Dr. Gillian Parker (MA, PhD) is a Researcher at the Collaborative Centre for Climate, Health & Sustainable Care (CCCHSC) and Assistant Professor in Health Services Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. At the CCCHSC Gillian’s work involves developing and leading an interdisciplinary, evidence-informed research agenda to advance climate resilience and sustainability in healthcare.
Dr. Parker’s research interests include climate mitigation and sustainable health systems, health technology innovation and regulation and de-implementation and reducing low-value care. Her current research program focuses on pharmaceuticals and the environment, including both pharmaceuticals in the environment (systems approach to understanding and mitigating risks and harms to human and environmental health from pharmaceutical release into ecosystems) and pharmaceuticals on the environment (life cycle approach to the impact of pharmaceutical production, supply chain, use and disposal regarding resource and energy use, carbon emissions, disposal and waste). This research focuses on leveraging regulatory mechanisms to reduce the environmental risks and harms of pharmaceuticals and the environment. Dr. Parker’s research also focuses on improving the sustainability of health systems, through integrated sustainability strategies realizing the co-benefits of environmental sustainability and reducing low-value care.
She holds an MA in the Sociology of Health and Illness from York University, and a PhD in Health Services Research from the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Previously, Gillian held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at IHPME and a CIHR Health Systems Impact Fellowship through North York General Hospital.
The Collaborate Centre for Climate, Health & Sustainable Care leads and supports efforts to improve the environmental and social sustainability of health systems, through research, impact and education.