Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Lawrence C. Loh MD MPH FCFP FRCPC FACPM

Research Interests

• Effective physician advocacy
• Environmental health
• Vaccine safety and vaccine preventable disease control
• Tobacco control
• Urban health
  • Healthy built environments
• Physician specialty training in public health
• Global health
  • Global health careers and workforce
  • Short-term volunteering abroad – ethics and guidelines

Education & Training History

BSc, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario ’02
MD, University of Western Ontario  ’06
MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health ’10

CCFP, Family Medicine Residency Program, St. Michael’s Hospital ’08
FRCPC / FACPM (Diplomate ABPM, PH&GPM), Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program, University of Toronto ’12

Other Affiliations

Current: 

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, College of Family Physicians of Canada

Adjunct Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

Department of Family Medicine, Queen’s University

Fellow, American College of Preventive Medicine

Public Health Physicians of Canada

Canadian Society of Physician Leaders 

Former (incl. training affiliations):

Medical Officer of Health, Peel Public Health

Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health (COMOH)

World Medical Association

American Public Health Association

Canadian Society for International Health

Founder and Director of Advocacy at The 53rd Week

Public Health Physician at Public Health Ontario

Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia

Medical Health Officer at Fraser Health Authority (Burnaby. the Tri-Cities, Anmore, and Belcarra)

Office of Public Health Practice, Public Health Agency of Canada

Vaccine Safety Division, Public Health Agency of Canada

Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research

Healthy Environments, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Health Workforce Unit, World Health Organization

Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Toronto Public Health

Environmental and Occupational Health Team, Public Health Ontario

Human Resources for Health Unit, Pan-American Health Organization

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

Supervision of medical students and residents on public health rotations

Facilitator for pre-departure training and preparation for 53rd Week student experiences

Faculty advisor, University of Toronto Global Brigades

Visiting lecturer (various courses)

University of Toronto Public Health and Preventive Medicine residency program

Honours & Awards

• Mastromatteo Oration, Occupational and Environmental Medical Association of Canada, 2023
• Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), Toronto Metropolitan University, 2023
• Asian Heritage Month Front Line Hero, Canadian Multicultural Council, 2023
• Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medallion, 2022
• Bright Lights Board Award, 2022, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFTHO)
• Paul Harris Fellow 2022 (honorary), Rotary Club of Courtice
• Award of Recognition for Extraordinary Efforts during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Town of Caledon (bestowed by Mayor Allan Thompson and Caledon Town Council 2018-2022)
• Key to the City, City of Missisauga (bestowed by Mayor Bonnie Crombie)
• One of 2021’s 50 Most Influential Torontonians, Toronto Life Magazine
• Dr. Chandrakant P. Shah Alumni Award of Excellence, Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Public Health Alumni Association (2021, co-awarded with Dr. Eileen de Villa)
• Pillar of the Pandemic, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Closing the Gap Healthcare
• Public Health & Preventive Medicine Faculty Educator Award, University of Toronto
• William Kane Rising Star Award, American College of Preventive Medicine
• Jay S. Drotman Memorial Award, American Public Health Association
• Sadok Besrour Grant Award for Global Health, College of Family Physicians of Canada
• Honorary Life Membership, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations
• Dr. Chandrakant P. Shah Field Research Award, University of Toronto Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program
• Peer Educator Award, University of Toronto Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program
• Dr. Bart J. Harvey Service Award, University of Toronto Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program
• Dr. Jim Silcox Award, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario

Current Research Projects

Global health careers: motivations, barriers, relationship to specialty choice, ethical considerations

Volunteering abroad: improving outcomes, minimizing harms, ethics, guidelines

Public health and preventive medicine physician training and scope of practice

Effective physician advocacy

Representative Publications

Peer-reviewed 

Anand SS, Arnold C, Bangdiwala SI, Bolotin S, Bowdish D, Chanchlani R, de Souza RJ, Desai D, Kandasamy S, Khan F, Khan Z, Langlois MA, Limbachia J, Lear SA, Loeb M, Loh L, Manoharan B, Nakka K, Pelchat M, Punthakee Z, Schulze KM, Williams N, Wahi G. Seropositivity and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in a South Asian community in Ontario: a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study. ACMAJ Open. 2022 Jul 5;10(3):E599-E609. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20220031. Print 2022 Jul-Sep.

