Canada appoints Lebanese woman as chief science adviser

Canada appointed a woman of Lebanese origins to hold the country's top scientist role for a three-year period on Tuesday, local media reported.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named cardiology researcher and vice president of research at the University of Ottawa Mona Nemer as chief science adviser.

Trudeau allocated a budget of CA$2 million for Nemer's new office will give advice to the government for science-related  policies.

The office will also help run government-funded science programmes accessible by the general public as well as protect government scientists from being censored.

"Scientists need to have a voice," Trudeau said during the announcement in Ottawa.

Nemer's office will report to the prime minister himself as well as Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan.

The appointment comes two years after the federal Liberals pledged to reinstate the position during the last election campaign.

A previous version of the role was removed a decade ago by the then-prime minister Stephen Harper.

Nemer, who was born in Beirut in 1957, said during her introductory speech "I'm taking this job to make a difference, and I intend to do so."

Her appointed was applauded by many in the field.

"Mona's fantastic, she has a very good reputation among Canadian researchers and has had a long and productive career," said Jim Woodgett, director of research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto. "She's got all the cred."