January 2024 | Canadian Food Inspection Agency | by Dr. Primal Silva
As I write this, it is hard to believe that my time at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is coming to an end! Looking back on my career at the Agency in several different roles, I can honestly say that it has been both a privilege and a pleasure.
Two words come to mind: gratitude and fulfillment. Gratitude for the opportunities I have been afforded throughout my career, and for the hard work and dedication of the people I worked closely with, both at the CFIA and in a number of other partner organizations. Fulfilment in the many accomplishments that we have achieved together over the years as well as in the impact we have as Canada's largest science-based regulatory agency.
My studies at various universities and my career path provided me diverse learning opportunities and an environment in which to grow. Following my Ph.D. at the University of Sydney, Australia, post-doctoral studies at McMaster University and the Ontario Veterinary College, and working as an Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph, I joined the federal public service in 1993. Early in my career, I was a Veterinary Biologics Evaluator with the CFIA Programs Branch for 7 years. Following that, I took on the position of the CFIA's Chief of Science and Technology for 5 years before taking on the role of Science Director and then Acting Director General for food research at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). In 2009, I returned to the CFIA as Executive Director of the Animal Health Science Directorate, and since 2014, I have had the privilege to serve as the CFIA's Chief Science Operating Officer.
The CFIA opened the door for me to carry out a lot of international work in addition to my role overseeing our laboratories and providing strategic leadership in science. Highlights for me include serving on the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) International Advisory Committee on SARS-COV-2, the WOAH Ad Hoc Group on Emerging Disease in Animals, and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). I am deeply grateful for all of these experiences and am happy to see that the CFIA continues to provide employees with exciting and empowering career opportunities.
Thinking back, I am immensely proud of our collaborative science initiatives. The collaborative work we do at the CFIA serves as a reminder that we don't have a monopoly on good ideas, and that we can always benefit from engaging with our partners, both domestic and international. We have had some very important work come out of our international collaborations, including the Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network, which brings together 17 animal and human health laboratories from Canada, the U.S., Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany to truly enhance our preparedness against transboundary diseases. The trusted partnerships that we have been able to create with these well-recognized international laboratories is even more valuable today in the heightened security environment in which we operate.
We have also reached significant milestones in building strategic alliances with other government departments and agencies. In the years to come, our Laboratories Canada initiatives will foster collaborative science hubs across Canada that bring together the CFIA, AAFC, Health Canada (HC), the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and serve as a shining example for the future of federal science.
During my career, I've also had the opportunity to build and nurture many partnerships with universities and provinces which have extended the outreach of the Agency and leveraged expertise and capabilities. Some notable examples include the ForeCan foresight network, the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network, the Canadian Regulatory Veterinary Epidemiology Network and a large number of projects under the Department of National Defence's Canadian Safety and Security Program. We have also fostered targeted engagements with academic partners. For example, at the University of Guelph, we have advanced a multi-faceted work plan comprising of student outreach, research, academic programs and partnerships, all of which has strengthened our relationship with this key academic partner.
While I have a deep sense of satisfaction with all of our collaborative accomplishments, what I am the most proud of and grateful for are the people with whom I've had the privilege to work closely with. I have been fortunate to work with so many talented people from across the Agency. People who are knowledgeable, innovative, resilient and unwavering in their commitment to delivering on our mandate to serve Canadians. As I think back to how we responded during the COVID-19 pandemic, I am filled with a profound sense of respect for the professionalism and dedication of our employees and how efficiently we rose to the occasion. As Canadians were faced with the pandemic's unprecedented challenges, CFIA laboratories stepped up to the plate and pivoted to continue delivering on our essential services while carrying out COVID surge testing to help PHAC's national program. In fact, CFIA laboratories never closed through the entire pandemic. We adjusted workflows and reprioritized in order to keep our employees safe, and there was not a single reported case of COVID transmission within CFIA laboratories during this time. The commitment and the sense of duty of CFIA employees during this global crisis is something I will never forget.
Looking forward, I know that the CFIA will continue to be the world-class regulatory science organization that it is today. I am excited to see what the future holds for the Agency. Our science is at the core of our work, shaping our programs, policies, and decision-making. And our work really does matter, underpinning the health and well-being of Canadians, our environment and the economy.
As my time at the CFIA comes to a close, I will fondly remember what has been a rewarding journey for me. I know the CFIA is in great hands, and I hope future generations of scientists will feel encouraged and inspired to pursue their careers in science at the CFIA, just as I did.
More information
- Science and research at CFIA
- Global experts join together to learn about pandemic preparedness
- Working with the world's deadliest diseases [podcast]
- Under the microscope: upholding scientific integrity [podcast]
- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the University of Guelph collaborate to advance the next generation of scientists
- A glimpse into Canada’s highest containment laboratory for animal health: The National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases