Member of Parliament, Etobicoke North

The Hon. Kirsty Duncan is the Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North and Chair of the inaugural Science and Research Standing Committee. She was the Deputy House Leader for the Government of Canada in the 43rd Parliament and served as Canada’s Minister of Science, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and Minister of Sport in the 42nd Parliament.

As Minister of Science, Dr. Duncan delivered the largest investment in research in Canadian history. She put in place measures to ensure government scientists could speak freely and that scientific evidence is considered in decision-making. And throughout her tenure, she prioritized equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Dr. Duncan has been elected five times to federal office. Prior to entering politics, she was Associate Professor of Health Studies, University of Toronto at Scarborough Campus; Research Director, AIC Institute for Corporate Citizenship, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto; and Associate Professor of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Windsor. As a scientist, she is best known for leading an expedition to the Arctic to discover the cause of the 1918 Influenza. Her book, Hunting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist’s Search for a Killer Virus, was short-listed for a Canadian Science Writers’ Award. She also served as a Lead Author for North America on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

She has received numerous awards and honours, including an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh, and gave a TED Talk on freedom in science.