Leonard Ritter

Since 1993, Dr. Ritter has been Professor of Toxicology in the Department of Environmental Biology (School of Environmental Sciences – April, 2009) at the University of Guelph, and Executive Director of the Canadian Network of Toxicology Centers, headquartered at the University as well, and has served, additionally, as coordinator of a national metals research network since 1999. From 1977 to 1993, he worked at the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada in various roles related to tobacco control, consumer product safety, environmental contaminants and the regulation of pesticides and veterinary drug residues in food. Dr Ritter has served as Chair of the AAFC Science Advisory Board, as an expert advisor to the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the World Health Organization and on Boards and expert panels organized by the Royal Society of Canada, Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the US EPA, the World Trade Organization, the International Commission on Occupational Health and the International Centre on Pesticide Safety. Dr. Ritter lectures widely on hazard, risk and exposure assessment of environmental contaminants, food additives and pesticides.

Dr. Ritter holds a B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. in biology and biochemistry from Sir George Williams University in Montreal, Canada and a PhD in biochemistry from Queen’s University School of Medicine, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Ritter is a Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences and, in 2006, was awarded a medal by the UN World Health Organization in recognition of his contributions.

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