the University of Toronto, to help students understand the influences of the pharmaceutical industry in research and medicine. Dr. Olivieri completed a Masters of Fine Art from the University of King’s College in 2021, and is completing a book which relates the real story of these thirty years. A mini-series about this long conflict is now in pre-production.