The Future of Public Health: AI, Automation & What's Next
Innovate. Collaborate. Lead the future.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health invites Ontario’s public health leaders to its first annual symposium exploring how AI and automation are transforming our work, systems, and communities—from provincial strategy and research to what health units are deploying today.
A day looking forward.
From strategy to research to public health in practice.
50 Stone Road West, Guelph, Ontario
8:30 a.m. Arrival Registration & Networking Coffee
9:15 a.m. Keynote Opening Keynote Royal Ballroom A
The keynote will explore health information systems, security, and the AI-enabled future of public health.
Dr. Ian McKillop — JW Graham Research Chair in Health Information Systems, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
10:15 a.m. Break Networking and Refreshment Break
10:45 a.m. Plenary · Session 1 The Strategic Direction of Public Health Royal Ballroom A
A discussion of where the sector is headed and what AI and automation mean for its future.
- Dr. Laura C. Rosella — Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Stephen Family Chair in Community Health, Trillium Health Partners.
- Dr. Kyle Wilson — Vice President, Information Systems & Digital Innovation, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
12:05 p.m. Showcase Lunch & Featured Innovation Showcase Hour
1:00 p.m. Plenary · Session 2 Academic Leaders: Research Perspectives on AI in Public Health Royal Ballroom A
Research perspectives on population-scale sensing and surveillance, generative AI, and synthetic data for population health.
- Dr. Plinio Morita — Director, Ubiquitous Health Technology Lab, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
- Prof. Helen Chen — Director, Professional Practice Centre in Health Systems, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
Moderator: Dr. Mustafa Hirji — Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
2:15 p.m. Break Networking Break
2:45 p.m. Plenary · Session 3 Public Health Units in Practice: AI on the Ground Royal Ballroom A
Real deployments and lessons from Ontario health units using AI today.
- Dr. Justin Angevaare — Principal Data Scientist, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
- Renée Higgins — Director, Corporate Services, Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
- Derek McDonald and Yuri Santos — Southwestern Public Health, joint presentation.
Moderator: Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang — Medical Officer of Health, Region of Waterloo Public Health.
4:00 p.m. Panel Future Readiness Royal Ballroom A
Practical first steps for moving from interest to implementation.
- Dr. Nicola Mercer — Medical Officer of Health & Chief Executive Officer, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
- Dr. Mustafa Hirji — Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
- Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang — Commissioner and Medical Officer of Health for Public Health and Paramedic Services.
Moderator: Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum — Associate Medical Officer of Health, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
4:30 p.m. Close Adjournment
Attend the symposium #
For Medical Officers of Health, Associate Medical Officers of Health, VPs and directors.
Travel and accommodation #
On-site parking and overnight accommodation are available at the Delta. See hotel rooms, parking, and airport distances for details.
Driving
- From Toronto and the GTA: Follow Highway 401 west to exit 299 for Brock Road. Travel north on Brock Road, which becomes Gordon Street, then turn left onto Stone Road West to reach the Delta.
- From the west via Highway 401: Take exit 295 for Highway 6 north toward Guelph, then turn right onto Stone Road West and continue to the hotel.
- From Hamilton: Follow Highway 403 east and Highway 6 north toward Guelph, continuing via Brock Road and Gordon Street to Stone Road West.
GO Train and onward travel
From Toronto, look for a Kitchener line journey from Union Station to Guelph Central GO. From Kitchener, look for an eastbound journey to Guelph Central GO. The station is at 79 Carden Street in downtown Guelph. Consult the Guelph Central GO station page for departures. From Guelph Central GO, arrange a taxi or rideshare to Delta Hotels Guelph Conference Centre, 50 Stone Road West.
Flying and airport transfers
| Arrival airport | Approximate distance to hotel |
|---|---|
| Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) | 90 km |
| John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM) | 59 km |
| Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) | 20 km |
Arrange a rental car or pre-book an airport transfer. Airport shuttle bookings: Red Car Service serves Guelph from all three airports. Enter the Delta’s full address when reserving and confirm the service type, fare, and pickup instructions for your airport. Red Car requests at least 48 hours’ notice for trips to the airport and recommends advance reservations for airport arrivals.
A rail option from Pearson: Take UP Express from Pearson to Bloor, then connect with a suitable westbound GO journey to Guelph Central and arrange a taxi or rideshare to the hotel.