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If you have questions about previously published Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table resources, please email communications@oahpp.ca.
A Collective Lens.
Informing Ontario’s response to COVID-19
About the Science Table
The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table is a group of scientific experts and health system leaders who evaluate and report on emerging evidence relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform Ontario’s response.
The Science Advisory Table’s mandate is to provide summaries of relevant scientific evidence to public health and health care professionals, as well as the general public, by integrating information from existing scientific tables, Ontario’s universities and agencies, and the best global evidence.
The Science Advisory Table is hosted by Public Health Ontario (PHO). Aligned with PHO’s mandate, the Science Advisory Table provides credible and independent scientific and technical advice to inform government and the broader public as Ontario transitions to recovery and to help prepare for and respond to future public health emergencies.
Science Table Members
Leadership
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Upton Allen
MBBS, FRCPC
Co-Chair Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
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Brian Schwartz
MD, MScCH
Co-Chair Vice-President, Public Health Ontario Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
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Fahad Razak
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Scientific Director Internist and Assistant Professor, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto; Assistant Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto; Research Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute; Provincial Lead, Quality Improvement in General Medicine, Ontario Health
Members
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David Earn
CASM, MSc, PhD
Professor of Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McMaster University
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Gerald Evans
MD, FRCPC
Professor of Medicine, Biomedical & Molecular Sciences and Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University Medical Director, Infection Prevention & Control, Kingston Health Sciences Centre
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Jennifer Gibson
PhD
Director, Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto Sun Life Financial Chair in Bioethics Associate Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
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Michael Hillmer
PhD
Assistant Deputy Minister, Capacity Planning and Analytics Division, Ministries of Health and Long-Term Care Assistant Professor, Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto
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Jessica Hopkins
MD, MHSc, CCFP, FRCPC, FCFP
Deputy Chief, Health Protection, Public Health Ontario Assistant Professor (part-time), Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University Adjunct Lecturer, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
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Peter Jüni
MD, FESC
Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto Director, Applied Health Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital
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Fiona Kouyoumdjian
MD, MPH, PhD, CCFP, FRCPC
Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario Ministry of Health; Adjunct Scientist, ICES Central Populations & Public Health Research Program
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Audrey Laporte
BA, MA, PhD
Professor and Director, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto Director, Canadian Centre for Health Economics
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Linda Mah
MD, MHSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Associate Member, Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Senior Scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences Staff Psychiatrist, Baycrest Health Sciences
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Doug Manuel
MD, FRCPC, MSc
Distinguished University Professor, Department of Family Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa Senior Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
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Allison McGeer
MSc, MD, FRCPC
Microbiologist and Infectious Disease Consultant, Mount Sinai Hospital Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
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Andrew Morris
MD SM (Epi)
Professor, Infectious Diseases, University of Toronto; Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Sinai Health and University Health Network
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Samira Mubareka
MD
Clinician-Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology
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Michelle Murti
BASc, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC
Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health; Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
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Christopher Mushquash
PhD, CPsych
Professor, Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine; Psychologist, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care; Director, Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, Lakehead University, Interim Executive Vice President Research, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre; Chief Scientist, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute
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Menaka Pai
MSc MD FRCPC
Associate Professor of Medicine, McMaster University; Head of Service, Benign Hematology, Hamilton Health Sciences; Transfusion Medicine Quality Lead, Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program
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Samir Patel
PhD, FCCM, (D) ABMM
Deputy Chief, Microbiology, Public Health Ontario Clinical Microbiologist, Public Health Ontario Associate Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto
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Justin Presseau
PhD
Associate Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
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Paula Rochon
MD, MPH, FRCPC
Senior Scientist and Geriatrician Women’s College Hospital; Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; RTOERO Chair in Geriatric Medicine, University of Toronto.
