In Memoriam: Dr Larry Svenson [1]

• “…Born October 26, 1964, in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Larry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta. He received a PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England, in 2015, and was also a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health. He was an Associate Professor, Special Continuing in the Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta for almost six years, an Adjunct Professor with the School of Public Health, University of Alberta for over 25 years, and an Adjunct Associate Professor with the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine for almost 20 years.

• In addition to his academic roles, he was the Provincial Health Analytics Officer and Executive Director for Analytics and Performance Reporting at the Alberta Ministry of Health and was said to be an integral part of our province’s response to COVID. Keenly watching the first cases unfold in Wuhan, he and his team knew COVID would become an international concern and started thinking about what would happen if the virus appeared in Canada. They began their work in late January 2020 prompting the province to impose the necessary public health measures to flatten the curve and prevent adverse impacts on the healthcare system. This work was instrumental in him being awarded the Premier’s Public Service Award for Individual Leadership in 2020.

• Larry was a member of the Public Health Agency of Canada expert surveillance advisory committees for cardiovascular disease, arthritis, chronic respiratory disease, neurological conditions, and diabetes. He also recently chaired the National Surveillance Infrastructure Task Group of the Public Health Network Council of Canada, which developed a public health surveillance blueprint for Canada…”