Technoscience and Regulation Research Unit

Director of TRRU

Dr. Janice E. Graham, Director of TRRU

Janice Graham is professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) and Sociology & Social Anthropology at 海角社区app University. She anthropologist of science, technology and medicine who analyses the regulatory standards and practices involved in the development and commercialization of emerging therapeutics and vaccines in Canada, Europe and Africa. This work draws upon social theory, health technology assessment, bioethics, and applies ethnographic methodologies with a focus on safety, efficacy, and trustworthiness in the construction and legitimization of evidence and knowledge. Interested in public health governance, transparency, open data, and the moral basis of profit when disease and sickness becomes a market opportunity, Graham works to understand how the commercialization of publicly funded innovation doesn鈥檛 always improve population, community or planetary health.聽 She鈥檚 served on numerous international committees and presented evidence to Canadian and international regulatory and health agencies and directorates (Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, United Nations, WHO) about regulatory practices, clinical trial decision-making, vaccine safety and emergency response. Graham has authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and reports. Her co-edited books are 聽(2021, UBC Press),聽聽(2021, U Toronto Press) and (U Toronto Press 2010), as well as multiple reports on vaccines and public trust.

Professor Graham has been a visiting senior fellow at the BIOS Centre for the Study of Bioscience, Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Society, London School of Economics and Political Science (2006) and chaired Health Canada鈥檚 Expert Advisory Panel on the Special Access Program (2008). She was a consultant for the聽聽(2010-12), a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for the WHO Guinea Ebola vaccine trials that produced the first effective Ebola vaccine, Visiting Professor at the WHO Meningitis Vaccine Project (2010) and at Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, G茅n茅tique, Evolution et Contr么le (), Centre de Recherche IRD, CNRS U Montpellier, France (2013-14) and at the University of Sydney (2021-22, February 2025).聽 Graham graduated in Anthropology from the University of Waterloo (Hons BA 1980), University of Victoria (MA 1982), and the Universit茅 de Montr茅al (PhD 1997). She held a postdoctoral fellowship in geriatric medicine and neuroepidemiology at 海角社区app University (1996-1998) and was the inaugural Burwell Research Chair in Medical Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (1998-2002 before returning to 海角社区app as the Canada Research Chair in Bioethics (2002-2012). Among other distinctions, Graham is an elected Fellow of Royal Society of Canada (2018),聽 an elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2017), a Distinguished Research Professor, 海角社区app University (2018-2023), President鈥檚 Legacy Award for Research, 海角社区app University, 201, a Fellow, of Canadian Anthropology Society/Soci茅t茅 Canadienne d鈥橝nthropologie (CASCA) (2019), and holds the Weaver-Tremblay Award for Applied Anthropology, Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) (2016).聽 When she isn鈥檛 working, she can often be found rowing on Halifax鈥檚 spectacular Northwest Arm, climbing, or lawn bowling at the Wanderers Commons.