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Beate Sander
RN, MBA, MEcDec, PhD
Canada Research Chair in Economics of Infectious Diseases Scientist and Director, Population Health Economics Research, University Health Network Director, Health Modeling and Health Economics, Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment collaborative Associate Professor and Faculty Co-Lead Health Technology Assessment program, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto Adjunct Scientist, Public Health Ontario Adjunct Scientist, ICES
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Michael Schull
MD, MSc, FRCPC
CEO and Senior Core Scientist, ICES Professor and Clinician-Scientist, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto Senior Scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto Staff emergency physician, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
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Arjumand Siddiqi
ScD
Associate Professor and Division Head of Epidemiology, University of Toronto Canada Research Chair in Population Health Equity
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Chris Simpson
MD, FRCPC, FACC, FHRS, FCCS, FCAHS
Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Queen’s University
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Arthur Slutsky
CM, FRSC, MD
Scientist, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto Professor of Medicine, Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto
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Janet Smylie
MD MPH
Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Research Scientist and Staff Physician, St. Michael’s Hospital
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Tania Watts
PhD
Professor and Associate Chair, Post-doctoral program Department of Immunology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine University of Toronto
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Scott Weese
DVM, DVSc, DACVIM
Professor, Ontario Veterinary College and Director, Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, University of Guelph
Secretariat
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Karen Born
MSc, PhD
Assistant Scientific Director Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Knowledge Translation Lead, Choosing Wisely Canada
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Nicolas Bodmer
MMed
Managing Senior Research Associate Resident Physician, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen Doctoral student, University of Zurich
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Sarah Baert
DVM, MSc
Senior Research Associate Resident, American College of Animal Welfare
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Ayodele Odutayo
MD, DPhil
Senior Research Associate Resident Physician, University of Toronto
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Alyssa Parpia
PhD, MPH
Senior Research Associate Applied Public Health Science Specialist in Communicable Diseases, Public Health Ontario; Affiliate, Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis, Yale School of Public Health
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Pavlos Bobos
MSc, PhD
Research Associate Applied Health Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital
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Yoojin Choi
PhD, MD Student
Research Associate MD Student, The University of British Columbia (UBC)
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Roisin McElroy
MD, MPH, CCFP(EM)
Research Associate Emergency Medicine Physician, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto Lecturer, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
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Ashini Weerasinghe
MPH
Research Associate Epidemiologist, Public Health Ontario
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Diana Yan
HBSc Student
Research Associate HBSc Data Science & Pharmacology Student, University of Toronto
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Anna Perkhun
OCD
Research Assistant
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Victoria Chechulina
Administrative Assistant
Observers
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Patrick Feng
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Ali Merali
About the Working Groups
The Science Table has set up Working Groups to bring together a smaller, more focused group of experts to address topics in a particular COVID-19-related field. Working Group members were selected by drawing upon existing Science Table members, who are joined by additional subject-matter experts.
The Working Groups regularly report their findings to the Science Table, which are then published as Science Briefs to our website.
Behavioural Science Working Group
The Behavioural Science Working Group is a group of behavioural science experts and public health leaders who summarise behavioural science evidence in the context of COVID-19 and identify actionable guidance for Ontario’s pandemic response.
Behavioural science experts were selected based on their specific expertise in behaviour change, spanning behavioural medicine, health, clinical and social psychology, behavioural economics, and implementation science. Public Health leaders joining the group were invited based on their expertise in promoting health-protective behaviours and vaccination.
Leadership
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Justin Presseau
PhD
Chair Associate Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Members
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Upton Allen
MBBS, FRCPC
Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
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Judy Buchan
RN, BScN, MN, PMP
Director of Public Health Emergencies, Region of Peel
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Rachel Burns
PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Carleton University
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Kim Corace
PhD, CPsych
Vice President, Innovation & Transformation, The Royal Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa Clinical Investigator, Institute of Mental Health Research Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton University President, Canadian Psychological Association
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Vinita Dubey
MD, MPH, FRCPC
Associate Medical Officer of Health, The Vaccine Preventable Disease Program, Toronto Public Health; Adjunct Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
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Gerald Evans
MD, FRCPC
Professor of Medicine, Biomedical & Molecular Sciences and Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University; Medical Director, Infection Prevention & Control, Kingston Health Sciences Centre
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Leandre Fabrigar
PhD, CPsych
Professor of Psychology, Queen’s University
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Jeremy Grimshaw
MBChB, PhD
Senior Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Professorof Medicine, University of Ottawa
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Julian House
PhD
Behavioural Scientist, Ontario Public Service Research Fellow, Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman, University of Toronto
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Doug Manuel
MD, FRCPC, MSc
Distinguished University Professor, Department of Family Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa Senior Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
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Rhiannon Mosher
PhD
Senior Policy Advisor, Ontario Public Service
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Michelle Murti
BASc, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC
Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health; Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
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Brian Schwartz
MD, MScCH
Vice-President, Public Health Ontario; Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
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Gilla Shapiro
MA(Cantab), MPP/MPA, PhD, CPsych
Psychologist, Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network; Psychologist, Evidence-Based Therapy, Training and Testing (EBT3); Research Consultant, World Health Organization; Postdoctoral Fellow, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
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Sarah Wall
MA
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada and Privy Council Office, Government of Canada; Doctoral Candidate, Social Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University
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Emre Yurga
M.Arch, M.P.P, PhD
Manager of the Economic Analysis and Evaluation Unit, Ontario Ministries of Health and Long-Term Care
Secretariat
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Gail McMillan
PhD
Research Associate Methodologist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
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Ashini Weerasinghe
MPH
Research Associate Epidemiologist, Public Health Ontario
Observers
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Ali Merali
Congregate Care Setting Working Group
The Congregate Care Setting Working Group is a group of scientific experts and public health leaders who summarise emerging evidence related to the congregate settings of vulnerable older adults, such as long-term care and retirement homes, to inform Ontario’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Working Group members are internationally recognized researchers with expertise in older people living in congregate care settings, who come from diverse backgrounds and geographic areas of Ontario.
