Professor Ian Town
Ian Town is the Chief Science Advisor at the Ministry of Health.
Ian Town has worked across both the health and education sectors during his 30-year career. A physician by training, he has published extensively in respiratory medicine. Much of this research has been implemented through evidence-based guidelines for the management of common conditions such as asthma, COPD and pneumonia. Following an 8-year period at the University of Canterbury as Deputy Vice-Chancellor he had a wide range of roles including Chair of the PBRF Sector Reference Group and Chair of the TEC PBRF Governance Group overseeing the 2018 Quality Evaluation. He has recently completed a 5-year term as the Chair of the Health Precinct Advisory Council leading one of the key Christchurch recovery projects.
In his role as Chief Science Advisor he is leading the Ministry’s work to implement the New Zealand Health Research Strategy 2017–2027 in partnership with MBIE and the HRC.