Seminar Series
Title
Public Health Surveillance in Nova Scotia
Presenters
Dr. Jesse Kancir, Dept Chief Medical Office of Health for Nova Scotia, Adjunct lecturer, Dept of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University
Dr. Katie McIsaac, Scientific Strategy and Surveillance Specialist in the Public Health Branch, Department of Health and Wellness, Adjunct lecturer, Dept of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University
Ms. Colleen Ryan, Director of Public Health Surveillance at the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness
Time and Date
12pm – 1pm
Thursday, April 09, 2026
Location
MS Teams: Join the meeting now
Synopsis
This seminar provides an overview of public health in Nova Scotia, with a particular focus on public health surveillance within the provincial system. Presenters will introduce the structure of public health in the province, clarify how DHW and Nova Scotia Health collaborate, and describe the teams within the DHW Public Health Branch that contribute to surveillance, analysis, and action. The session will walk participants through the public health surveillance cycle and illustrate how surveillance informs decision-makingg.
Using practical examples from current work, the seminar will highlight how surveillance supports Nova Scotia’s response to respiratory diseases, notifiable diseases, immunization programs, and emerging areas such as Lyme disease, wastewater monitoring, and health equity–focused analytics.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
To provide an overview of Public Health in Nova Scotia
To provide insight into the public health surveillance cycle
To provide practical examples of surveillance in action in Nova Scotia
Biography
Dr. Jesse Kancir is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health for Nova Scotia, where he provides provincial medical leadership for notifiable disease surveillance. He is also an adjunct lecturer with the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology.
Katie McIsaac, PhD (Epidemiology, University of Toronto), is the Scientific Strategy and Surveillance Specialist in the Public Health Branch, Department of Health and Wellness and an Adjunct in Dalhousie’s Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. Her work focuses on supporting provincial public health surveillance functions and strengthening the use of surveillance information.
Colleen Ryan serves as the Director of Public Health Surveillance at the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, where she provides executive leadership in the design, modernization, and governance of public health surveillance systems for the province. Under her direction, the surveillance portfolio has expanded beyond notifiable diseases and immunization to encompass broader population health domains, including oral health, chronic disease, and other priority areas. Colleen is committed to strengthening data-informed decision-makingg and advancing an integrated, responsive surveillance system that supports the health and wellbeing of all Nova Scotians.