McMaster Policy Exchange brings experts together to tackle misinformation in politics and healthcare

The McMaster Policy Exchange Roundtable brough together leaders from academia, government and the community to share insights and spark action on the issues of misinformation and polarization in politics and healthcare.

Posted on March 25, 2025

McMaster hosted the inaugural Policy Exchange Roundtable this month – a new forum that brings policy and decision makers together with academics, subject matter experts, and community stakeholders to share ideas and shape evidence-informed public policy.

The Roundtable was hosted through the McMaster Policy Exchange initiative. Led by Sukhvinder Obhi, Associate Vice-President, Research (Society & Impact), the Exchange gathers leading experts with diverse disciplinary and experiential backgrounds to tackle key societal challenges and generate insights for policy makers in government and beyond.

Obhi says the inaugural Roundtable was designed to spark discussions on some of the biggest challenges of our time – trust, misinformation and polarization in Canadian politics and healthcare.

“As our political and social landscape continues to evolve, it’s crucial that we identify new ways to work across sectors, disciplines and borders on public policy that advances a more informed and healthier world for all,” he says.

“We were thrilled to showcase how our experts are mobilizing their research to affect positive policy change and provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration with our academic, government, industry and community partners.”

Vass Bednar, Executive Director of McMaster’s Master of Public Policy Program, set the stage for the first panel discussion. Bednar is a public policy entrepreneur working at the intersection of technology and policy. Her presentation explored how practices like shrinkflation, green washing and false advertising mislead and exploit consumers.

First image: Vass Bednar gives the first keynote presentation at the inaugural McMaster Policy Exchange Roundtable. Second image, from left to right: Panelists Cliff van der Linden (Associate Professor, Political Science), Hon. Ruby Sahota (MP for Brampton North), moderator Don Abelson (Professor, Political Science), Andrea Lawlor (Associate Professor, Political Science) and Andrew Parkin (Executive Director, Environics Institute).

Panelists considered how mis- and disinformation impact citizens’ trust in public institutions and officials – especially with the rise of digital technologies and social media platforms that enable the rapid spread of false information and increased polarization.

Timothy Caulfield built on this discussion in his keynote address, tracing the history of misinformation in the public sphere from the 20th century to the present.

Caulfield is a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health and Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta. His work focuses on topics like stem cells, genetics, research ethics and public representations of science and health policy.

Timothy Caulfield shared his research on the misinformation crisis, the spread of medical myths – from anti-vaccination attitudes to the raw milk movement – and the need for strategies that combat misinformation.

The second panel discussion explored trust and misinformation in healthcare. Michael Wilson, Scientific Director of the McMaster Health Forum, shared how his research is generating action to mitigate health misinformation with experiences and insights from citizens.

First image: Michael Wilson, Scientific Director of the McMaster Health Forum. Second image, from left to right: Panelists Timothy Caulfield (Professor, Faculty of Law and School of Public Health, University of Alberta), Sarah Viehbeck (Chief Science Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada), Shaira Wignarajah (Medical Lead of Tamil Kids’ Health Team), Patricia Farrugia (Associate Dean (Acting), Indigenous Health, Faculty of Health Sciences), Julia Abelson (Professor, Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact), Barbara Dolanjski (Patient Partner & Scientist) and moderator Saroo Sharda (Associate Dean, Equity & Inclusion, Faculty of Health Sciences).

Panelists spoke about how misinformation is impacting the ways patients engage with health systems and health professionals, emphasizing the importance of involving patient perspectives in health research and policy reform.

John Lavis, Director of the McMaster Health Forum, summarized key takeaways from the day, highlighting the value of evidence-informed and lived experience-informed research, and the co-development of strategies with historically marginalized groups.

John Lavis presents a summary of the Roundtable, calling on attendees to continue their discussions and consider how they can act on some of the insights they gathered during the day.

Over 100 policy innovators attended the Roundtable. Obhi says it’s focused discussions like these that enable a valuable exchange of perspectives and ideas that can lead to real change.

“Thank you to our Policy Exchange team on Trust, Misinformation and Polarization in Canadian Society and to all those who joined us to share their work, make new connections and continue advancing positive policy change. This Roundtable was the first of its kind; we look forward to reconvening in the future to explore a variety of strategic themes and grow our policy engagement and influence activities across spheres,” he says.

To learn more about the McMaster Policy Exchange, visit research.mcmaster.ca

Research Announcements, Society & Impact