Shannon E. Majowicz

Teaching interests

Food- and water-borne diseases, epidemiology and public health, surveillance and burden of illness methods, systems thinking applications related to health and public health, knowledge brokering and synthesis (K*)

Research areas

Infectious diseases, particularly foodborne and enteric diseases, surveillance and burden of illness methods, epidemiology and epidemiologic methods, public health practice,  systems approaches to food-related health outcomes, knowledge synthesis methods, knowledge brokering

Research interests

Building on a decade of public health work experience, my research focus is the epidemiology of foodborne and enteric diseases.  I investigate the burden of, and risks for, such illnesses in various populations, including how the situation in the population relates to what is captured in public health data. I am interested in investigating those who are at undue risk for, or who bear an undue burden of, such illnesses, including how might we expect this to change in the future and what can we do about it.

I am also interested in the application of systems approaches to food borne disease, food safety issues, and food-related health outcomes, to identify risks and vulnerabilities, as well as robust intervention options for optimizing health-related outcomes across the spectrum.  Food and its consumption is a confluence of risks and benefits which impact infectious diseases, chronic conditions, and nutrition.  I am interested in exploring food safety strategies that account for the multiple health outcomes associated with the production and consumption of food.

I have an interest in methods, tools and processes to effectively capture and communicate information and engage stakeholders, especially tools that enable multiple perspectives and diverse or conflicting types of knowledge and evidence to be represented.  I also have an interest in methods and tools that improve the use of evidence in public health decision making.

Selected publications

• Ruzante, J.M., Majowicz, S.E., Fazil, A., Davidson, V.J.  "Hospitalization and deaths for selected enteric illnesses and associated sequelae in Canada, 2001-2004”, Epidemiology and Infection 2011 Jun;139(6):937-45. Epub 2010 Aug 24.

• Majowicz, S.E., Musto, J.A., Scallan, E., et al.  “The global burden of non-typhoidal salmonellosis”, Clinical Infectious Diseases (invited article) 2010;50(6)882-889.  

• Nesbitt, A., Majowicz, S., Finley, R., et al.  “High risk food consumption and food safety practices in a Canadian community”, Journal of Food Protection 2009; 72(12):2575-2586.

• Majowicz, S.E., Hall, G., Scallan, E., Adak, G.A., Gauci, C., Jones, T.F., O’Brien, S., Henao, O., Sockett, P.N., for the International Collaboration on Enteric Disease ‘Burden of Illness’ Studies. “A common, symptom-based case definition for gastroenteritis”, Epidemiology and Infection 2008;136(7):886-894.

• Majowicz, S.E., Horrocks, J., Bocking, K.  “Demographic determinants of acute gastrointestinal illness in Canada: a population study”, BMC Public Health 2007;7:162.

Selected professional activities and networks

Member, International Collaboration on Enteric Disease 'Burden of Illness' Studies

Editorial Board, Environmental Health Review