Ian Town

Ian Town
FRACP
Town in November 2020
Born
George Ian Town
EducationUniversity of Otago
University of Southampton
EmployerMinistry of Health

George Ian Town FRACP is a New Zealand respiratory scientist and health official. He was appointed the Chief Science Advisor to the New Zealand Ministry of Health in 2019.

Education and research

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After graduating MB ChB at the University of Otago, Town completed a Doctor of Medicine higher degree at the University of Southampton in 1991, with a thesis entitled The role of inflammation in oxygen-induced lung injury in the preterm guinea pig.[1]

Town is a physician and has published on evidence-based guidelines for respiratory medicine, particularly asthma, COPD and pneumonia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.[2]

Town has publicly stated that the research on the drug Ivermectin doesn't show that the drug is effective at treating COVID-19 and claimed that it has dangerous side effects. Though he has voiced support for other protease inhibiting drugs.[3]

Employment

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Town was the Dean of the University of Otago in Christchurch from 2002 to 2005.[4] He was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury from 2005 to 2013.[5] He has been Chair of the Performance Based Research Fund Sector Reference Group and Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission PBRF Governance Group.[5] He was the Chair of Te Papa Hauora/Christchurch Health Precinct Advisory Council, advising on the post-earthquake rebuild, for five years.[5][6]

Town was appointed as Chief Science Advisor to the Ministry of Health in July 2019.[7][5] His role at the Ministry was originally part-time, and involved working with MBIE and the Health Research Council to implement the New Zealand Health Research Strategy 2017–2027.[5][7] When COVID-19 arrived in New Zealand his background in respiratory medicine led to his advising full-time on the New Zealand response to COVID-19.[7][8][9]

Selected publications

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References

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  1. ^ Town, George Ian (1991). "The role of inflammation in oxygen-induced lung injury in the preterm guinea pig (Thesis (D.M.) - University of Southampton, Dept. of Medicine I". www-lib.soton.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Our Chief Science Advisor Forum". Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  3. ^ COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) update – 10 December, 2021 12:30pm | Ministry of Health NZ, retrieved 13 December 2021
  4. ^ University of Otago, Christchurch. "History of the University of Otago, Christchurch". www.otago.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Chief Science Advisor". Ministry of Health NZ. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  6. ^ "New approach brings different health professions together to learn". Stuff. 3 October 2018. Archived from the original on 8 December 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "Christ's College: Health Matters". Christ's College. 20 May 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Independent experts to advise Government on post-vaccination future". The Beehive. Archived from the original on 12 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Ire over anti-lockdown letter". Otago Daily Times Online News. 26 December 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.