Peter Singer

Chief Executive Officer

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Biography

Peter A. Singer has dedicated the last decade to bringing science and innovation to tackle the health challenges of the world’s poorest people. He is well known around the world for his creative solutions to some of the most pressing global health problems.

Dr. Singer is Chief Executive Officer of Grand Challenges Canada and Director at the Sandra Rotman Centre (University Health Network and University of Toronto). He is also Professor of Medicine at University of Toronto, and the Foreign Secretary of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Dr. Singer chaired the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences’ new assessment on Canada’s Strategic Role in Global Health. He has advised the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UN Secretary General’s office, the Government of Canada, Pepsico, BioVeda China Venture Capital Fund, and several African Governments on global health.

Dr. Singer was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011 for his contributions to health research and bioethics, and for his dedication to improving the health of people in developing countries. In 2007, Dr. Singer received the Michael Smith Prize as Canada’s Health Researcher of the Year in Population Health and Health Services. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the U.S. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, and The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS).

Dr. Singer has published over 300 research articles, received over $50 million in research grants, and mentored hundreds of university students. He recently co-authored, along with Dr. Abdallah Daar, The Grandest Challenge: Taking Life-Saving Science from Lab to Village. He studied internal medicine at University of Toronto, medical ethics at University of Chicago, public health at Yale University, and management at Harvard Business School. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Dr. Heather Gilley, and his family, and has served his community as Board Chair of Branksome Hall, an acclaimed and internationally-minded school for girls.

Follow Peter A. Singer on Twitter @PeterASinger