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

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 affects. Though he has voiced support for other protease inhibiting drugs.[3]

Employment

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

References

  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. 1 2 3 4 5 "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. 1 2 3 "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.
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