Every year, “The Bromley” convenes graduate students from the two universities for a two-day learning experience focused on science policy and science diplomacy. It allows them to learn, connect, exchange ideas and build a strong network with Canada-US science policy leaders and peers from both sides of the 49th parallel.
Celebrating a Centennial Milestone
The 2026 edition of The Bromley took place at the University of Ottawa — in the heart of Canada’s capital and just steps from Parliament — and was a particularly special one. The event commemorated the centennial of the birth of Dr. D. Allan Bromley, the Canadian-born physicist who became a trailblazing science advisor to U.S. President George H.W. Bush and after whom the event is named.
“Dr. Bromley’s career was an alchemist's mixture of academic research, policy development, executive leadership, and political advice-giving, at a time when such nonlinear career trajectories were not very popular,” said Dr. Eric M. Meslin, PhD FRSC FCAHS ICD.D, who delivered this year’s Bromley Memorial Lecture.
Following Dr. Meslin's lecture entitled 'People, Perspectives, and Priorities: Decoding Emerging Science and Technology Policy Across the 49th Parallel', graduate students Jessica Adams (GWU) and Valeria Vasilyeva (uOttawa) served as the designated respondents, engaging in a discussion on the key topics such as the human genome, AI, ethical issues associated with innovation, raised by the keynote.
“Dr. Bromley’s career was an alchemist's mixture of academic research, policy development, executive leadership, and political advice giving, at a time when such nonlinear career trajectories were not very popular !”
Dr. Eric M. Meslin
— Keynote speaker at the 2026 Bromley Lecture
A Unique Knowledge-Sharing Experience
The two-day event offered students a comprehensive look at the modern science policy landscape through a variety of expert-led sessions. Dr. Meslin’s lecture, alongside seminar discussions with Dr. Jeff Kinder, Paul Dufour, Dr. Nicholas Vonortas, David Watters, and Dr. Jason Millar, and presentations by the Ottawa Science Policy Network, made this event a unique experience for the graduate students.
“We are delighted to share the reflections of five of the graduate students who attended The Bromley 2026,” says ISSP Chair, Dr. Monica Gattinger. “Their testimonials will certainly inspire uOttawa and GWU graduate students to want to be part of The Bromley 2027, to be held in Washington, D.C., next spring.”
Testimonials — Discover how the Bromley Memorial Event is shaping the future of science policy:
Below are the student testimonials of Rafael Aguirre (uOttawa | ISSP), Coline Cocchi (uOttawa | Political Science), Amal Hussein (uOttawa | Engineering), Ryan Moats (GWU | International Science and Technology) and Valeria Vasilyeva (uOttawa | Medicine).
“I found especially intriguing D.B. Watters' invitation to (re)think our relationship with technology as a means to a purpose: its value for individuals and peoples.”
Rafael Aguirre Ponce
— University of Ottawa | Postdoctoral Fellow in Science, Society and Policy
The event was a great opportunity to listen to great minds guiding a day-long reflection on the challenges facing science policy. As expected, artificial intelligence occupied the centre. The greatest implications of the technology are not yet known. If something is clear, it is that we have to get our philosophical and political basics right, because the tide of the new technology is going to shake them. I found especially intriguing D.B. Watters' invitation to (re)think our relationship with technology as a means to a purpose: its value for individuals and peoples. Reducing the technological race to a competition to get more power (power for what?) reduces the very meaning of society and humanity.
Rafael Aguirre Ponce is a Research Associate at the University of Ottawa | Faculty of Social Sciences, where he studies energy projects, policies, and regulation. He holds a PhD in Public Administration from the University of Ottawa.
“The seminar and its associated discussions offered a rich and engaging experience, bringing together diverse perspectives on science policy, artificial intelligence, and international collaboration.”
Coline Cocchi
— University of Ottawa | Master's student in Political Science
I had the honour of participating in the 2026 Bromley Memorial Event as a student representative of the University of Ottawa. Over the course of two days, the seminar and its associated discussions offered a rich and engaging experience, bringing together diverse perspectives on science policy, artificial intelligence, and international collaboration. The event highlighted both Canadian and American approaches to these issues, creating a thoughtful space to reflect on the role of science in public policy. The sessions featured a range of speakers whose insights sparked meaningful discussions, and the Q&A periods provided valuable opportunities to engage directly with researchers and practitioners and explore their work in greater depth.
Beyond the formal program, I particularly valued the opportunity to connect with fellow University of Ottawa students and with student representatives involved in the Ottawa Science Policy Network (OSPN), which fostered a strong sense of academic community. Working alongside American students from George Washington University also added an important comparative dimension to the experience, as our exchanges brought forward both shared perspectives and nuanced differences, enriching the overall dialogue. These interactions, both inside and outside the sessions, contributed to a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.
The event also offered a chance to reflect on the legacy of D. Allan Bromley, a leading nuclear physicist whose work advanced North American scientific cooperation. As a master’s student focusing on U.S.–Canada relations, I was especially motivated to participate in this event, as it closely aligns with my research interests. Being part of these discussions not only allowed me to represent my university but also reinforced my interest in science diplomacy and the importance of cross-border collaboration in addressing complex global challenges.
“What stood out was the quality of exchange the event created across disciplines and across career stages.”
Amal Hussein
— University of Ottawa | M.Sc. candidate in Systems Science and Engineering
Participating in the 2026 Bromley Memorial Event as a uOttawa delegate left me thinking about what science and technology policy demands in this moment. Across the two days, I kept returning to the same thought: these are questions about institutions, judgment, trust, and how societies make decisions under pressure.
