Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table Leadership Update August 2022

Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table Leadership Update August 2022

Effective August 3, 2022, Dr. Upton Allen, will become the new Co-Chair for the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table (Science Advisory Table or the Table). Working alongside Co-Chair Dr. Brian Schwartz, Vice President of Public Health Ontario, Dr. Allen will replace Prof. Adalsteinn Brown, who will be leaving to focus on his position as Dean, Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.

“We want to express our sincere thanks to Prof. Adalsteinn Brown for his exceptional leadership as of one the inaugural co-chairs of the Science Advisory Table. Over the past two years, Prof. Brown has been at the forefront of supporting the province’s response to COVID-19 by leading the development and implementation of the Modelling Consensus Table, providing exceptional leadership and communication with experts, stakeholders and the public on behalf of the Table, and  bringing together academics and front-line practitioners with diverse expertise to provide coordinated, practical scientific advice for decision-makers in Ontario”

- Dr. Brian Schwartz, Co-Chair, Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table

Dr. Allen has been an integral member of the Science Advisory Table since its inception. During his time, he has provided expertise and leadership on important topics like COVD-19 in children. He is also a member of the Behavioural Science Working Group and has co-authored many of Table’s Science Briefs on schools, vaccine uptake in children and post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID).

“I am excited to be stepping into the role of Co-Chair with the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. For the past two years I have had the pleasure of working with some of the best scientific experts and health care leaders in the province. I look forward to continuing this important work in supporting the province’s response to COVID-19, as well as future public health emergencies.”

- Dr. Upton Allen,Co-Chair, Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table

Dr. Allen is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. He is also the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), as well as a Senior Associate Scientist in the Child Health and Evaluative Sciences program at SickKids. In 2018, he was awarded the Order of Ontario, which is the highest honor awarded by the province of Ontario.

The Future of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table

On April 4, 2022, Public Health Ontario (PHO) became the permanent home of the Science Advisory Table, which has been instrumental in supporting the province’s COVID-19 pandemic response through evidence-based, independent and transparent advice.

PHO and the Science Advisory Table are currently working together to develop a new Terms of Reference that will ensure the Table continues to provide credible and independent scientific and technical advice to the province on COVID-19 and future public health emergencies.

This new Terms of Reference will also ensure alignment with PHO’s mandate, as well as the overall vision and function of other External Advisory Committees hosted at PHO, which includes bringing together teams of multi-disciplinary experts from across Ontario that come together to provide leadership, scientific and technical advice, best practices and recommendations to the health sector on a range of public health topics to protect and improve the health of Ontarians.