Dr. Maurice Bitran

Biography

Maurice Bitran is a scientist, educator, public-policy expert, and public-sector executive. He served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientist at the Ontario Science Centre from 2014 to 2019. Throughout his extensive career in government and academia, he held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ontario Government, where he led various provincial portfolios related to Environmental Policy, Economic Development Policy, and served as Ontario’s Chief Negotiator for the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union. He has also been the Director of the Ontario Research Development Challenge Fund and has significant experience in occupational health and safety. His academic appointments include positions at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Toronto, the Astronomy Department of the University of Florida, and NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. Currently, he teaches courses on policy implementation and the role of science in public policy at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Additionally, he is involved with the Board of the Institute of Work and Health and several other organizations. In 2012, he was recognized as one of the Ten Influential Hispanic-Canadians and received the Public Service Award from Life Sciences Ontario in 2013.

Research Interests