Dr. Eric Meslin’s keynote stood out to me in particular. Public trust is something I wrestle with often in my own research, so I especially appreciated his reflections on tribalism and the difficulty of sustaining trust in fractured political and social environments. That concern feels central to science and technology policy because legitimacy, public confidence, and the conditions under which expertise is heard all shape what policy can do in practice.
I also valued the broader dialogue throughout the event with Dr. Monica Gattinger, Dr. Jeff Kinder, Dr. Derya Büyüktanır Karacan, Paul Dufour, David Watters, Dr. Nicholas Vonortas, and Dr. Jason Millar. What stood out was the quality of exchange the event created across disciplines and across career stages. Change is fast, geopolitical pressures are real, and the consequences of policy decisions are shared across borders. The conversations on AI governance and Canada-U.S. relations made that feel especially concrete.
As someone working at the intersection of AI, governance, and engineering, I left the event with a stronger appreciation for the kind of policy work this moment requires. The event reminded me that thoughtful policy work depends on people who can move between research, institutions, and public questions with care, and also requires the ability to interpret competing pressures while keeping public responsibility in view.
That is part of what made the Bromley Memorial Event valuable to me. It created room to engage seriously with the people, ideas, and tensions shaping the field. I left with more to think about, especially around trust, governance, and the role careful dialogue plays in shaping stronger science and technology policy. I am grateful to the Institute for Science, Society and Policy for convening that space.
“Through engaging lectures and small group discussion I got to learn about the future of innovation policy between our two nations and the importance of continued scientific cooperation and collaboration.”
Ryan Moats
— Geroge Washington University | Master's student in Internartional Science and Technology
I had the immense pleasure to participate in the 2026 Bromley Memorial Lecture Event hosted at the University of Ottawa. While I was only able to attend the keynote speech last year while at my home institution of George Washington University, this year I had the opportunity to attend the entire event from start to finish. Networking with fellow student colleagues and established professionals was truly a joy, both professionally and personally. I recommend this experience to any graduate student interested in science policy, technological innovation, and international collaboration.
Through engaging lectures and small group discussions, I got to learn about the future of innovation policy between our two nations and the importance of continued scientific cooperation and collaboration. These discussions flowed perfectly into Dr. Eric M. Meslin’s keynote speech where he discussed the realities and complexities of an international scientific community and policy compatibility. Followed with insightful responses from students Jessica Adams and Valeria Vasilyeva, we had a great discussion about the future of this field.
This experience has inspired me to engage in a more internationally focused career in the pursuit of advancing science-based energy and climate goals through the development of informed science and technology policy. By facilitating both professional and personal conversations throughout the stages of the event, the Bromley Memorial Event helped grow my network to a truly international scale, giving me new insights and perspectives on S&T policy that are sure to help me in my career. I thank everyone at uOttawa for their amazing hospitality and wholeheartedly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a meaningful professional and academic experience in the S&T field.
“Dr. Meslin’s talk pushed me to think beyond that interface between basic science and clinical translation toward the broader systems of ethics, governance, and policy that ultimately shape how scientific advances are used in society.”
Valeria Vasilyeva
— University of Ottawa | MD-PhD candidate in Microbiology and Immunology at the Faculty of Medicine
Attending the 2026 Bromley Memorial Lecture by Dr. Eric Meslin was both intellectually engaging and personally grounding. As a first-year MD–PhD student in cancer immunology, my work sits at the intersection of basic science and clinical translation. Dr. Meslin’s talk pushed me to think beyond that interface toward the broader systems of ethics, governance, and policy that ultimately shape how scientific advances are used in society.
Reflecting on the Human Genome Project, I was reminded that transformative science does not happen in a vacuum. It is accompanied by deliberate efforts to address ethical, legal, and social implications. The establishment of the ELSI program set a powerful precedent: that governance must evolve alongside discovery. This resonated deeply with my own experiences working with human samples, where even limited access to donor information reflects an intentional balance between scientific inquiry and the protection of individual privacy.
At the same time, Dr. Meslin highlighted how today’s landscape, particularly with artificial intelligence, feels markedly different. Unlike the more centralized and publicly driven context of the Human Genome Project, AI development is fast paced, decentralized, and shaped by multiple competing actors. As a trainee, I already see how these tools are embedded in both research and clinical settings, from data analysis in the lab to supporting decision-making in medicine. However, their rapid integration raises important questions: How are these systems trained? Are they unbiased and representative? And who is accountable when they fail? These uncertainties create a sense that we are not only advancing quickly, but we may also be struggling to keep governance aligned with innovation.
What stood out most to me was the emphasis on communication and trust. Technologies like genomics and AI are no longer confined to research settings, as they are part of everyday life. I reflected on my own experience receiving a direct-to-consumer genetic testing kit, where the excitement of discovery overshadowed questions about data use and privacy. This illustrates a broader challenge: individuals are increasingly contributing data without fully understanding how it may be used, particularly as technologies evolve. Moving forward, honesty, transparency, and meaningful informed consent must remain central. Without them, trust in both science and medicine is at risk.
Differences between countries, including Canada and the United States, are shaped by distinct values and institutional structures. Instead of viewing these differences as barriers, they present opportunities to learn from one another and to build more inclusive and effective approaches to policy.
Ultimately, this lecture reinforced that as trainees, we are not simply entering existing systems, but we are inheriting and shaping them. In Canada, where healthcare and research are closely interconnected, there is a unique opportunity to approach emerging technologies in a coordinated and equitable way. However, realizing that potential will require more than technical expertise. It will require scientists and clinicians who are equipped to engage with ethics, policy, and public dialogue. Additionally, it is crucial to inform trainees, like me, not only how to navigate these but how to prepare to actively participate in shaping their governance.