Leadership
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Paula Rochon
MD, MPH, FRCPC
Chair Senior Scientist and Geriatrician Women’s College Hospital; Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; RTOERO Chair in Geriatric Medicine, University of Toronto.
Members
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Pat Armstrong
MA, PhD, FRSC
Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology, York University
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Kevin Antoine Brown
MS, PhD
Scientist, Infection Prevention and Control, Public Health Ontario Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto Adjunct Scientist, ICES
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Andrew Costa
PhD
Associate Professor & Schlegel Chair in Clinical Epidemiology & Aging; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact; Department of Medicine, McMaster University. Research Director, Centre for Integrated Care, St. Joseph’s Health System Adjunct Scientist, ICES
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Sudeep Gill
MD MSc FRCPC
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Queen’s University Senior Adjunct Scientist, ICES
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Michael Hillmer
PhD
Assistant Deputy Minister, Capacity Planning and Analytics Division, Ministries of Health and Long-Term Care Assistant Professor, Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto
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Jennie Johnstone
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto
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Kamil Malikov
MD, MSc, MBA, CPA, CMA
Senior Manager, Health Analytics Branch, Health System Information Management and Investment, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Toronto; Ontario Ministry of Health
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Rachel Savage
PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Women’s College Hospital
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Peter Tanuseputro
MHSc, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa
Drugs & Biologics Clinical Practice Guidelines Working Group
The Drugs & Biologics Clinical Practice Guidelines Working Group is a group of scientists with recognized clinical or scientific expertise in drugs and biologics. The Working Group will evaluate existing scientific data, disease epidemiology, drug availability, and implementation issues in order to develop Clinical Practice Guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 using medication and biologics.
The members are selected based on their recognized clinical and/or scientific expertise in drugs and biologics. Specifically, membership includes representation from academic and community medicine, critical care medicine, family medicine, general internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, nursing, and pharmacy. The Working Group also includes a methodologist, epidemiologist, and knowledge translation and implementation science expert.
Leadership
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Andrew Morris
MD, SM
Co-Chair Professor, Infectious Diseases, University of Toronto; Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Sinai Health and University Health Network
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Menaka Pai
MSc MD FRCPC
Co-Chair Associate Professor of Medicine, McMaster University; Head of Service, Benign Hematology, Hamilton Health Sciences; Transfusion Medicine Quality Lead, Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program
Members
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Zainab Abdurrahman
BSc, MMath, FRCPC
Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) of Pediatrics, McMaster University
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Nisha Andany
MD, MPH, FRCPC
Physician, Division of Infectious Diseases, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
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Martin Betts
MD, FRCPC
Chief, Department of Critical Care; Medical Director, Critical Care Program – Scarborough Health Network; Lecturer, Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto
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Stephanie Carlin
PharmD, ACPR2
Clinical Pharmacist, Hamilton Health Sciences
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William Ciccotelli
MD
Medical Director Infection Prevention and Control Infectious Diseases & Medical Microbiology, Grand River and St. Mary’s General Hospitals; Part time assistant professor – Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, McMaster University
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Wayne Gold
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Christopher Graham
MD, FRCPC
Lecturer, University of Toronto; Investigator, Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners
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Andrew Healey
MD, FRCPC
Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, McMaster University
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Kimia Honarmand
MSc, MD, FRCPC
Adjunct Scientist, Division of Critical Care Department of Medicine, Western University
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Lianne Jeffs
RN, PhD, FAAN, FCAN
Associate Professor, Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation; Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
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Peter Jüni
MD, FESC
Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto Director, Applied Health Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital
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Bradley Langford
BScPhm, PharmD, BCIDP
Pharmacist Consultant, Public Health Ontario Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist Lead, Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre
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Elizabeth Leung
PharmD, MSCI, BCPS AQ-ID
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship), St. Michael’s Hospital/Unity Health Toronto. Practice-Based Researcher (Status), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute
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Kate Miller
MD, CCFP, FCFP
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University
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Ullanda Niel
MD, CCFP, FCFP
