Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Review, assess and summarize scientific and technical evidence to respond to incidents, or questions raised by local public health units and the Ontario government. Assess new technologies, including equipment, and processes as regards the ability to protect public health from risks from physical, chemical and biological hazards. Program review. Microbial risk assessment. Collaborate with statistical, geospatial, chemical and microbiologic analysts, physicians and epidemiologists. Directed, supervised and mentored junior staff in collection and analysis of data, review of literature and reporting (see Publications).
Provide scientific advice and field support with respect to a variety of existing and emerging environmental health issues such as indoor air quality, ambient air pollution, and water quality. My multi-disciplinary team works with and supports public health units and policy makers to better respond to an increasing array of these concerns through the provision of evidence-based reviews, research, training workshops, and access to environmental monitoring equipment. We collaborate with public health partners, academic institutions and others are underway to build on past experiences and move forward to further support evidence-based decision making in public health. Some examples of inquiries we have received are related to well water, contaminants, raw milk, Wi-Fi, bed bugs, air quality, wind turbines, chlorine byproducts, physical hazards (noise, vibrations), drinking water, etc.
I manage the strategic and operational planning, development, initiation and delivery of services related to PHO’s mandate in environmental health. Manage human and financial resources of the unit. Lead the direction & overall development of the consultation service in accordance with the mandate of Public Health Ontario (PHO) to provide scientific and technical advice to protect and advance the public’s health; direct department environmental science professionals to ensure they provide the necessary scientific rigour, timeliness and relevance to ensure the quality of responses to requests on existing and emerging environmental and occupational health issues; in collaboration with the Chief, Environmental and Occupational Health, promote and lead the operational implementation of new strategies, directions, and practices in the area of toxicology and exposure assessment. Set standards for scientific rigour and relevance in all work produced by the department. Manage cross enterprise business relationships. Develop coherent and integrated business and operating plans and sets performance expectations for staff.Manage staff congruent with PHO internal policies and procedures, professional standards, collective agreement requirements and other relevant standards, legislation or regulations, including: providing direction and leadership in the implementation of new techniques and standards; assigning staff and implementing work/vacation schedules, setting clear responsibilities and objectives, evaluating performance, advising on training needs, participating on recruiting/selection of staff, dealing with disciplinary issues and responding to grievances in conjunction with PHO Human Resources management programs;Participate in surveillance, research, emergency management and response. Keep abreast of the latest research and developments;Work closely with the Management on departmental‐wide initiatives, including senior leadership team meetings.
Provide scientific, technical, surveillance and epidemiological advice and interpretation, options and information to the Steering Committee on the development, implementation and evaluation of a provincial COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program including prioritization of locations, and merging of clinical and environmental data streams for real-time surveillance to detect quantitative trends within outbreaks, presence, absence, emerging outbreaks, and possible vaccine effectiveness, and the emergence of variants.
Approvals and Licensing; Technology Assessment; Membrane Expert; Regulatory Review; Risk Assessment; Microbial Risk Assessment; Drinking Water Process Review; Ground water science review; policy advisor; standards and program review; field support.
Proposal and grant writing. Lead formal assessment of drinking water engineered system safety and reliability and compliance with regulatory guidelines. Conduct human health risk assessment from pathogen and chemical contaminated water. Assess source water characterization, treatment efficacy exposure and dose-response. Use statistical methods for controlling confounding in epidemiology, spatial and temporal information, fate and transport, to study patterns and associations between environmental conditions and health outcomes; exposure assessment; urban development and environmental health. Designed Gulf War Veterans Mortality Study and completed Institutional Review at BU. Designed Office, and Home Environment Exposure Assessment Study for Brominated Flame Retardants. Membrane Integrity Testing Sensitivity Analysis of Defect Size Resolution.
Design Water treatment process; provide review and training. Sales support. Support introduction of new products. Provide Technical review. Product and process optimization. Contract review (technical, legal, financial including present worth analysis of Municipal Water Treatment Facilities). Manage Membrane Process permitting activities with Government (State and Federal) agencies. Process and customer support during commissioning.
Manage Standardization: direct and guide commercial teams; identify value propositions and targeted markets; set price, margin, and priorities for product engineering; develop supplier agreements and alliance relationships; terms and conditions, pricing and warranties; develop strategy; marketing; participate in technology development; present quarterly results and product plans. Work with internal market leaders and commercial teams to determine viability of opportunities in drinking water, seawater and brackish water desalination, secondary wastewater treatment, membrane bioreactors, boiler make-up, food and beverage water and water reuse. Provide technology and market expertise to engineering and funding of standard platform development, custom and large scale designs, for capital equipment sales, build own operate and other sales agreements.