The school is named after Paul Dalla Lana, chairman and founder of the NorthWest Healthcare Properties, which provided the $20 million grant to fund the school.
Mandel had been running since 2002 the Rollins School of Public Health in Emory. "My goal is within five years (that) we're a destination university for public health... among the top schools in the world," the new director told media, quoted by the Toronto Star.
Mandel emphasized the school will not be limited to infectious diseases like SARS and the avian flu, but will include major ailments that are spreading at an epidemic speed such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, obesity, heart diseases and stroke.
Lana's $20 million donation will be used for scholarships and research chairs. His company, NorthWest has a wide array of physician's clinics and healthcare facilities under its management.
