Rethinking the Route: Shane Randell’s Journey into Epidemiology

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Shane Randell, an epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). As a current PhD candidate at Memorial University, Shane sat down to chat, with one point noticeably clear: his career path has been anything but conventional. “For me, it’s been about going with the flow,” he said with a smile, “and making a lot of pivots along the way.”

Shane’s flexibility and openness to the unexpected have truly shaped his professional journey.

An Unexpected Start

After completing his biology degree, Shane struggled to find a job in his field and ended up working at American Eagle Outfitters—a far cry from the biology lab work he had envisioned. “I can still remember answering the phone, ‘American Eagle, how can I help you?'” he laughs, recalling those early post-graduate days.

It did not take long, however, for Shane to realize he wanted more. This desire led him to South Korea, where he spent a year teaching English, followed by a volunteer stint in South Africa. A year and a half of exploration and personal growth left Shane with invaluable experiences, but as he prepared to return home, he still wasn’t sure what came next—until he discovered epidemiology.

“I didn’t know what epidemiology was,” he admitted. “But a friend of mine had started in the clinical epidemiology program at Memorial University and loved it.”  Her enthusiasm piqued Shane’s interest, and he was hooked after learning more about the field. “It sounded challenging, intellectually stimulating, and an opportunity to make a tangible difference.” From that moment on, Shane’s career path began to take shape.

The Move to Public Health

In January 2022, Shane transitioned into his role at the Public Health Agency of Canada. “I remember it was a three-month contract,” he recalled, describing the leap of faith he took leaving his previous job in radiology. “But I knew the risk was worth it—and it absolutely has been.”

Shane entered Public Health at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic. While his predecessor had been deeply involved in pandemic response, Shane took over as the intensity of that work had subsided, allowing him to focus on modernizing mental health and addiction data reporting—a task he found both challenging and rewarding. “This has been like winning the career lottery,” he remarks. “The public health officer role is very social. You connect with so many people, and it quickly becomes clear that many are doing great work on the same topics without even knowing each other exists.”

Shane’s work has been instrumental in harmonizing data reporting systems, particularly in mental health and addiction. He frequently facilitates conversations between teams that might otherwise operate in isolation.

Shane’s knack for connecting the dots between groups has been essential in projects like the mental health and addictions dashboard underway in Newfoundland and Labrador. Originally developed as an internal tool for the Department of Health, the dashboard is evolving into a comprehensive system, integrating a broader range of indicators—from opioid hospitalizations to stimulant use. The goal? To provide decision-makers with the real-time data necessary to address the evolving crisis of substance-related harms.

Finding Balance

For many, balancing a demanding full-time job with the rigors of academia would be overwhelming. Now in the final stages of his PhD, Shane admits it has been challenging. “I don’t feel like I balance it well. Thesis writing gets squeezed in when it can—usually in the evenings and on weekends.”

 Despite this demanding schedule, Shane has managed to prioritize his mental and physical health. His secret weapon? His dog, Atticus. “He keeps me moving,” Shane says with a smile. “After a long day, we’ll head into the woods, run around for an hour, and then I sit back down at the computer to focus on my PhD.” This routine keeps Shane grounded and recharged for each new task.

When asked about his future, Shane is clear: he wants to continue making an impact in public health, possibly through PHAC’s Field Epidemiology program. “My goal is to make myself as redundant as possible here,” he says, half-joking. “That way, I’ll know the right people are talking, the job is getting done, and I’m no longer needed.”

But Shane’s ambitions go beyond his current role. He is eager to take on new challenges, especially those involving the hands-on “fieldwork” he finds so rewarding—work that is complex, unpredictable, and rarely has clear-cut answers. “If it’s something new, I want to jump in,” he says.

Biography

Shane Randell is an epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Canada, specializing in substance-related harms and public health death investigations. Since joining in January 2022, he has collaborated with federal and provincial partners to modernize data tools for mental health and addictions.

Shane also contributes to Digital Health Newfoundland and works with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Newfoundland and Labrador. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology at Memorial University of Newfoundland.