Dr. Eileen de Villa served as Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health from 2017-2024. In this role, she led Toronto Public Health, the largest local public health agency in Canada, serving the city’s 3+ million residents. Prior to 2017, Dr. de Villa served as Associate Medical Officer of Health and then as Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Peel.
Dr. de Villa earned a Bachelor’s degree from Mc Gill University, her Doctor of Medicine and Master of Health Science (MHSc) degree in Health Promotion from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Schulich School of Business at York University.
Public health physician, author, professor, and public figure, Dr. de Villa has been at the forefront of public health efforts and interventions in Toronto. This includes guiding the City’s COVID-19 pandemic response (which included the largest vaccination campaign in Toronto’s history); the response to the ongoing drug toxicity crisis; and public health policy considerations for city planning, emergency preparedness, and disease prevention and control.