Tran M, Zhong A, Loh L. The balancing act of disclosing outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in workplaces. CMAJ. 2021 May 31;193(22):E806-E807. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.210174.

Uwabor E, Chau V, Romanin C, Loh LC. Digital tools for vaccine reporting: A perspective from the province of Ontario. Vaccine. 2021 Jun 8;39(25):3311-3312. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.05.007. Epub 2021 May 13.

Wilson SE, Bunko A, Johnson S, Murray J, Wang Y, Deeks SL, Crowcroft NS, Friedman L, Loh LC, MacLeod M, Taylor C, Li Y. The geographic distribution of un-immunized children in Ontario, Canada: Hotspot detection using Bayesian spatial analysis. Vaccine. 2021 Feb 22;39(8):1349-1357. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.11.017. Epub 2021 Jan 29.

Carvalho JP, Benusic M, Codat R, Gruescu R, Haydu L, Loh LC. Health risks of frozen raw breaded chicken products: A local health unit perspective. Can Commun Dis Rep. 2020 Nov 5;46(1112):403-408. doi: 10.14745/ccdr.v46i1112a07. eCollection 2020 Nov 5.

Loh LC, Rajaram N. Virchow 2.0 and physician advocacy: from call to effective action. Can Fam Physician. 2020 Dec;66(12):884-886. doi: 10.46747/cfp.6612884. Epub 2020 Dec 17.

Tsang VWL, Loh L. Using a Health Equity Lens to Evaluate Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH).

Guillette D, Stratton J, Varia M, Chau V, Loh LC. Canadian Public Health Agency Lessons on Using Choropleth Maps to Characterize Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 Data. Acta Med Port. 2020 Nov 3. doi: 10.20344/amp.15056.

Loh LC, Top KA. On national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs), evidence, and decisions on public vaccination programs: Canada’s experience with Human Papillomavirus Vaccine. Acta Med Port. 2020 Feb 3;33(2):90-92. doi: 10.20344/amp.12155. Epub 2020 Feb 3.

Grewal JK, Loh LC. Health considerations of the legalization of cannabis edibles. CMAJ. 2020 Jan 6;192(1):E1-E2. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.191217.

Manca TA, Graham JE, Dube E, Kervin M, Castillo E, Crowcroft NS, Fell DB, Hadskis M, Mannerfeldt JM, Greyson D, MacDonald NE, Top KA, on behalf of the Canadian Vaccine Product Monograph Working Group (contributing working group member) Developing product label information to support evidence-informed use of vaccines in pregnancy. Vaccine. 2019 Nov 15;37(48):7138-7146. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.09.063. Epub 2019 Oct 5.

Dainton C, Chu CH, Lin H, Loh LC. Variability of clinical practice decisions on Latin American mobile medical service trips (MSTs). J Glob Health Rep 2019; 3: e2019034.

Rowthorn V, Loh L, Evert J, Chung E, Lasker J. Not Above the Law: A Legal and Ethical Analysis of Short-Term Experiences in Global Health. Ann Glob Health. 2019 Jun 17;85(1). pii: 79. doi: 10.5334/aogh.2451.

Wilson SE, Murray J, Bunko A, Johnson S, Buchan SA, Crowcroft NS, Dubey V, Loh LC, MacLeod M, Taylor C, Deeks SL. Characteristics of immunized and un-immunized students, including non-medical exemptions, in Ontario, Canada: 2016-2017 school year. Vaccine. 2019 May 21;37(23):3123-3132. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.04.033. Epub 2019 Apr 24.

Steer K, Brown K, Doncaster H, Dueck K, Loh LC. From Priority to Endgame: The Region of Peel Living Tobacco Free Strategy. Can J Public Health. 2019 Apr 8. doi: 10.17269/s41997-019-00203-6. [Epub ahead of print]

Shah S, Lin HC, Loh LC. A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH). Global Health. 2019 Apr 2;15(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s12992-019-0469-7.

Rouble AN, Zayed R, Harvey BJ, Loh LC. Integrating clinical medicine and population health: where to from here? Can J Public Health. 2019 Feb 21. doi: 10.17269/s41997-019-00194-4. [Epub ahead of print]

Lee KK, Loh LC, Adamic J, Perry A, Sacks R, Lam K, Tong S, Wolf S. Lessons learned from the development and implementation of a citywide stair prompt initiative. Prev Med Rep. 2018 Dec 29;13:218-223. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.12.015. eCollection 2019 Mar.

