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.

Friday, November 20, 2026

A day looking forward.

From strategy to research to public health in practice.

8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Delta Hotel
50 Stone Road West, Guelph, Ontario

Select a session for speakers and details

8:30 a.m. Arrival Registration & Networking Coffee

Meet colleagues over coffee before the morning program begins.

9:00–9:05 a.m. Welcome and Land AcknowledgementRoyal Ballroom A

9:05–9:15 a.m.

Opening Introductory Remarks by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health

Dr. Kieran Moore

Royal Ballroom A

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

The Innovation Showcase opens in the Ken Danby Room: live AI and technology demonstrations from Ontario public health units and student posters.

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.
Dr. Jianhong Wu — University Distinguished Research Professor; York Research Chair in Industrial and Applied Mathematics; Director, Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Public Health Advancement (AIPHA), York University.

Moderator: Dr. Michelle Murti — Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health.

12:05 p.m. Showcase Lunch & Featured Innovation Showcase Hour

Explore live demonstrations and student posters in the Ken Danby Room during the featured showcase hour.

1:00 p.m. Plenary · Session 2 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.
Kerry Bastian and Yuri Santos — Southwestern Public Health, joint presentation.

Moderator: Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang — Commissioner and Medical Officer of Health for Public Health and Paramedic Services, Region of Waterloo.

2:15 p.m. Break Networking Break

Final viewing of the Innovation Showcase in the Ken Danby Room.

2:35 p.m. Plenary · Session 3 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.
Dr. Helen Chen — Director, Professional Practice Centre in Health Systems, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
Dr. Melissa MacKay — Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph.

Moderator: Dr. Mustafa Hirji — Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Sudbury & Districts.

3:50 p.m. Break

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, Region of Waterloo.
Dr. Michelle Murti — Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health.

Moderator: Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum — Associate Medical Officer of Health, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.

4:30 p.m. Close Adjournment

Thank you for joining us.

Attend the symposium #

For Medical Officers of Health, Associate Medical Officers of Health, VPs and directors.

Organizations may register up to 3 delegates with additional interested participants invited to join the waitlist through the registration link. Additional spaces will be offered as they become available.

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.

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.