Family Physician, Scarborough Center for Healthy Communities
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Caroline Nott
MBBS, MSc, FRCPC
Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, The Ottawa Hospital; Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa; Clinician Investigator, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
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Sumit Raybardhan
BSc Phm, ACPR, MPH, BCIDP
Board Certified Infectious Diseases Pharmacist, North York General Hospital
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Noel Rosen
B.Sc., MD, CCFP, FCFP
Patient Representative Community Family Physician, DFCM, NYGH
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Liliana Volnikova
RPN
Patient Representative Director Of Health and Wellness, Bradgate Arms Retirement Residence, REVERA
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Anu Wadhwa
MD, MEd, FRCPC
Associate Professor, University of Toronto; Staff Physician, Hospital for Sick Children
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Peter E. Wu
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Staff Physician, Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University Health Network/Sinai Health System; Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Observers
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Helen Groves
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Adam Komorowski
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Carsten Krueger
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Xena Li
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Carson Lo
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Melody Ren
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Alice Zhabokritsky
Mental Health Working Group
The Mental Health Working Group is a group of mental health experts and public health leaders who summarize scientific evidence on mental health in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Working Group focuses on the topics of maintaining mental health during COVID-19, the mental health burden of disease and public health interventions on individuals across the lifespan, including children and adolescents, and the older adult population, as well as the need for assessment and recommendations regarding the mental health of communities and populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including Black, Indigenous, and other racialized populations.
The Working Group members were selected based on specific expertise in mental health of children and youth, adults and geriatric populations, mental health of health care providers, women’s health, mental health among LGBTQ persons, mental health among Black, Indigenous, and other racialized populations, and COVID-19.
Leadership
-
Linda Mah
MD, MHSc, FRCPC
Co-Chair Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Associate Member, Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Senior Scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences Staff Psychiatrist, Baycrest Health Sciences
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Christopher Mushquash
PhD, CPsych
Co-Chair Professor, Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine; Psychologist, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care; Director, Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, Lakehead University, Interim Executive Vice President Research, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre; Chief Scientist, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute
Members
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Peter Braunberger
PhD, MD, FRCPC
Assistant Professor, Northern Ontario School of Medicine
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Chiachen Cheng
MD, FRCP(C), MPH
Assistant Professor Northern Ontario School of Medicine; Medical Director Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, St Joseph’s Care Group Thunder Bay and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
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Melanie Kohn
MBA, PhD
Assistant Deputy Minister, Mental Health and Addictions and Adjunct Lecturerr, University of Toronto
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Paul Kurdyak
MD, PhD(c)
Clinical Lead, Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence, Ontario Health Clinician Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH); Core Senior Scientist, ICES; Chair, Addiction and Mental Health Policy, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
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Robert Maunder
MD
Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Deputy Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Sinai Health
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Kwame McKenzie
MD
CEO Wellesley Institute; Professor Psychiatry U of T; Director of Health Equity CAMH
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Braden O’Neill
MD, DPhil, CCFP
Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Clinician-Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto
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Kathryn H. Short
PhD
Executive Director, School Mental Health Ontario
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Gillian Strudwick
RN, PhD, FAMIA
Chief Nursing Executive (Interim) and Scientist; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Assistant Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
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Nancy Young
BScPT, MSc, PhD
Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute; Scientist, SickKids Resarch Institute; Senior Scientist, ICES; Professor Emeritus, Laurentian University
Secretariat
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Cinthia Tao
MSc, PhD(c)
Research Associate PhD Candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
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Elaine Toombs
PhD
Research Associate Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
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Lynn Zhu
PhD, MSc
Research Associate Evaluation Researcher and Epidemiologist, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
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Kathy Torkos
Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant, Environmental and Occupational Health, Public Health Ontario