Dr. Anne Wiles
PhD, MA, BA
Senior Analyst
Joined RSI in 2008
- Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health
- Drafted Commission Members Document for Pickering nuclear power reactor relicensing
- Developed risk-based decision-making framework for Alliance of Blood Operators
- Presented “Risk Perception of Nuclear Waste Disposal” to the Joint Review Panel
- Drafted accessible version of technical risk assessment on impacts of SO2 from aluminum smelter
- Developed risk classification structure for more accurate evaluation of non-compliances
Dr. Anne Wiles joined Risk Sciences International (RSI) in 2008, where she currently serves as a Senior Analyst specializing in risk communication, perception, and governance. With a distinctive blend of expertise in language, regulation, and the use of science in decision-making, Anne has contributed to a wide range of RSI projects focused on the human and institutional dimensions of risk.
Her work includes developing health risk communication strategies and drafting publicly accessible scientific information, advising on public messaging for nuclear energy and nuclear waste management, and supporting regulatory agencies in the evaluation and management of complex risk portfolios. She has been deeply involved in several RSI projects examining how mandates, institutional contexts, and public attitudes shape regulatory decision-making across federal domains.
Anne has also contributed to scholarly work at RSI, including co-authoring a scoping review on the evolution of health and environmental risk decision-making, an article on the potential health risks associated with aluminum, and a book chapter on public concerns related to blood safety.
In addition to her project work, Anne is a university instructor, teaching two courses: a broad overview of societal approaches to risk, and a graduate seminar on risk management in government, where she integrates academic theory with real-world regulatory case studies and risk communication practice.
Pre-RSI
Anne’s professional journey into risk science was shaped by a cross-disciplinary academic and professional path. She began with degrees in English literature, cultivating a sharp eye for the way meaning is conveyed in language. Her early career included work as a writer and editor in several Canadian federal government departments, where she developed a keen awareness of how institutional language and public messaging shape understanding.
Anne participated in the federal Nuclear Fuel Waste Management and Disposal Concept Review, examining ethical and perceptual factors that influence public trust in controversial technologies, and went on to study stakeholder perspectives in her Master's research. Her later doctoral research compared public and governmental approaches to genetically modified foods and natural health products, exploring regulatory and public perspectives on these products and expectations for their management.
This dual background—in critical reading and writing and risk analysis—gives her a unique position to help governments and institutions navigate the increasingly complex and value-laden landscape of public risk perception and policy response.
Case studies associated with Anne Wiles
Publications associated with Anne Wiles
Key attributes of health and environmental risk decision-making: A scoping review.
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Outside RSI
Away from her professional and academic roles, Anne Wiles is immersed in the natural world and guided by a lifelong appreciation for language, ecosystems, and observation. She lives in the Gatineau Hills, where she spends much of her time cross-country skiing, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and exploring the Gatineau River by kayak or paddleboard.
A passionate observer of nature, Anne delights in identifying the wildflowers and bird species that inhabit the region, especially in spring and summer. She also applies her interest in systems and sustainability to her rocky hillside garden, where she cultivates flowers and vegetables—adapting traditional gardening wisdom to challenging terrain.
Indoors, Anne remains intellectually engaged through books, book clubs, and a steady stream of online publications covering topics from public policy to environmental change. Her curiosity is as evident in her leisure as in her work—driven by a belief that understanding risk begins with observing how people, places, and ideas interact.
Her life reflects a deep commitment to critical thinking, social context, and ecological awareness, qualities that infuse both her professional contributions and her personal pursuits.
