Leadership
Director
Professor Daniel Sellen
Director, Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition
Daniel Sellen is cross-appointed in three faculties at the University of Toronto as Professor of Anthropology (Arts and Science), Nutritional Sciences (Temerty Faculty of Medicine), and Social and Behavioral Health Sciences (Dalla Lana School of Public Health). An expert in child nutrition, human ecology and international health with over 30 years of experience leading cross-disciplinary studies of child and family nutrition, Professor Sellen has initiated or collaborated on research in a range of vulnerable communities in more than a dozen countries. He is a Senior Resident Scholar at the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health, a Fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology, a Salzburg Fellow, Past-President of the International Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation, and held previous roles at the University of Toronto including Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Global Health, inaugural Associate Dean of Research at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and Canada Research Chair in Human Ecology and Public Nutrition.
Executive Committee
Dean Lisa Robinson
Chair, Lawson Centre Executive Committee
Lisa Robinson has been Dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions at the University of Toronto, since July 1, 2024. She serves as Chair of the Lawson Centre Executive Committee. Dean Robinson is a professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto, former Head of the Division of Nephrology at The Hospital for Sick Children, and a Senior Scientist in the Cell Biology program at the SickKids Research Institute. A clinician-scientist, Prof. Robinson holds a Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in vascular inflammation and kidney injury. Her specialization is in caring for children with kidney disease, with a focus on renal transplantation.
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
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
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.
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.
Professor Deborah O'Connor
Chair, Department of Nutritional Sciences
Deborah O’Connor has been Chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences since 2018. She holds a departmental chair in Vitamin Research in Human Milk and Development at U of T, and has scientific appointments at The Hospital for Sick Children and Mount Sinai Hospital. She is also a faculty member in the Joannah & Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition. At SickKids, Prof. O'Connor served as Director of Clinical Dietetics and Breastfeeding Support from 2000 to 2012 and then as Associate Chief of Academic and Professional Practice until 2013. She studies maternal and infant nutrition and has published extensively on the nutritional requirements of pregnant and lactating women, and on strategies to help provide human milk to vulnerable infants.