Relan P, Yiu KCY, Lin HC, Loh LC. Remote Supervision in Short-Term Global Health Experiences. J Trop Med. 2018 Oct 2;2018:5629109. doi: 10.1155/2018/5629109. eCollection 2018.

Dueck K, Morrison R, Brown K, Lobo D, Loh LC. Innovative public health response to an event on the fringe of regulatory changes. 2018 Jun;109(3):338-341. doi: 10.17269/s41997-018-0073-2. Epub 2018 Apr 19

Logan D, Loh LC, Huang V. The ‘triple win’ practice: the importance of organizational support for volunteer endeavors undertaken by health care professionals and staff. J Glob Health. 2018 Jun;8(1):010305. doi: 10.7189/jogh.08.010305. Review. No abstract available.

Reves J, Loh LC. The role of medical students in short-term experiences in global health: a perspective from São Tomé island. Acta Med Port. 2018 Feb 28;31(2):71-73. doi: 10.20344/amp.9863. Epub 2018 Feb 28. No abstract available.

Lasker J, Aldrink M, Balasubramaniam R, Caldron P, Compton B, Evert J, Loh L, Prasad S, Siegel S. Guidelines for Responsible Short-term Global Health Activities: Developing Common Principles. Global Health. Global Health. 2018 Feb 7;14(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s12992-018-0330-4.

Yiu KC, Dimaras HD, Valdman O, Franklin B, Prochaska J, Loh LC. Characterizing a community health partnership in the Dominican Republic: Network mapping and analysis of stakeholder perceptions. Can Med Educ J. 2018 May 31;9(2):e60-e71. eCollection 2018 May.

Evans T, Akporuno O, Owens KM, Lickers B, Marlinga J, Lin HC, Loh LC. Using Maslow’s hierarchy to highlight power imbalances between visiting health professional student volunteers and the host community: An applied qualitative study. Educ Health (Abingdon). 2017 May-Aug;30(2):133-139. doi: 10.4103/efh.EfH_175_16.

Dainton C, Chu CH, Lin H, Cherniak W, Loh LC. A Protocol to Develop Practice Guidelines for Primary Care Medical Service Trips. Ann Glob Health. 2016 Sep – Oct;82(5):678-685. doi: 10.1016/j.aogh.2016.10.001

Peik SM, Mohan KM, Baba T, Donadel M, Labruto A, Loh LC. Comparison of public health and preventive medicine physician specialty training in six countries: Identifying challenges and opportunities. Med Teach. 2016 Nov;38(11):1146-1151.

Loiseau B, Benedict D, Sibbald R, Raman SA, Loh LC, Dimaras H. How can a Theory of Change framework be applied to short-term international volunteering? Int Health. 2016 Sep;8(5):310-2. doi: 10.1093/inthealth/ihw036. Review. PMID: 27620921

Miller AS, Lin HC, Kang CB, Loh LC. Health and Social Needs in Three Migrant Worker Communities around La Romana, Dominican Republic, and the Role of Volunteers: A Thematic Analysis and Evaluation. J Trop Med. 2016;2016:4354063. doi: 10.1155/2016/4354063.

Loh LC. Autocomplete: Dr. Google’s nefarious assistant? Can Fam Physician. 2016 Aug;62(8):622-3.

Loh LC, Dacso MM, Valdman O. Coalicion de Salud Comunitaria (COSACO): using a Healthy Community Partnership framework to integrate short-term global health experiences into broader community development. Global Health. 2016 May 2;12(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s12992-016-0155-y.

Russell C, Zandberg J, Wong B, Martinez D, Lin H, Marlinga J, Loh L. Sexual Health Knowledge in a Vulnerable Population: A Survey of Adolescents in the Bateyes of La Romana, Dominican Republic. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2016 Feb 27. pii: /j/ijamh.ahead-of-print/ijamh-2015-0104/ijamh-2015-0104.xml. doi: 10.1515/ijamh-2015-0104.

Dainton C, Chu CC, Lin HC, Loh LC. Clinical guidelines for Western clinicians engaged in primary care medical service trips (MSTs) in Latin America and the Caribbean: An integrative literature review. Trop Med Int Health. 2016 Feb 26. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12675. [Epub ahead of print]

Loh LC, Cherniak W, Dreifuss BA, Dacso MM, Lin HC, Evert J. Short term global health experiences and local partnership models: a framework. Global Health. 2015 Dec 18;11(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s12992-015-0135-7.

