Deputy Minister of Health - Shalene Curtis-Micallef

Shalene Curtis-Micallef was appointed Deputy Minister of Health on January 19, 2026. Prior to joining Health Canada she served as the Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada. Shalene has extensive experience leading organizations and in shaping impactful public policy and legal reform. She led the development of policy at Justice Canada and the delivery of advisory, litigation and legislative services to federal government departments.

Over the course of her time at Justice Canada, Shalene held a range of senior leadership positions, including Associate Deputy Minister of the department, Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Tax Law Services Portfolio, Deputy ADM for the Policy Sector, and Executive Director and Senior General Counsel for the Health Portfolio. Shalene contributed to the advancement of significant legislative reforms including in the areas of criminal law reform, foreign interference, cannabis legalization and regulation, tobacco control, food safety modernization and public health. She began her legal career as a tax litigator.

Shalene completed her legal studies at Osgoode Hall Law School, is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, and also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Ottawa.