What we do
SPARC — the Centre for Health Communications — is a University of Toronto centre based at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. We help health experts communicate with the public in ways that build trust, reduce polarization, and promote healthier choices.
We were founded on a simple, urgent question: How can experts best communicate in this modern information ecosystem to improve health outcomes?
We have the answer in three connected ways:
By teaching communication as a core professional skill
By convening a community of practice across disciplines
By producing scholarship that defines what good health communication looks like — and proves what works.
Our work spans three areas of strength:
Health advocacy
Public engagement
Medical journalism
The problem we are built to solve
Canadians have never had more access to information — and never had a harder time making healthy choices. Traditional journalism is contracting while social media and influencers are filling the gap. Mis-, dis-, and mal-information travel farther and faster than careful reporting. As a result, trust in science, experts, and public institutions continues to slide.
Health experts are among the most trusted voices in society, but many were never trained to communicate beyond the clinic or the journal. SPARC helps close that gap — building the skills, community, and evidence base that let expertise reach people where they are.
Our work advances the Dalla Lana School of Public Health's 2025–2030 Academic Plan, commits to building trust and resilience, and connects to different parties that share the same interest. These include the University's Investigative Journalism Bureau, the Fellowship in Journalism and Health Impact, and partners across Health Science faculties.