Loiseau B, Sibbald R, Raman S, Benedict D, Dimaras HD, Loh LC. Don’t make my people beggars: a developing world house of cards. Community Dev J 2015 doi: 10.1093/cdj/bsv047

Sur AH, Loh LC. A 38-year-old man who uses crack cocaine. CMAJ. 2015 Dec 8;187(18):1383-4. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.150491. Epub 2015 Sep 28. No abstract available.

Sibbald R, Loiseau B, Darren B, Raman S, Dimaras HD, Loh LC. Maintaining Research Integrity while Balancing Cultural Sensitivity: A Case Study and Lessons from the Field. Dev World Bioeth. 2015 Sep 11. doi: 10.1111/dewb.12089. [Epub ahead of print]

Melby MK, Loh LC, Evert JE, Prater CW, Lin HC, Khan OA. Beyond ‘medical missions’ to impact-driven short-term experiences in global health (STEGH): ethical principles to optimize community benefit and learner experience. Acad Med. 2015 Dec 1. [Epub ahead of print]

Bhate TD, Loh LC. Building a Generation of Physician Advocates: The Case for Mandatory Advocacy Training in Medical Undergraduate Programs. Acad Med. 2015 Dec;90(12):1602-6. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000841.

Chae SR, Heckman JE, Rhee DS, Loh LC. Ethical considerations of physician career involvement in global health work: a framework. J Bioeth Inq. 2015 Mar;12(1):129-36. doi: 10.1007/s11673-014-9591-7. Epub 2015 Feb 12

Ferrara BJ, Townsley E, MacKay CR, Lin HC, Loh LC. Short-term global health education programs abroad: disease patterns observed in Haitian migrant communities around La Romana, Dominican Republic. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 Nov;91(5):871-5. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0012. Epub 2014 Sep 8.

Rhee DS, Heckman JE, Chae SR, Loh LC. Comparative analysis: potential barriers to career participation by American and Canadian physicians in global health. Int J Family Med. 2014;2014:728163. doi: 10.1155/2014/728163. Epub 2014 Oct 27.

Loh LC, Brieger WB. Suburban sprawl in the developing world: duplicating past mistakes? The case of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Int Q Community Health Educ. 2014 Jan 1;34(2):199-211. doi: 10.2190/IQ.34.2.g.

Day K, Loh LC, Ruff RR, Fischer S, Rosenblum R, Lee KK. Does Bus Rapid Transit Promote Walking? An Examination of New York City’s Select Bus Service. J Phys Act Health. 2014 Apr 11. [Epub ahead of print]

Loh LC, Rao RV, Ng DM.An uncommon, sinister vertebral fracture: early-onset multiple myeloma. Can Family Physician 2013 Nov; 59(11):1195-1199

Loh LC, Friedman SR, Burdick WP. Factors promoting sustainability of education innovations: A comparison of faculty perceptions and existing frameworks. Educ Health 2013;26:32-8

Loh LC, Ugarte-Gil C, Darko K. Examination of the relationship between private sector health care predominance and physician outmigration. Bull World Health Organ. 2013;91:227-233. doi: 10.2471/BLT.12.110791

Loh LC, Harvey BJ. A look to the past as we look ahead: the specialty of public health medicine in Canada. Can J Public Health. 2013 Jan 8;104(2):e108-10.

Friedman SF, Loh LC, Burdick WB. Educator perceptions of the relationship between education innovations and improved health. Med Teach. 2012 Oct 30. [Epub ahead of print]

Loh LC, Peik SM. Public Health Physician Specialty Training in Canada and the United States. Acad Med. 2012 July;87(7):904-911, Epub 2012 May 22.

Letters, commentaries, invited papers, reflections

Loh LC. Right diagnosis, wrong interventions. CMAJ. 2020 Mar 30;192(13):E344-E345. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.74857.

Loh LC.  What constitutes a public health response to the opioid overdose epidemic? CMAJ. 2018 May 28;190(21):E661. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.69272. No abstract available.

Gardner C, Simon L, Sutcliffe P, Loh LC, Noseworthy L, Salvaterra RP, Young-Hoon K. A comprehensive approach needed to address regional variation. CMAJ. 2017 Jun 19;189(24):E840. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.733075.

