Leadership Group
The CITF Leadership Group includes experts from across Canada in matters related to serologic surveillance, immunology, virology, infectious diseases, public health, and clinical medicine. It also includes ex-officio members representing agencies of the Government of Canada, including the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the office of the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister, as well as representatives of Provincial-Territorial Ministries of Health, and McGill University (host of the Secretariat).
Our mandate (a summary)
- Establish and oversee the scientific strategy of the CITF;
- Ensure appropriate collaborative mechanisms are developed to support widespread awareness and engagement of key stakeholders in the CITF’s work;
- Deliberate on and synthesize results of studies in order to communicate them to decision-makers in a timely and clear way; and,
- With the Executive Director, oversee the establishment and activities of the Secretariat charged with coordinating multi-site serological and vaccine surveillance surveys and establishing common platforms that harmonize methods and functions for the efficient operation of these surveys.
Co-Chairs and Executive Director
Government of Canada Representatives
Members
Provincial & Territorial Representatives
Executive Committee Members
The Executive Committee reports to the Leadership Group and is the final funding decision-making body. It comprises the two Co-Chairs, the Executive Director, and six additional rotating members from the Leadership Group. An important condition for membership is that the individual has no intent to hold or seek funds from the CITF, either as a Principal Investigator or a Co-Investigator on a project being funded by the CITF.
Tim Evans
Cate Hankins
Heather Hannah
David Naylor
Mona Nemer
Howard Njoo
Gina Ogilvie
Jutta Preiksaitis
Gail Tomblin-Murphy
Paul Van Caeseele
David Naylor
Catherine Hankins
Tim Evans
Mona Nemer
Vivek Goel
Charu Kaushic
Gina Ogilvie
Jutta Preiksaitis
Gail Tomblin Murphy
Indigenous Advisory Circle
The work of the Indigenous Advisory Circle (IAC) has come to a conclusion. The CITF expresses its deepest thanks to all members for their efforts and contributions. As results from CITF-supported studies emerge bearing on Indigenous communities, the CITF will continue to make efforts to engage Indigenous policy, community and scientific leaders in discussion of their implications.
About the CITF Working Parties
Our Working Parties (WP) report to the Leadership Group and are comprised of experts in fields relevant to the three Scientific Strategy Priorities: Field Studies, Immune Science, and Immune Testing.
The Working Parties are responsible for monitoring the scientific landscape in their priority area in Canada (and beyond), articulating a strategy and workplan for the LG to review and endorse, and for catalyzing the development and implementation of studies. WPs are expected to review, and where appropriate propose to the Leadership Group, a re-direction of priorities as knowledge and context change, identifying supplementary studies necessary to strengthen the scientific relevance and rigour of the CITF.
WPs are led by a member(s) of the Leadership Group. WP membership includes members of the Leadership Group, as well as the Secretariat, and experts external to the CITF as needed and appropriate.
The CITF Working Parties
Field Studies
Working Party Leads: Jim Kellner & Gina Ogilvie
The Field Studies Working Party supports the development and implementation of population-level studies to determine and report on the levels and trends of exposure, infection, and immunity to SARS-CoV-2 across the Canadian population. As part of its work, where possible, the Field Studies WP aims to harmonize surveys being conducted across the country using a predetermined set of indicators called the Core Data Elements.
Immune Science
Working Party Lead: Charu Kaushic
The Immune Science Working Party aims to advance the state of knowledge on infection-acquired immunity and correlates of protection (what, in the immune system, fights off the virus) to SARS-CoV-2 while also examining immune correlates of disease severity. Comparative studies are used to evaluate responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in different populations to better elucidate whether the response to infection is asymptomatic, is mildly/moderately symptomatic, or results in severe illness — and whether the initial response to infection influences the degree of subsequent immune protection.
Immune Testing
Working Party Lead: Mel Krajden
The Testing priority of the CITF aims to enable accurate, quality assured, efficient, scalable, and safe immunity testing for SARS-CoV-2 across Canada. Given the novel status of SARS-CoV-2, all immune tests – whether based on blood draws from veins, pin pricks for blood spots, saliva samples, or others – require validation for accuracy. A test’s accuracy depends on its sensitivity and specificity, and the interpretation of a test is also dependent on the timing of testing in relation to an individual’s infection. Defining the duration of antibody responses will guide testing strategies and help understand the technology’s limitations.