Dr. Gibson earned her PhD in biochemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977, following ground-breaking studies in neuroscience and extracurricular activities crowned by the coveted Karl Taylor Compton Prize. Her biomedical research encompassed major achievements in neurochemistry of the normal and diseased brain, extensive studies of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders, and pioneering experimental studies on the relationship between nutrition, brain chemistry, and behavior. Gibson completed an MA degree in journalism at the University of Western Ontario (1993) and also a certification in health information management (2008) that led to a parallel career in health communications and health information.

Gibson is recognized not only as a neuroscientist but also as one of the pioneers of Canadian e-learning, e-health, and health informatics education and as an editor and co-author of the first Canadian textbook on health information management. Gibson served as the vice chair, chair, and past-chair of the board of directors of the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) from 2010 to 2014 and, serving as a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the Information and Communications Technology Council, co-authored critical reports on Canadian e-health and the current and future role of healthcare information technology and health informatics/health information management human resources in Canada.

A distinguished faculty member in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Gibson served as a senator at Western and also held a number of senior administrative appointments as the Assistant Dean, Basic Medical Sciences Undergraduate Education (2013–2018) and the Vice Dean (Acting), Basic Medical Sciences (2018–2020) at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Gibson has been the recipient of numerous provincial and national research grants and also of several awards recognizing her outstanding achievement as a university educator in the undergraduate and graduate medical sciences, medicine, and nursing degree programs. In 2013 she was the recipient of the AFMC-Infoway eHealth Award recognizing her dedication to improving clinical practice and medical education through digital tools and health solutions and subsequently acted as the senior peer leader for the AFMC-Infoway Physician in Training: e-Health Curriculum and e-Learning Project. In May 2016 Dr. Gibson received CHIMA’s Tribute to Excellence, awarded to an individual whose professional practice exemplifies excellence in health information management. She is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications in experimental neuroscience, health informatics, and health information management.