Thank you, Madam Chair.
My name, as you were just told, is Dr. Elizabeth Rolland-Harris. I am an epidemiologist by training. I hold a Master of Science in epidemiology from the University of Toronto as well as a Ph.D. in infectious disease epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom.
From June 2006 to September 2019, I worked as a senior epidemiologist for the directorate of force health protection within the Department of National Defence, and during my tenure there, I was responsible for the military suicide epidemiological surveillance file as well as being the project lead and co-primary investigator for the Canadian Forces cancer mortality study II. This study was conducted in collaboration with Veterans Affairs Canada and Statistics Canada, and it endeavoured to describe the types and numbers of deaths in both still-serving and released military personnel. These deaths included suicide deaths.
In September 2019, I left the Department of National Defence and accepted a new role with the Public Health Agency of Canada. I want to make it clear that my appearance today is based solely on my duties and knowledge related to my former position with the Department of National Defence.
I am not here today as a representative or employee of the Public Health Agency of Canada, as the subject matter of this study is not related to my current position with the agency.
Thank you for your invitation to appear before the committee.