Getting to know the director of Canada’s first Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program + personal reflections running the program, with Theodore (Ted) Witek Jr.

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Ted Witek Jr., the director of the DrPH program at Dalla Lana. They discuss Ted’s diverse career journey, his research work, and Canada's first DrPH program.

You’ll Learn

• Ted’s career from pharmaceutics to directing the DrPH at Dalla Lana
• Ted’s research interests and achievements
• How building relationships is important in your career
• The value of seizing opportunities and keeping an open mind
• What Ted has learned in his position from directing the DrPH program
• A brief summary about Dalla Lana's DrPH program
• What’s next for the DrPH program

Today’s Guest

Dr. Witek served Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals for nearly 25 years where he held various pharmacology and clinical research positions, including Director of Respiratory and Immunology Clinical Research leading to his roles as President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Canadian and Portuguese operations. He led the Global Operating Team for Spiriva serving as Co-Chair of the Global Alliance with Pfizer.

Dr. Witek also was Chief Scientific Officer & Senior Vice President, Corporate Partnerships, at Innoviva (Formerly Theravance, Inc.). He also served on the Board of Directors of Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) including Chair of the Health Technology Assessment and Public Relations Committee. He was appointed to the Ontario Health Innovation Council and advisor to the Design for Health Program at OCAD University. He is currently  an Adjunct Professor & Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s School of Public Health & Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. He serves as Director of the DrPH program. Dr. Witek is the author of more than 100 scientific papers as well as several chapters and books.

Dr. Witek holds a Doctor of Public Health from Columbia University and a Master of Public Health from Yale University and an MBA from Henley Management College in the UK.

Resources

• Connect with Ted on LinkedIn
• Follow Ted on Twitter 
• Learn more about Ted 
• Learn more about Dalla Lana’s DrPH program
• Listen to the previous episode about the DrPH program with Erica Di Ruggiero

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