April 27, 2017
Dr. Harvey Schipper BASc (Eng.), MD, FRCP(C) is both an engineer and a physician who has combined disciplines to bring innovation to the health and life sciences sector from research bench, to the bedside and to public policy. His career has bridged five continents as cancer specialist, innovator, health systems designer, businessman and advisor to government, academe and the corporate sector. As a physician he was Professor of Medicine and Director of the Regional Cancer Care system in Manitoba, and established the WHO Collaborating Centre for Quality of Life Research in Cancer, which catalyzed patient-centred outcome research on a global basis. He has helped design cancer programs around the world, and served as a Corporate Vice-President of MDS in a strategic portfolio. He is currently Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Schipper’s broad experience ― more than 35 years ― has ranged from the bench to the bedside, to national and international health systems, with a particular focus on health care delivery and policy. During his tenure at MDS he was deeply involved in health venture capital allocation, and has advised start-ups and established ventures ever since. His particular skill has been setting each initiative in the broad context of the health care environment. His work with governments and large health systems focuses on future orientation and transformation.
Out of a long-standing interest in the interface of medicine, law and public policy, he has played a substantive role in critical issues. These include the tainted blood crisis, where he was a Founding director of Canadian Blood Services, and recently in the deliberations around assisted dying.