Concordia names Tim Evans vice-president, Research, Innovation and Impact

Concordia’s next vice-president of Research, Innovation and Impact (VPRII) is a world-renowned scientist, educator, entrepreneur, and research and policy leader in the field of global health. Tim Evans will start his five-year term on January 6, 2025.

Throughout his career, Evans has pioneered intrepid and enduring global partnerships to address health inequities in the areas of childhood vaccination, disease surveillance, maternal and child health, the primary care workforce, pandemic financing, and access to life-saving drugs for HIV. Through these and other efforts, he has championed the need for continued investments in expanding global knowledge frontiers related to global health equity, health systems research, social determinants of health and health entrepreneurship.    

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tim to Concordia,” says President Graham Carr. “His unique vision, thought leadership, and impressive administrative experience on both national and international stages brings a novel skillset and global experience to Concordia at a transformational moment of growth and opportunity for our university’s research and innovation sector.”

A global career focused on local impact

After more than two decades abroad, Evans returned to Canada in 2019 to serve in three concurrent roles at McGill University, as inaugural director of the McGill School of Population and Global Health; as associate-dean (Population and Global Health) in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; and as the university’s associate vice-president (Global Policy and Innovation).

In 2020, as the world grappled with the outbreak of a once-in-a-century pandemic, the Government of Canada appointed Evans executive director of the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. The group was mandated to “catalyze, support, fund and harmonize knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 immunity” with the goal of helping decision makers better protect Canadians against the worst effects of the global health emergency. Over four years, the task force awarded more than $200 million to over 120 research and monitoring projects across Canada.

Prior to his time at McGill, Evans worked for some of the world’s top academic, medical and non-profit organizations, where he was always at the forefront of advancing global health equity and strengthening health systems delivery. His previous positions included: senior director of the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice at the World Bank Group; assistant director general at the World Health Organization; dean of the James P. Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University in Dhaka, Bangladesh; and director of the Health Equity Theme at the Rockefeller Foundation.

Evans started his career as an attending physician of internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and was an assistant professor in International Health Economics at the Harvard School of Public Health. He earned his medical degree at McMaster University and holds a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

“Tim is an extremely gifted leader,” says Carr. “His extraordinary experience in health research and public policy development is why he understands so well the imperative to break silos across disciplines and sectors, to foster partnership and collaboration, and to be innovative, entrepreneurial and sophisticated in how we approach research — whether that’s in the adoption of novel technologies, in the arts or in engineering.”

“Whatever the setting,” Carr adds, “Tim has shown a talent for listening and collaborating with colleagues from diverse backgrounds to get things done. He understands how local solutions can pave the way to overcoming global challenges. I’m looking forward to working closely with him.”

Ready to help Concordians do even more

In making the move west along Sherbrooke Street, Evans is embracing the energy and appetite for innovation that Concordia offers. He is excited to work with its talented, multidisciplinary faculty to grow the university’s reputation for cutting-edge and impact-focused research both in Canada and abroad.

“Today’s most-pressing issues — climate change, disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, preparing for the next pandemic — are international and interdisciplinary in scope and demand unprecedented ingenuity,” says Evans. “Universities have a critical role to play in forging new knowledge frontiers and training the next generation of leaders to bridge the ingenuity gap.”   

“Concordia is one the world’s best young universities, and diversity lies at the heart of its research strengths,” Evans continues. “Its faculty, students, and staff already embrace the idea that we can further the impact of our science, scholarship, and creative pursuits through collaboration. I’m motivated to support this community in its ambitions to make an even greater difference in Montreal, across Quebec, and around the world.”

About the research, innovation and impact sector

The VPRII portfolio is one of Concordia’s most complex.

In his new role, Evans will supervise units responsible for the ethical conduct of research, knowledge mobilization, global engagement, and the development of intellectual property. He will have major strategic initiatives under his purview, including the university’s Canada First Research Excellence Fund initiative, Volt-Age; 25 institutional research centres and platforms; and four major research institutes in aerospace, next-gen cities, applied AI, and media arts and digital culture. Drawing on his career-long expertise in global health research, education, and policy, he will also accelerate the development of Concordia’s recently created School of Health. Finally, he will oversee the School of Graduate Studies alongside the provost and vice-president, academic.

As chair of the search committee, Carr is very grateful for the work of its members: Leslie Barker, Maria Diaz, Rajiv Johal, Claude Joli Coeur, Raghulkanna Lakshmanan, Cédric Lesage, Jason Lewis, Shoghig Mikaelian, Aphrodite Salas, Emad Shihab, and Dajana Vukovic.

Carr also thanks Effrosyni (Faye) Diamantoudi, dean of Graduate Studies, who has served as interim vice-president since July 1 and will continue in the role until the end of 2024.

“Faye has provided critical stability for the research, innovation and impact sector,” says Carr. “We’re extremely fortunate that she has stepped up to help ensure a seamless transition.”

The Board of Governors approved Evans’s appointment at its meeting on September 26. In addition to the VPRII role, he will join Concordia as a tenured professor in the Department of Management in the John Molson School of Business.

Evans replaces Dominique Bérubé, who left Concordia at the end of June to become vice-president (Research and Innovation) at McGill.

Learn more about Concordia’s Office of the Vice-President, Research, Innovation and Impact.