Public Health Testing Strategy Expert Panel (PHTSEP)

The Public Health Testing Strategy Expert Panel (PHTSEP) is a group of independent, multi-disciplinary experts whose role is to provide guidance on provincial laboratory testing for diseases of public health significance.

This includes: routine testing and eligibility criteria, optimal testing modalities, priority populations, testing technologies, and system-level quality assurance.

PHTSEP provides independent scientific advice to PHO, and where appropriate through PHO to Ministry of Health, to inform provincial laboratory testing guidance.

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Members

Kathryn N. Suh, Chair
MD, FRCPC, MSc, CIC
Dr. Kathryn Suh is an Infectious Diseases and Infection Control Physician at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. She is a graduate of the University of Ottawa (MD), and completed her postgraduate training in Ottawa and at the University of Rochester (Rochester, NY). She was the Medical Director, Infection Prevention and Control at TOH (2014-2021) and until 2019 led the TOH Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. At the provincial level, she has previously served on The Provincial Infectious Disease Advisory Committee, and has been a Member and Co-chair of the former OHA/OMA/MOHLTC Communicable Diseases Protocols Surveillance Committee.  

Laura Bourns
MD, CCFP, FRCPC
Dr. Laura Bourns is Specialist in Public Health and Preventive Medicine who works as an Associate Medical Officer of Health with Ottawa Public Health (OPH). With OPH, her primary portfolios include infectious diseases and infection prevention and control. Prior to working with OPH, she worked with Region of Peel Public Health, Hamilton Public Health Services and Public Health Ontario. Dr. Bourns completed her residency training in Public Health & Preventive Medicine, as well as Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Laura holds faculty appointments with the University of Ottawa and Norther Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) University.

Lucas Castellani
MD, MBBS, FRCPC
Dr. Lucas Castellani is the Medical Director for the Infection Prevention and Control and Medicine programs at Sault Area Hospital. He is also an Assistant Professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Queensland and has completed residencies in Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine at the University of Toronto. His research interests include infection prevention and control, environmental surveillance and built environments.

Lianne Catton
MD, CCFP (EM), MPH
Dr. Lianne Catton has been the Medical Officer of Health for the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) since April 2016. Prior to medicine, she worked in health promotion with the Heart and Stroke Foundation; as a Research Assistant assessing the emotional needs of cancer patients for the Canadian Cancer Society and as a Workplace Health Coordinator with Hamilton Public Health Services. After completing residency in Sudbury, she settled in Timmins as a full-time Emergency Physician in 2008, and shortly after, added clinical care at Misiway Milopemahtesewin Community Health Centre and the PHU Sexual Health Clinic. These clinical experiences led to a deep appreciation of the inequities impacting health and well-being, especially in the North, and continue to inform and inspire work as the Medical Officer of Health at PHU.

William A. Ciccotelli
MD, FRCPC
Dr. William A. Ciccotelli practices as both an Infectious Diseases Specialist and Medical Microbiologist in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.  He is the joint Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Grand River and St. Mary’s General hospitals. Dr. Ciccotelli has previously supported other provincial advisory committees including The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table (Drugs & Biologics Clinical Practice Guidelines Working Group) as well as The Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee, with a focus on helping to develop best practices for infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship.

Carlye Jensen
CCFP (EM)
Dr. Carlye Jensen is a family physician who works in a rural community providing primary care as well as the local hospital both in the ER and on the medical ward. She hold an appointment with Queen’s University, Department of Family Medicine and is regularly a preceptor for residents and medical students. She recently completed a 10 year term as Chief of Uxbridge Hospital but remains on the Uxbridge Hospital Foundation Campaign Board. She is currently the vice-president of the Uxbridge Health Center and is very involved with the East York North Durham OHT.  In addition to her work in Canada she regularly travels to Northern Ghana where she provides volunteer medical care as well as training and mentorship to local health care providers.

Kevin Katz
MD, CM, FRCPC, MSc|
Dr. Kevin Katz is an infectious Diseases Specialist and Medical Microbiologist. He is the Medical Director of Shared Hospital Laboratory, a not-for-profit jointly owned and operated by North York General Hospital, Michael Garron Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Scarborough Health Network.  He is also the Head of Microbiology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at North York General Hospital. He is a Full Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Katz’s research interests include microbiology test development and validation, healthcare-associated infections and viral respiratory infections.

Kirk Leifso
MD
Dr. Kirk Leifso is the Program Director and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics of the Pediatric Residency Program at Queen’s University. He is also a Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist with Kingston Health Sciences Centre. He is a graduate of the University of Calgary School of Medicine and completed his residency training in General Pediatrics and his subspecialty training in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Ottawa and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. His clinical work includes inpatient and outpatient consultations for infectious diseases of children. He also leads an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in collaboration with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). His research interests include risks for severe RSV infection in children and topics in antimicrobial stewardship.

Yoko Schreiber
MD, FRCPC, MSc
Dr. Yoko Schreiber completed her residency training at the University of Ottawa, where she also obtained her Master of Science in Epidemiology. She currently is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, at the University of Manitoba, and with the Clinical Sciences Division at Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She provides clinical care to patients at Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre and in Northwestern Ontario through the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre (SLMHC), where she holds the position of Chief of Inpatient Medicine. She has a sound knowledge of remote and isolated practice settings in nursing stations, and acts as External Medical Advisor to both national and Ontario Region Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) committees.