Teresa Tam was named Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer in June 2017. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Nottingham in the UK. She completed her paediatric residency at the University of Alberta and her fellowship at the University of British Columbia. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and has over 55 peer-reviewed journal publications. During her 20 years in public health, Theresa provided technical expertise and leadership on new initiatives to improve communicable disease surveillance, enhance immunization programs, and strengthen health emergency management and laboratory biosafety and biosecurity. She has played a leadership role in Canada's response to public health emergencies including SARS, pandemic influenza H1N1, and Ebola. Teresa has served on WHO International Health Regulations emergency committees on Ebola, MERS-CoV, and poliovirus and participated in multiple international missions related to SARS, pandemic influenza, and polio eradication.