09:15-10:30 – Morning Keynote: From Evidence to Action: Governmental Roles in Scientific Advisory Systems

Dr. Stephen Lucas, Chief Executive Officer, Mitacs and former Deputy Minister of Health Canada

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 125^th Award for Engineering Excellence and Gold Medal in Geological Engineering.