Director, Policy and Partnerships
Sapna Mahajan provides strategic leadership to help Genome Canada bring genomics solutions to global societal and economic challenges. Specifically, she oversees the organization’s external relations, focusing on shaping policy, building strategic partnerships, strengthening government relations, and supporting the adoption and uptake of new technologies and bridging research and society, to improve human and public health, food security and climate, environment and biodiversity. Prior to this role, she was the Director of Research and Innovation at Genome Canada, providing strategic leadership around the design, execution, and implementation of programs.
She has substantial national and international experience as a leader in public affairs, research, policy and program implementation in the health sector.
For more than a decade, Sapna was a director at the Mental Health Commission of Canada and director of the Centre of Expertise for Mental Health at Treasury Board Secretariat. She co-chairs the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Workplace Wellness and Resilience Working Group and is a member of the World Health Organization’s Guidelines Working Group. Additionally, she is Vice-Chair of the Technical Committee for CSA’s National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and Technical Committee Member for ISO’s Psychological health and safety at work: Guidelines. She also serves as a board member of the CHEO Research Institute and Mindful Employer. She is a founding member of the Guardian Council for the UK-based organization Togetherall and a member of the International Expert Advisory Committee for Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute.
She holds a master’s degree in international health (health policy and management) from Boston University.