Dr. Van Spall completed Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degrees at the University of Toronto, and a Master of Public Health degree at Harvard University. She completed postgraduate training in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Echocardiography at the University of Toronto. She is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, with certification in Internal Medicine and Cardiology. She is appointed in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University. She is a full-time cardiologist in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University. Her clinical activities are in Heart Failure, Echocardiography, and inpatient cardiac care.

Dr. Van Spall is a Principal Investigator for the Knowledge Translation and Heart Failure programs at the Population Health Research Institute. Supported primarily by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, she leads clinical trials with a focus on health care services and health systems improvement in Heart Failure. She mentors postgraduate research fellows, graduate students, and medical residents in health services research. She has garnered more than $3 million in peer-reviewed research funding, has won several research awards, is an invited speaker at international conferences, and has published her work in high-impact medical journals, including JAMA, Lancet, Circulation, and Annals of Internal Medicine.