Congratulations to Associate Professor and Cancer Care Ontario Research Chair Scott Leatherdale for being chosen by The Record as one of the Region's 40 Under 40 unheralded leaders.
Occupation: Associate professor and Cancer Care Ontario
research chair in the School of Public Health and Health
Systems, University of Waterloo
Making a Difference: World-renowned leader in the field of population studies in youth health, contributes to shaping the national cancer control agenda in both the public and private sector, youth mentor
Scott Leatherdale is leading the way forward in the field of youth prevention programming,seeking ways to promote the health of Canadian youth.
Nationally and internationally recognized for his research on how prevention programs and policies impact youth, Leatherdale is able to shape the way decision-makers implement new programs to keep youth from tobacco use, physical inactivity, obesity and so on.
“As a scientist, it is great to see that your work is being used to inform policies that will protect and promote the health of youth,” he says.
Many of the new provincial policies for youth tobacco control are directly based on his work. In 2011, his research was noted as one of Canadian Cancer Society’s top research achievements of the year. Leatherdale holds nine research grants from provincial and national agencies totalling more than $12 million, and is the lead scientist on a research grant of more than $10 million.
Outside of his research work, Leatherdale is involved in helping shape the national cancer control agenda in both the public and private sector. He volunteers his time on two advisory boards: the Institute of Cancer Research for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Cancer Society’s National Advisory Committee on Research in Prevention.
He also takes part in the Waterloo Unlimited program, mentoring local high school students interested in pursuing sciences at university. “Every morning I go to work knowing that I am fortunate enough to make a living training the next generation of public health leaders, scientists and health professionals, and working on things that have a positive impact on the health of people living in Canada.”