In response to increasing public concern about the historical use of McIntyre Powder—an aluminum-based substance once administered to miners in Ontario to prevent silicosis—the client sought expert guidance on managing risk communication related to potential health implications. Widespread media coverage and advocacy had raised public awareness and intensified scrutiny, particularly about possible links between aluminum exposure and long-term respiratory and neurological conditions.

A large number of domestic and foreign animal diseases with zoonotic health impacts to humans must be managed carefully to prevent disease transmission and spread. Risk management decisions often involve the comparison of different types of risk and the cost-effectiveness of different control measures for reducing risk. This requires that different types of risk be assessed in a consistent manner to allow cross-comparisons. The use of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) as a measure of the burden of human disease from domestic and foreign animal pathogens was completed for several zoonoses in Canada.

Following the planned closure of the Blood Safety Contribution Program (BSCP), support was needed to help define the structure, elements, and functions of a renewed national recipient hemovigilance system for Canada. The work centred on preparing the transfusion medicine community, federal and provincial/territorial partners, blood operators, and patient representatives to develop recommendations for a future system that could maintain national coordination, support blood and patient safety, and preserve trust in Canada’s blood system.

To support decision-making around modifications to opioid agonist treatment delivery, a detailed risk assessment was requested to evaluate the integration of secure dispensing devices for direct patient access to hydromorphone. Building on a previously conducted preliminary assessment, the work required a structured framework that would articulate hazards, assess likelihoods and risks, and identify mitigation strategies associated with introducing these devices into service delivery models.

To support international efforts in mitigating deliberate threats to the food system, the World Health Organization commissioned an update to its earlier guidance titled Terrorist Threats to Food. The revision aimed to broaden the original scope by addressing not only intentional acts, such as food terrorism, but also a wider array of systemic risks—ranging from pandemics to geopolitical disruptions—that could compromise global food safety.

To support the evaluation of a new veterinary pharmaceutical product intended for use in bovines, a scientific review was requested of submitted toxicological data related to the active compound LY488756. This compound, proposed under the product name Experior, had been advanced for registration based on its claimed selective action on β3-adrenergic receptors and a lack of mutagenic, carcinogenic, or teratogenic effects. Given its potential entry into the human food supply via meat residues, an independent expert analysis of the submission was deemed necessary to determine its safety.

The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) commissioned a systematic review and meta-analysis to support evidence-informed decision-making around age-related cognitive decline among practicing physicians. The initiative was led by CPSA’s Physician Health Monitoring Program (PHMP), which sought to ensure continued competence and public safety in the context of an aging medical workforce.

The project centered on supporting the development of a methodology that could eventually be implemented as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) process. The objective was to help formalize and potentially automate how professional judgment is applied when determining the risk significance of non-compliant findings within the Canadian nuclear regulatory framework. Specifically, the…