The Policy Challenge
Each year, our collaborators and co-applicants assemble a unique case study based on real-world public health challenges involving FWVZ pathogens. These case studies form the basis of our Annual Policy Challenge, a year-long project culminating in a five-day all-expenses-paid retreat, where we challenge our trainees, working in interdisciplinary teams, to pitch innovative policy solutions and outreach strategies to a panel of leading stakeholders in government and industry. ​
Our Second Annual Policy Challenge
For our Second Annual Policy Challenge, Masters and PhD trainees joined forces in four unified teams, each tackling a unique public health challenge, all centred around the increasingly focal issue of pathogen monitoring in wastewater. To learn more about the four challenge questions and the context behind them, check out our Participant's Guide. (Pictured below, attendees of the second annual retreat)
Policy Solutions
Four hybrid teams of Master's and PhD trainees were asked to propose policy briefs addressing the issue of wastewater monitoring for pathogens. You can read their proposals here.​​​​
Team 1: Evidence-Based Wastewater Surveillance: Guiding Municipal Policy for Public Health and Environmental Monitoring
Fiona Hui, Hesham Adam, Marie-Zoé Lapierre, Parichay Subedi, Rafael Fernandes Ferreira, Salomé Plat, and Sarah Donald
Team 2: Wastewater Monitoring of Incoming Aircraft at Canadian Ports of Entry​
Alla Yushchenko, Ben Sakdinan, Cody Malone, Kyle Story, Paul Glenn, Pierre-Luc Longchamps, and Taylor Volappi
Team 3: The Identification of Cryptic Viral Lineages in Wastewater: Protecting the Privacy of Canadians in Wastewater Surveillance
Gillian Cameron, Giuliana Leonarda Matta, Jinha Suh, Melika Amoueian, Natalia Lorenc, Yihan He, and Yuxiao Lu
Team 4: Validation and Approval of Measles (Morbillivirus Hominis) Wastewater Monitoring Methods
Alexandra Foley-Eby, Amanda Williams, Cody Koloski, Ivan Drahun, Kira Mudrey, Kirsten Campbell, and Yuxin Hu
Our First Annual Policy Challenge
Our first Policy Challenge was a year-long activity, culminating in a week-long retreat hosted at McGill's Gault Nature Reserve. The event featured speakers from organizations like Health Canada, the Office of the Chief Science Advisor, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, alongside prominent voices from academia.​​
​The last day of the retreat was punctuated by final presentations from our PhD and Masters students, showing off their policy proposals and promotional media.
The Question
An effective human vaccine against Lyme disease has existed since the mid 1990's. However, the anti-vaccine movement and subsequent disappointing vaccine uptake led the manufacturer to discontinue its commercial production. Thousands of people are now needlessly suffering from Lyme disease and symptoms associated with post-Lyme disease. While new vaccines are currently in stage three clinical testing, some fear they may meet the same fate. What public policies need to be put in place in Canada to ensure access to safe and effective vaccines against Lyme disease for those who want to be immunized?
Policy Solutions
Three teams of our PhD trainees were asked to propose policy solutions addressing the issue of Lyme disease vaccinations. You can find the policy briefs they created to pitch their proposals here.​​​​
Lyme Disease Vaccine for Canadians: Policy Brief​
Ivan Drahun, Alexandra Foley-Eby, Cody Koloski, & Yuxiao Lu​
Lyme Disease Prevention: Enhancing Vaccine Access and Public Awareness Initiatives
Gillian Cameron, Fiona Hui, Natalia Lorenc, & Alla Yushchenko
Towards Trust: Policy Initiatives for Vaccine Confidence through Transparency and Education
Audrey Corbeil, Rafael Fernandes Ferreira, Cody Malone, & Taylor Volappi
Promotional Media
Our Masters' students were tasked with creating promotional media, with three students paired with PhD teams to promote their policy proposals and one student promoting Lyme awareness.
Promotional Media: Towards Trust
Giuliana Matta
Promotional Media: Lyme Disease Vaccine for Canadians
Sarah Donald
Promotional Media: Lyme Disease Prevention
Yuxin Hu
Promotional Media: Lyme Disease Awareness
Paul Glenn