DLSPH Dean Adalsteinn Brown receives 2026 alPHa Distinguished Service Award
June 9/2026
Leading Ontario public health organization recognizes Dean Adalsteinn Brown’s exceptional leadership and contributions to strengthening public health systems.
By Ishani Nath
On June 9, 2026, Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) Dean Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown received the 2026 Distinguished Service Award (DSA) from the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) in recognition of his significant contribution to public health in Ontario.
The not-for-profit organization alPHa provides advice and expertise for Ontario’s public health leaders across the provincial health system. The organization also collaborates with governments and health organizations to strengthen public health in Ontario. Presented annually, alPHa’s Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, achieved meaningful and lasting results and shown a sustained commitment to improving the province’s public health.
“While this award traditionally recognizes outstanding contributions by members of alPHa, Professor Brown exemplifies the intent of the Distinguished Service Award for external recipients through his sustained, system-level contributions to public health in Ontario,” wrote Trudy Sachowski, alPHa Past Chair, in her nomination letter. “Over many years, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership, delivered tangible and lasting benefits for local public health practice, and shown an unwavering commitment to advancing population health, equity, and system capacity across the province.”
Since becoming Dean in 2017, Dr. Brown led DLSPH in advancing public health education, research and policy, while strengthening the School’s role as a champion of public health. His nomination for alPHa’s 2026 Distinguished Service Award was unanimously approved by the selection committee.
“This award means a lot because it comes from a group of people who have done so much for so long to protect the health of the people of Ontario,” said Dr. Brown. Previous winners of this award include DLSPH Professor Emeritus Dr. Vivek Goel, Mayor of Sioux Lookout, Doug Lawrence and the Medical Officer of Health for Peterborough Public Health (PPH) Dr. Rosana Salvaterra.
Dr. Brown’s leadership spans academia, government and the broader health system, establishing him as a trusted voice in evidence-informed public health practice and policy. He has long been a driving force in strengthening the relationship between DLSPH and Ontario’s local public health system — a role he continues to hold today.
Sachowski’s nomination letter also emphasized the academic expertise and institutional support that Dr. Brown and DLSPH have provided to alPHa’s online learning symposium. Sachowski, who received this award in 2022, highlighted how Dr. Brown’s work has “strengthened research-practice linkages, enhanced access to academic expertise, and increased visibility of local public health perspectives within broader provincial and national policy conversations.”
In recognition of these outstanding contributions to public health in Ontario, alPHa bestowed Dr. Brown with its 2026 Distinguished Service Award at its Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting held in Toronto on June 9, 2026.