McMaster Health Forum

As artificial intelligence (AI) introduces innovations in how people in many diverse fields approach their work, the Forum is actively engaging in efforts to identify how this rapidly evolving technology can be safely and responsibly used in providing timely, demand-driven evidence support for policymaking – which we refer to as ‘AI for policy.’

>> Read more about our approach

Forum working to build and share capacity in AI for policy As artificial intelligence (AI) introduces innovations in how people in many diverse fields approach their work, the Forum is actively engaging in efforts to identify how this rapidly evolving technology can be safely and responsibly used in providing timely, demand-driven evidence support for polic...

We recently published evidence and insights from our stakeholder dialogue and citizen panel on the important topic of building capacity in Ontario’s LTC sector to safeguard residents’ well-being during infectious-disease outbreaks https://www.mcmasterforum.org/about-us/products/project/building-capacity-in-ontario-s-long-term-care-sector-to-safeguard-residents--well-being-during-infectious-disease-outbreaks

We have been able to move as far and as fast as we have – both in our work under the Forum banner and in our work as secretariat for the Global Evidence Commission and RISE, and our new role as evidence-synthesis network hub for the Evidence Support Network for Canada (ESN-CA) – because of our partnerships with groups that powerfully complement the Forum’s areas of strength.

Read more in our look back at 2025 >> https://www.mcmasterforum.org/about-us/new-at-the-forum/news-item/look-back-at-2025

Thanks to all of our partners and funders. These achievements were also made possible by the dedication and perseverance of our talented McMaster Health Forum team of staff, students, collaborators and advisors.

We wish you a restful holiday season and a happy and healthy 2026.
We look forward to continuing our work to support health and social systems, and evidence-informed policymaking more generally, in Ontario, across Canada, and around the globe.

Since announcing its $2 million in funding over the next two years from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Evidence synthesis hub of the Evidence Support Network for Canada (ESN-CA) has been taking exciting steps towards producing timely, demand-driven, high-quality evidence syntheses to address priorities from decision-makers in Canada related to health emergency preparedness and response. This included our team at the Forum (in its role as the network hub), convening meetings to collectively work to identify and refine questions related to pandemic preparedness and health emergencies that can be informed by evidence syntheses.

Read more in our latest newsletter https://newsletters.cubiclefugitive.com/t/y-CA09079724DAF2672540EF23F30FEDED

Since 2020, we have been leading efforts to build networks to address urgent issues related to pandemic planning and response with robust and rapid evidence syntheses. The newly launched Evidence Synthesis Network for Canada to Support Pandemic Planning and Response will allow us to continue to provide evidence to inform responses to emerging threats such as mpox and avian influenza, and areas that require continued planning and responses.

Through this new network, we will partner with 20+ evidence-synthesis teams from across Canada, experts (including those working in pandemics, zoonosis and on equity-related issues), as well as citizen- and Indigenous-advisors who help to ensure our work is relevant and useful to all types of decision makers.

https://www.mcmasterforum.org/about-us/new-at-the-forum/news-item/government-of-canada-announces--2-million-to-support-a-new-network-to-strengthen-pandemic-planning-and-response

Michael Wilson shares insights on how the outcomes from the Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative will change the work of the McMaster Health Forum https://youtu.be/h0i2GKW_9v

How do you anticipate that outcomes from ESIC will change the work of the Forum? Insights from Michael Wilson, Scientific Director of the McMaster Health Forum on how the outcomes from the Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative w...

The Global SDG Synthesis Coalition – a UN Development Program initiative, which brings together more than 40 UN entities and bilateral agencies – recently highlighted Social Systems Evidence as a key source in their Planet Pillar scoping review.

Learn more in our latest newsletter https://newsletters.cubiclefugitive.com/t/y-48EE66AE9965BF4F2540EF23F30FEDED

John Lavis, Director of the McMaster Health Forum, shares some key insights from the Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative’s Cape Town consensus meeting

Key insights from ESIC's Cape Town consensus meeting John Lavis, Director of the McMaster Health Forum, shares some key insights from the Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative’s Cape Town consensus me...

In a recent interview with Paul O'Byrne (Dean and Vice-President, McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences), Michael Wilson (the Forum’s Scientific Director) shared some insights about how our team supports the use of the best-available evidence in decision-making about pressing policy challenges.
https://healthsci.mcmaster.ca/how-the-mcmaster-health-forum-equips-leaders-to-respond-to-urgent-health-and-social-challenges/