Fi Munro Ph.D.

“It is my firm belief that the majority of the perceived problems and worries that are going on in our heads day in and day out could be changed by embracing the simple motto of choosing to live like you are dying. After all, would you stay in the job you hate or the relationship that makes you miserable if you thought your life would end in the next year? Hell no! You’d be out doing things that make you happy and you certainly wouldn’t be worrying about what dress size you were either!” Fi Munro, Ph.D. author of ‘How Long Have I Got?’

Fi Munro PhD (1985) was born in Glasgow, Scotland before moving to the Channel Island Guernsey with her parents and two older sisters in Autumn 1986.

At the age of 12 she returned to Scotland with her family and has lived in the Scottish Highlands ever since. Today she lives in Tayside with her husband, Ewan and their two cats and dog.

Her academic career saw her complete a PhD in children's outdoor play and learning by the time she was 25 years old (2011). In 2010, off the back of her PhD Thesis, she was awarded a Winston Churchill medallion for her international research in children's education in India, Australia and Scotland.

Following completion of her PhD she worked for a number of Scottish Health Boards including NHS Aberdeen and NHS Tayside working in fields of research including the spread of pathogens, diabetes care and management and hospital admission pathways. During this time she also sat as a Board Director for Play Scotland and began working as a Project Manager for Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS).

At the age of 30 she secured the prestigious role of User Research Lead for Social Security in the Scottish Government. Her areas of expertise are patient centred care and coordinating health pathways. To this date she remains driven by the importance of patients having an active and informed say in their health care, as well as the integration of traditional and complementary therapies for promoting holistic health.

In 2016 Dr Munro was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. She states this was 'a massive wake up call to the immense stress' she had placed on her mind and body in the societal driven pursuit of success. Since her 'wake up call' Fi Munro has focused her life to understanding what promotes and eases dis-ease in the human body, driven by a need to maintain her own holistic health and medical condition.

Her focus has always been on 'healing', rather than 'curing' and she has a deep desire to learn as much as she can from her cancer with the intention of living a more fulfilling, peaceful and happy life. She is no longer driven by the pursuit of the ever illusive societal perception of success. Instead, she now believes that happiness is the ultimate goal and is often quoted as stating 'if you aren't happy then you aren't successful, no matter how much money you earn.'

Fi is a multi award winning researcher, author, blogger, speaker and mentor recognised internationally for her presentations and articles on her journey and the importance of holistic health.

She has been featured in two BBC documentaries, in TV and radio shows, and in newspaper and magazine articles. Today she is healthier and happier than ever before and believes cancer saved her life.

She is currently training to be a shaman and is excited for what the future holds.