Karen Dodds

Dr. Karen Dodds (Ph.D. Microbiology, University of Guelph; M.Sc. University of Waterloo) began her career as a research scientist and retired from federal public service in 2016. She most recently served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Technology Branch at Environment and Climate Change Canada where she oversaw a large branch with activities, labs and scientists across Canada. Prior to that, she held a number of senior positions at Health Canada.

Throughout her career, she built on her background in science research by developing expertise in regulation, legislation, operations, and policy. Some of her key initiatives include leading the development and implementation of a $50M/year industry-funded Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring, chairing the Senior Officials of the Global Health Security Action Group, serving as the key contact for Health Canada during the 2009 H1N1 Flu Pandemic, and bringing into force a new act for pesticides and a number of important regulatory packages. During her time as a researcher, Dr. Dodds authored numerous scientific publications, wrote eight book chapters, and edited two books.

She has served on a number of national and international bodies and boards, including being the Canadian contact point for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. She has also served as Canada’s Delegate to the World Health Organization’s Executive Board, a member of the Boards for the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, Canada Health Infoway, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Advanced Food Materials Network and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research’s Institute for Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes.