Dr. Julie Ann Francis, MD, FRCSC, is a gynecologic oncologist and Co-Founder and Clinical Lead at Basia Medical.
By Basia Medical · Updated
Clinical leadership
Dr. Francis is Division Head of Gynecologic Oncology at Lakeridge Health and cervical cancer screening lead for Ontario Health’s Central East region. She also chairs the Gynecologic Oncology Group of Ontario.
She brings more than 15 years of experience in cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, with deep expertise in cervical precancer diagnosis.
Her work at Basia Medical
As Clinical Lead, Dr. Francis directs Basia’s clinical workflow and study execution. She works with the company’s research and engineering teams on technologies intended to address barriers across cervical screening and follow-up.
Safi brings a speculum-free device, AI guidance, and a proprietary sampling brush into one cervical screening platform. Wema is a digital platform being developed to support follow-up after abnormal screening results. Both products are in development and not yet available.
Explore Basia’s clinical research and our overview of cervical cancer screening and new technologies in Canada.
In the news
On October 31, 2026, Dr. Francis was featured in a national CTV News report about rising cervical cancer rates among Canadian women aged 35–54. The discussion examined advances in screening alongside continuing barriers to participation and follow-up.
Read the CTV News feature and watch the report.
Read her Basia Medical co-founder announcement or view her LinkedIn profile.