Ian Town

Chief Science Advisor to Ministry of Health, NZ

Ian Town

FRACP

Town in November 2020

Born|

George Ian Town

Education| University of Otago
University of Southampton
Employer| Ministry of Health

George Ian Town 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

[edit]

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

## Employment

[edit]

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

[edit]

Scholia has a profile for Ian Town (Q105047287).

* W. S. Lim; M. M. van der Eerden; R. Laing; W. G. Boersma; N. Karalus; G. I. Town; S. A. Lewis; J. T. Macfarlane (May 2003). "Defining community acquired pneumonia severity on presentation to hospital: an international derivation and validation study" (PDF). Thorax. 58 (5): 377–82\. doi:10.1136/THORAX.58.5.377. ISSN 0040-6376. PMC 1746657. PMID 12728155. Wikidata Q24678793.
* Carlos A Camargo; Tristram Ingham; Kristin Wickens; et al. (27 December 2010). "Cord-blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of respiratory infection, wheezing, and asthma". Pediatrics. 127 (1): e180-7. doi:10.1542/PEDS.2010-0442. ISSN 0031-4005. PMID 21187313. Wikidata Q83039767.
* Taylor DR; Drazen JM; Herbison GP; Yandava CN; Hancox RJ; Town GI (1 September 2000). "Asthma exacerbations during long term beta agonist use: influence of beta(2) adrenoceptor polymorphism". Thorax. 55 (9): 762–767\. doi:10.1136/THORAX.55.9.762. ISSN 0040-6376. PMC 1745862. PMID 10950895. Wikidata Q35534065.
* Neill AM; Martin IR; Weir R; et al. (1 October 1996). "Community acquired pneumonia: aetiology and usefulness of severity criteria on admission". Thorax. 51 (10): 1010–1016\. doi:10.1136/THX.51.10.1010. ISSN 0040-6376. PMC 472650. PMID 8977602. Wikidata Q36501395.
* D R Murdoch; R T Laing; G D Mills; N C Karalus; G I Town; S Mirrett; L B Reller (1 October 2001). "Evaluation of a rapid immunochromatographic test for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen in urine samples from adults with community-acquired pneumonia". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 39 (10): 3495–3498\. doi:10.1128/JCM.39.10.3495-3498.2001. ISSN 0095-1137. PMC 88378. PMID 11574562. Wikidata Q33973580.
* Ian Town; Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand; Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand (2003), The burden of COPD in New Zealand, OCLC 1135022891, Wikidata Q109329560
* Ian Town; New Zealand Guidelines Group; Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (2002), The diagnosis and treatment of adult asthma. (in undetermined language), OCLC 946799390, Wikidata Q109329561

## References

[edit]

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. ^ a b c d e "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. ^ a b c "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. 26 December 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.

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