09:15-10:30 – Morning Keynote: Preparing For the Next Health Crisis, Learnings from the Walport Report and Beyond

Session Info

In this presentation and subsequent panel, we look back at the pandemic at its five-year anniversary, and consider critical learnings as we prepare for future health crises. The Federal Government commissioned Sir Mark Walport, the former UK Chief Scientist and CEO of UK Research and Innovation to review Canada's approach to science advisory and research coordination during the pandemic. We consider specific core recommendations from the Walport Report: standing science advisory capacity, health data availability and modelling capacity, robust research networks that can be harnessed during times of crisis, and a systematic approach to quantifying risk (also called a "risk register”) to support policymakers in proactive investment and preparedness. Panel members will include lead policy makers during the pandemic at the federal (Lucas), provincial (Angus), and municipal level (de Villa), along with a health system leader (Brown) who provided critical guidance and leadership to multiple advisory structures during the pandemic. The title of the Walport Report was “The Time to Act is Now” and we consider how well Canada is prepared for a future health crisis, ranging from a breakthrough mutation in avian influenza, to forest fires and climate change related catastrophe.

Recording of the morning keynote session at the 2025 IfP Interdisciplinary Symposium

Keynote Speaker

Stephen Lucas, CEO, Mitacs

Dr. Stephen Lucas was appointed as the CEO of Mitacs, a not-for-profit organization that connects Canadian businesses and researchers with talent to support research and innovation, in October 2024.

Dr. Stephen Lucas is an accomplished public servant with extensive public policy leadership experience in health, research and innovation, environment and climate change and energy well as federal-provincial-territorial relations. He retired in May 2024 after more than 35 years with the Public Service of Canada, including 10 years in the Deputy Minister community.

He served as Deputy Minister of Health Canada from 2019-2024, where he led the government’s comprehensive health response to the COVID-19 pandemic including the largest vaccination campaign in Canada’s history, with the Public Health Agency of Canada, provincial, territorial, Indigenous, community and industry partners. Dr. Lucas was previously Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Deputy Secretary of Plans, Consultations and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Privy Council Office. Prior to that, he was Assistant Secretary for Economic and Regional Development Policy at PCO and Assistant Deputy Minister for Science and Policy and for Minerals and Metals at Natural Resources Canada.  Dr. Lucas started his career as a research scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada.

Dr. Lucas has a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Geological Engineering from Queen's University and a Ph.D. from Brown University in structural geology and tectonics. He is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Queen’s University 125th Award for Engineering Excellence and Gold Medal in Geological Engineering.

Panel Discussion

Moderator: Dr. Fahad Razak, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Data-Informed Health Care Improvement, St. Michael’s Hospital

Panellists: