Lars Hallstrom is the Director of the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities, a new and joint initiative of the Augustana Faculty of the University of Alberta in Camrose and the Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences at the main campus in Edmonton. A specialist in comparative environmental policy and politics, Dr. Hallstrom's research has focused on the intersection of science and public participation in the public policy process. He has published widely on a number of topics, including the politics and enlargement of the European Union, environmental and democratic theory, forest resources management and genetically modified foods, and has received grants from funders such as SSHRC, CIHR, PHAC and the NSHRF. In 2006, Dr. Hallstrom led the team that was awarded federal funding to establish the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health in Nova Scotia, and he served as Acting Director of that Centre until returning to full-time research in 2007. He is involved in a range of national and international collaborations exploring the relationships between health, society and ecological systems, and was also a member of the Theme Working Groups providing support and content to the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan.