Mehrdad Hariri

Canadian Science Policy Center (CSPC)

Mehrdad Hariri is the founder and CEO of the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC). His vision and leadership have positioned the CSPC as a leading non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science and innovation policy both in Canada and globally. Under his guidance, the center has spearheaded numerous pioneering initiatives, including the annual Science Policy Conference, Science Policy Magazine, and Science Meets Parliament, among others.

The Globe and Mail has recognized Mehrdad for his exceptional decade-long contributions to science policy. In 2022, he was honored as an emerging leader and invited to join the Governor-General Canada Leadership Conference, GGCLC.

Mehrdad is a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Science Society and Policy at Ottawa University and has served on various board and advisory committees, including being a board member of the Journal of Science Policy and Governance, and a board member of the Science & Technology Awareness Network. He has also served on advisory committees of the Innovation Leadership Council (ILC) of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) and the MITACS Science Policy Fellowship program.

Mehrdad studied Veterinary Medicine, Cell Biology and Functional Genomics at universities in Tehran, Montréal, and Toronto. Mehrdad has numerous publications and opinion pieces in various media outlets and regularly appears in the media as a commentator on science policy issues.