Woodin graduated from the
University of Toronto in 1995 with a
Bachelor of Science in biology and a
Master of Science in zoology in 1997. In 2001, she completed her
Ph.D. in
neuroscience from the
University of Calgary, then completed her postdoctoral studies at the
University of California, Berkeley. Woodin joined the University of Toronto as assistant professor in the Department of Zoology in 2004. She established the Woodin Lab which she continues to lead. She has served as the Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies (Cell & Systems Biology 2014–15), Director of the Human Biology Program (2015–17), Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies and Academic Planning (2018), and the Vice-Dean, Interdivisional Partnerships in the Faculty of Arts and Science (2019). She serves on the board of directors at the
Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence. She is a member of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy leadership and was the President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience, an association dedicated to advancing brain research. She was elected the 17th
president of the University of Toronto in 2025 and has held the role since July 1, 2025. == Awards and honours ==