Social Determinants of Health: Key People

Speaker Biographies

Keynote Speaker

Sir Michael Marmot
Director, Institute of Health Equity and MRC Research Professor in Epidemiology, University College London

Sir Michael Marmot has led a research group on health inequalities for the past 30 years. He has been invited by the Regional Director of WHO Euro to conduct a European review of health inequalities. At the request of the British Government, he previously conducted a review of health inequalities, which published its report 'Fair Society, Healthy Lives' in February 2010. He was Chair of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health set up by the World Health Organization in 2005. He is Principal Investigator of the Whitehall Studies of British civil servants, investigating explanations for the striking inverse social gradient in morbidity and mortality. He leads the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and is engaged in several international research efforts on the social determinants of health. He chaired the Department of Health Scientific Reference Group on tackling health inequalities.

Speakers

Dr. Judith Bossé
Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Health Agency of Canada

Dr. Bossé was trained at the University of Montreal, followed by a Master of Science degree in clinical science from the University of Sherbrooke. She joined the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in 2000, filling senior management roles in which she implemented national programs on prevention and surveillance, and promoted research and development on many national public health issues. In 2008, she assumed an advisory role to the president of the Université de Québec en Outaouais on health and life science academic programs. In May 2009, she joined the Public Health Agency of Canada as Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Branch.

Ms. Yvonne Chiu
Executive Director, Edmonton Multicultural Health Brokers

Yvonne is a founding member of the Multicultural Health Brokers Co-op in Edmonton, a workers' co-operative established to address health and social issues experienced by immigrant and refugee families. Yvonne has spent the past decade exploring participatory processes to engage immigrants and refugees in making visible their struggles and aspirations for the purpose of community action and social change. Areas of concern include immigrant/refugee health, early parenting, early childhood development, youth issues, and community relations with mainstream institutions. Yvonne previously worked as a Settlement Counselor in Edmonton's Chinatown, a Social Development Officer at the Alberta Multiculturalism Commission, and a Health Promotion Practitioner with the former Edmonton Board of Health.

Dr. André Corriveau
Chief Public Health Officer, Alberta Health

Dr. André Corriveau was appointed Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) for Alberta in March 2009. The CMOH monitors the health of Albertans and makes recommendations to the Minister of Health and Alberta Health Services on measures to protect and promote the health of the public and prevent disease and injury. Since April 1, 2010, Dr. Corriveau has also been the Provincial/Territorial Co-Chair of the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network. He is currently a member of the Advisory Council of the Canadian Institute for Health Information's Population Health Initiative, as well as the Advisory Council of the National Collaborating Centres for Public Health. Prior to his appointment as CMOH for Alberta, Dr. Corriveau served as CMOH for the Northwest Territories.

Honourable David Hancock
Minister of Human Services

Dave Hancock is in his fifth term as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Edmonton-Whitemud. On May 8, 2012, he was appointed Minister of Human Services and Government House Leader. In addition, Dave currently serves as a member of the Operations Committee and the Cabinet Policy Committee on Public Health & Safety. Prior to his current appointment, Dave served as Minister of Education, vice-chair of the Cabinet Policy Committee on Community Services, and a member of the Agenda and Priorities Committee and the Treasury Board. Dave is a lawyer by profession and was a partner with Matheson and Company, Barristers and Solicitors, before entering public service. He received an arts degree in political science and economics, and a law degree, from the University of Alberta.

Dr. Malcolm King
Professor, Department of Medicine (Pulmonary Research Group); Adjunct Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta; Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health

Dr. Malcolm King, a member of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, is a health researcher at the University of Alberta. In his career in pulmonary research, he has developed new approaches to treat mucus clearance dysfunction in chronic lung disease, and is now working on addressing issues in airborne disease transmission. Since January 2009, he has led the CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health as its Scientific Director. In this role, he leads the development of a health research agenda aimed at improving wellness and achieving health equity for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

Mr. Chris Mazurkewich
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Chris Mazurkewich is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for Alberta Health Services. Mr. Mazurkewich has served as Chief Financial Officer with Alberta Health Services, since amalgamation. Prior to joining Alberta Health Services, Mr. Mazurkewich has served as Chief Operating Officer, Strategic and Corporate Services of the Interior Health Authority in British Columbia since 1992. Mr. Mazurkewich also served as Director of Financial Services, Manager of Accounting and Manager of Budgeting for the Foothills Provincial General Hospital in Calgary. Mr. Mazurkewich holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Saskatchewan, a Master of Administration (Health) from Central Michigan University and a Chartered Accountant designation.

Dr. Lorne Tyrrell
Chair, Institute of Health Economics

The former Dean of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, Dr. Tyrrell is the Board Chair of the Health Quality Council of Alberta and the Institute of Health Economics. He is the CIHR/GlaxoSmithKline Chair in Virology at the University of Alberta. He is also Chair of the Gairdner Foundation and a member of the Research Council of the Canadian Institute of Academic Research. Dr. Tyrrell is a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He received the F.N.G. Starr Award from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) in 2004, and the Principal Award of the Manning Foundation in 2005 for his work on the development of oral antivirals for the treatment of HBV. He was inducted into the CMA Hall of Fame in 2011.