Find a problem and solve it, with Dr. Peter Singer, Former Special Advisor to the Director General of the WHO and cofounder of Grand Challenges & UofT Joint Centre for Bioethics
12/06/23 • 46 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Dr. Peter Singer, the Former Special Advisor to the Director General of the WHO and cofounder of Grand Challenges & UofT Joint Centre for Bioethics. They walk through Peter’s careers as a professor, cofounder of various organizations, and work in the WHO, using your lived experiences to find problems, and steps to take to solve these problems.
You’ll Learn
- How finding problems and solving them drew Peter into public health
- Taking risks at the beginning of your career and rethinking your narratives
- Peter’s three careers as professor of medicine, cofounding University of Toronto’s Joint Centre for Bioethics, and cofounding Grand Challenges Canada and how each career cascaded on to the next
- What Grand Challenges Canada is and how it came to be
- Social entrepreneurship and steps to take once you have found a problem and are now stuck on how to solve it
- Being ok with failure and learning from your mistakes
- Using your lived experience as an asset to become a great leader
- How Peter became the Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization and his experience working in global health
Today’s Guest
Dr Peter Singer has dedicated his career to improving the lives of people by building innovative institutions with high social impact.
Between 2017 and 2023, Singer was Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization, supporting Dr Tedros to transform WHO into an Organization focused on measurable impact in countries. He co-chaired the transition team; was the architect of WHO’s strategy and its “triple billion” target; and supported strategy implementation of initiatives to speed up the Sustainable Development Goals using data and delivery, innovation, and partnerships. During the pandemic, he was a passionate advocate for vaccine equity.
From 2008-2018 Singer was Chief Executive Officer of Grand Challenges Canada, raising CAN $450M to support 1000 innovations in more than 90 countries, which have the potential to save ~1 million lives and improve ~20 million lives by 2030. From 1996-2006 he was Sun Life Financial Chair and Director of the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics.
Resources
- Connect with Dr. Peter Singer on LinkedIn
- Learn more about the University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bioethics
- Read Peter’s career advice series on finding a problem and solving it, mentorship, and hopping aboard a rocket-ship and his blogpost Replace the SDGs with the GSDs
- Learn more about Grand Challenges Canada and read the paper that contributed to the formation of organization
- Learn more about the
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.
Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Dr. Peter Singer, the Former Special Advisor to the Director General of the WHO and cofounder of Grand Challenges & UofT Joint Centre for Bioethics. They walk through Peter’s careers as a professor, cofounder of various organizations, and work in the WHO, using your lived experiences to find problems, and steps to take to solve these problems.
You’ll Learn
- How finding problems and solving them drew Peter into public health
- Taking risks at the beginning of your career and rethinking your narratives
- Peter’s three careers as professor of medicine, cofounding University of Toronto’s Joint Centre for Bioethics, and cofounding Grand Challenges Canada and how each career cascaded on to the next
- What Grand Challenges Canada is and how it came to be
- Social entrepreneurship and steps to take once you have found a problem and are now stuck on how to solve it
- Being ok with failure and learning from your mistakes
- Using your lived experience as an asset to become a great leader
- How Peter became the Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization and his experience working in global health
Today’s Guest
Dr Peter Singer has dedicated his career to improving the lives of people by building innovative institutions with high social impact.
Between 2017 and 2023, Singer was Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization, supporting Dr Tedros to transform WHO into an Organization focused on measurable impact in countries. He co-chaired the transition team; was the architect of WHO’s strategy and its “triple billion” target; and supported strategy implementation of initiatives to speed up the Sustainable Development Goals using data and delivery, innovation, and partnerships. During the pandemic, he was a passionate advocate for vaccine equity.
From 2008-2018 Singer was Chief Executive Officer of Grand Challenges Canada, raising CAN $450M to support 1000 innovations in more than 90 countries, which have the potential to save ~1 million lives and improve ~20 million lives by 2030. From 1996-2006 he was Sun Life Financial Chair and Director of the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics.
Resources
- Connect with Dr. Peter Singer on LinkedIn
- Learn more about the University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bioethics
- Read Peter’s career advice series on finding a problem and solving it, mentorship, and hopping aboard a rocket-ship and his blogpost Replace the SDGs with the GSDs
- Learn more about Grand Challenges Canada and read the paper that contributed to the formation of organization
- Learn more about the
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.
Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
Previous Episode
Using life circumstances to guide your public health journey, with McKenzie Schrank
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with McKenzie Schrank to discuss how her experience with leishmaniasis influenced her path, incorporating personal interests into public health and vice versa, and using every little experience to shape your journey.
You’ll Learn
- How McKenzie first discovered the field of public health
- McKenzie’s experience contracting leishmaniasis on a study abroad trip and how this experience shaped her education and career path
- Health communication is the cornerstone of public health
- How snowboarding has made McKenzie a better public health professional
- Integrating your passions with public health and how McKenzie is incorporating public health into snowboarding and vice versa
- Making your own space in public health
Today’s Guest
I earned my Master of Public Health at the Colorado School of Public Health in community and behavioral health and global health. I believe in strengthening communities by engaging community members with clear communication and connection and I hope to continue to foster positive change in health communication.
I have previously worked with the Peruvian population during a study abroad to the Madre de Dios region in 2017. From this experience I found a passion for working with and providing information to under resourced communities after contracting leishmaniasis during this trip. I took the experience of being infected as an opportunity to share my experience and educate future travelers about the difficulty of treating a neglected tropical disease and the risk of infection. Additionally, I used this opportunity to highlight inequalities in the healthcare system in regard to cost and access. My published manuscript entitled "Leishmaniasis Through the Lens of the Host" won a King Award of Academic Excellence for its innovative and creative additions to the existing body of knowledge on leishmaniasis. The insight I gained from these experiences prepared me with compassion and enthusiasm for the communications work I am currently doing.
Resources
- Connect with McKenzie on LinkedIn
- Buy the book "The Story of the Human Body"
- Learn more about leishmaniasis
- Learn more about the Center for Creative Leadership
- Read the blog post mentioned on today’s episode
- Learn more about the Snow Pool project
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.
Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
Next Episode
Five reminders when applying for public health jobs, with Sujani
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani shares 5 reminders for anyone applying for jobs, especially during this period of economic uncertainty.
What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
- The five reminders when applying to jobs:
- Network. Start today. Having a community around you on this journey will be key.
- Keep an eye on industry trends. Be informed on changes and developments in the public health field.
- Be flexible. Consider all types of experience (part-time and contract work), work on expanding your skillset, and think outside of the box when searching for jobs.
- Don't be afraid to negotiate. When you do receive a job offer, have a conversation about a higher salary or other benefits. This is where your community can help you.
- Stay positive. Reignite the passion and excitement that got you into public health.
- Economic uncertainty, or not, job searching is tough. Use these reminders to keep you going.
Today’s Guest:
Sujani Sivanantharajah is the founder and CEO of PH SPOT. She is a public health professional/Epidemiologist and entrepreneur. She has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Saskatchewan and an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto. Sujani's passion lies in building relationships and using these relationships to create and cultivate spaces where more meaningful partnerships that serve communities are formed.
Featured on the Show:
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.
Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/public-health-spotlight-podcast-305946/find-a-problem-and-solve-it-with-dr-peter-singer-former-special-adviso-43741036"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to find a problem and solve it, with dr. peter singer, former special advisor to the director general of the who and cofounder of grand challenges & uoft joint centre for bioethics on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy