Leadership

Director

Professor Daniel Sellen

Professor Daniel Sellen
Director, Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition

Daniel Sellen is cross-appointed in two faculties at the University of Toronto as Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Global Health, and Professor of Nutritional Sciences. He is also Senior Resident Scholar at the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health. He has served in many administrative roles at U of T, most recently as the inaugural Associate Dean of Research at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and has a wealth of teaching, supervisory and academic mentoring experience. An expert in child nutrition, human ecology and international health with over 25 years of experience leading cross-disciplinary studies of child and family nutrition security, Prof. Sellen has initiated or collaborated on research in a range of vulnerable communities in a dozen countries — including nomads in Tanzania, rural and urban low income families in Guatemala, Mexico, and Kenya, families living with HIV in Ghana and Kenya, adolescent mothers in Bangladesh, resettled refugees in Britain and America, and new Canadians.

Executive Committee

Professor Patricia Houston

Interim Dean Patricia Houston
Chair, Lawson Centre Executive Committee

Patricia Houston is Interim Dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and will serve in this role and as Chair of the Lawson Centre Executive Committee until July 1, 2024. Prof. Houston is also Vice-Dean, Medical Education at Temerty Medicine and is a professor of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine. Prof. Houston has served in a number of leadership roles in the University and at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto.

Professor Lynn Wilson

Professor Lynn Wilson
Vice Dean, Clinical and Faculty Affairs, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Lynn Wilson is a Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. She has been a comprehensive family physician since 1986. Her interests have included palliative care, addiction medicine, obstetrics, and global health. Prof. Wilson has co-led a number of provincial and national projects regarding substance abuse education for physicians and is the co-editor of two textbooks on addiction medicine. Prof. Wilson was Vice Dean, Partnerships in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine from 2016 to 2020, responsible for the Faculty’s ongoing relationships with nine fully affiliated hospitals and 18 community-affiliated hospitals and health facilities, as well as government, community organizations and international collaborators. Her current role includes partnerships as well as clinical faculty appointments and related matters, such as professional values and faculty wellness. 

Professor Justin Nodwell

Professor Justin Nodwell
Vice Dean, Research and Graduate Education, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Justin Nodwell was appointed Vice Dean, Research and Graduate Education on May 1, 2021. In this new combined portfolio, Prof. Nodwell provides leadership and oversight of Temerty Medicine’s research activities and two key education activities — graduate education and undergraduate life sciences education. Prof. Nodwell is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, where he previously held the role of Chair for seven years. As Chair, he coordinated the department’s move to MaRS, and oversaw the department’s expansion through several faculty recruits and cross-appointments. He also undertook renewals of the undergraduate and graduate programs, and successfully implemented laboratory rotations for incoming graduate students.

Professor Meredith Irwin

Professor Meredith Irwin
Chair, Department of Paediatrics

Meredith Irwin was appointed Chair of the Department of Paediatrics at U of T and Chief of Paediatrics at The Hospial for Sick Children in 2020. She holds cross-appointments at U of T in Medical Biophysics and Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology. Prof. Irwin is a Senior Scientist in the Cell Biology program in SickKids’ Research Institute, as well as a paediatric oncologist and a global leader in the development of clinical trials and novel biomarkers for patients with neuroblastoma. Prof. Irwin is also Co-Director of the Neuroblastoma Program and Head of the Solid Tumour Section of the Division of Haematology/Oncology, where she serves as an Attending Physician.

Danielle Martin

Professor Danielle Martin
Chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine

Danielle Martin is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, with cross-appointments at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She served as the Executive Vice President and Lead Medical Executive at Women's College Hospital and currently sits on the board of directors and chairs the Anti-Black Racism Task Force of the Wellesley Institute. She co-founded WIHV, the institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care; led the establishment of Women's Virtual, Canada's first virtual hospital; and was medical lead for the hospital's pandemic response. Her main academic interests include improving health care quality, equity and access in universal health care systems. 

Bazinet portrait

Professor Deborah O'Connor
Acting Chair, Department of Nutritional Sciences

Richard Bazinet is the Acting Chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences, and while serve in this role until July 1, 2024, while Professor Deborah O’Connor is on administrative leave. Prof. Bazinet received his PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto in 2003 and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section). He joined the Department of Nutritional Sciences as Assistant Professor in 2006, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and Professor in 2020. He also serves as the Department’s Associate Chair, Research and Innovation, and holds the Canada Research Chair in Brain Lipid Metabolism.