Tan C, Loh LC. Bridging the information gap between physician and patient perspectives on health. CMAJ Blogs. 2017 Apr 21. Available at: https://cmajblogs.com/bridging-patient-physician-gap/

Loh LC. For patient involvement in clinical research. CMAJ. 2017 Feb 21;189(7):E285. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.732506

Loh LC. Let’s stop calling it a “health system”. Can J Public Health. 2016 Aug 15;107(2):e219. doi: 10.17269/cjph.107.5656.

Loh LC. Vaccine Hesitancy: What Medical Students (And Others) Should Know. The Doctus Project (invited.) 2016 Aug 10. Available at: http://www.doctusproject.com/2016/08/10/vaccine-hesitancy-medical-students-others-know/

Bhate TD, Loh LC. In Reply to Pivalizza et al. Acad Med. 2016 Apr;91(4):450-1. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001127.

Kim JH, Schwandt M, Loh LC. Popular Media, Outbreaks, and Parallels with Key Themes in ‘Contagion’ Policies for Equitable Access to Health () 2016 Mar 1. Available at http://www.peah.it/2016/03/popular-media-outbreaks-and-parallels-with-key-themes-in-contagion/

Loh LC, Sur AH. Acknowledging rural context, local and generalist care. CMAJ. 2016 Mar 1;188(4):286. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.11500884.

Loh LC. Spontaneous rib fracture: consider other neoplastic causes. CMAJ. 2016 Feb 2;188(2):141. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1150079.

Loh LC. “Taxes”, “Antes” and “Bonuses”: More on the Realities of Global Health Careers. Acad Med. Acad Med. 2016 Feb;91(2):161-2. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001037

Loh LC. The dark side of the Star’s Gardasil episode: when doctors and regulators are painted as the enemy. CMAJ Blogs. 2015 Apr 17. Available at http://cmajblogs.com/the-dark-side-of-the-star-when-doctors-and-regulators-are-painted-as-the-enemy/

Loh LC. Health versus Healthcare: Lessons from Transport Planning. Policies for Equitable Access to Health (invited). 2015 Feb 11. Available at http://www.peah.it/2015/02/health-versus-healthcare-learning-from-transport-planning/

Friedman A, Loh L, Evert J. Developing an Ethical Framework for Short-Term International Dental and Medical Activities. (invited) J Am Coll Dent 2014; 81: 8-15.

Loh LC. Clarification required: FOBT or not? Can Fam Physician. 2014 Oct;60(10):889.

Yuen MK, Carlos CM, Phan L, Wiener AA, Lin HC, Loh LC. More than just the T-shirt: Reflections from first-time participants in global health service. Can Fam Physician. 2014 Jun;60(6):556-7

Loh LC, Lin HC. Potential benefits of collaboration in short-term global health learning experiences. Acad Med. 2014 Apr;89(4):529-30. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000178

Loh LC. Whither the Endgame of the Anti-Vaccine Movement? Policies for Equitable Access to Health (invited). 2014 Mar 26. Available at http://www.peah.it/2014/03/whither-the-endgame-of-the-anti-vaccination-movement/

Loh LC. Evidence versus expectations. Can Fam Physician. 2014 Mar;60(3):224-5.

Loh LC. Driving: the other half of the equation. Can Fam Physician. 2013 Oct;59(10):1049-50.

Harvey BJ, Loh LC. Authors’ response (re: primary care – public health interface). Can J Public Health. 2013 Apr 4;104(2):e117.

Loh LC, Lin EC, Lin HC, Heckman JE, Rhee DS. Collaboration: another global health rule of engagement? Am J Med. 2013 Mar;126(3):e15. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2012.07.028

Loh L. The power of academic relationships. CMAJ. 2013 Feb 5;185(2):184. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.121199. Epub 2013 Jan 7.

Loh LC. It’s more than “just” a year. Can Fam Physician. 2012 Dec;58(12):1332-1334Loh LC. Obesity prevention is a continuum. Can Fam Physician. 2012 Jul;58(7):738-9

Loh LC, Rhee DS, Heckman JE, Chae SR. Not just more global health—smarter global health. Can Fam Physician. 2012 Apr;58(4):376-8

Loh L. The SCAR project: compassion through reality. Lancet Oncol. 2012 Feb;13(2):132-133