Finlay to serve as Chair in Expert Panel on the Potential Socio-Economic Impacts of Antimicrobial Resistance

Prof. Brett Finlay

The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) is pleased to announce Dr. B. Brett Finlay, O.C., O.B.C., FRSC, FCAHS, Peter Wall Distinguished Professor at the University of British Columbia, as Chair of the newly appointed Expert Panel on the Potential Socio-economic Impacts of Antimicrobial Resistance in Canada.

“Dr. Finlay is one of world’s foremost experts in the field of microbiology,” said Eric M. Meslin, PhD, FCAHS, President and CEO of the CCA. “We are delighted he has agreed to Chair this panel and look forward to his leadership in tackling this important topic for Canada.”

As Chair, Dr. Finlay will lead a 14-member multidisciplinary, multisectoral panel comprised of individuals with expertise, experience, and demonstrated leadership in biology, public health, socio-economic impact modelling and analysis, public policy, and industry. The Expert Panel will address the following assessment question, referred to the CCA by the Public Health Agency of Canada: What is the socio-economic impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for Canadians and the Canadian health care system?

Panel members were identified with guidance from the CCA’s Scientific Advisory Committee and input from its Member Academies — the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (of which many are also Fellows). The depth of the Panel’s experience and expertise, paired with the CCA’s rigorous assessment methodology, will ensure the most authoritative, credible, and independent response to the question.

“Antimicrobial resistance is a significant and growing public health issue,” said Dr. Finlay. “As Chair I look forward to working with the Panel to assess the impact AMR has on Canadians and the health care system.”

Dr. Finlay is also Professor in the Michael Smith Laboratories, Microbiology and Immunology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Co-Director and Senior Fellow for the CIFAR Humans and Microbes program. He is co-author of the book Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving Your Child from an Oversanitized World. Dr. Finlay is well-known for his contributions to understanding how microbes cause disease in people and developing new tools for fighting infections, as well as the role the microbiota plays in human health and disease.