Mona Nemer is Canada’s new science adviser, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced.
A Lebanese-Canadian science professor, she served as Vice-President Research at the University of Ottawa from 2006-2017 and was formerly at the University of Montreal and the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal where she held a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Cell Differentiation.
Her research focuses on the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that register the genetic expression of cardiac cells.
The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, had the following to say on the appointment of Nemer as chief science adviser.
“As a distinguished cardiac researcher, Dr. Nemer brings a wealth of scientific expertise to this important position. [She] will be tasked to provide expert and impartial scientific advice to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Science. She will also work to make sure that science is more accessible to Canadians, that federal scientists are free to speak about their work and that the government has access to the scientific evidence it needs to make decisions. Once a year, Dr. Nemer will submit a public report about the state of science in Canada to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Science.
“The Chief Science Advisor position was defined after carrying out extensive consultations with Cabinet members, caucus and key domestic stakeholders in the research community. We also reached out to chief science advisors and public servants in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Israel, as well as to international organizations such as the European Union, the International Council for Science, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.”
