Sarah Topps - Science and Public Health

The March for Science is a celebration of science. It's not only about scientists and politicians; it is about the very real role that science plays in each of our lives and the need to respect and encourage research that gives us insight into the world. Nevertheless, the march has generated a great deal of conversation around whether or not scientists should involve themselves in politics. In the face of an alarming trend toward discrediting scientific consensus and restricting scientific discovery, we might ask instead: can we afford not to speak out in its defence? This week's speaker is Sarah Topps. Sarah holds an honours bachelor degree in International Development with minors in Economics and French from McGill University, and a Master in Public Health (MPH) with a focus in Global Health from Simon Fraser University. She completed a 4-month MPH practicum with CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology). Sarah’s final project focused on developing a free online training for community health workers hosted by NextGenU.org, a Grand Challenges recipient.