Cesar Leos‑Toro, PhD
Senior Research and Policy AnalystCesar Leos‑Toro's Area of expertise
Roles and responsibilities
Cesar works at the intersection of research, policy and innovation to advance substance use health priorities across Canada. He joined CCSA in March 2026 as a Senior Research and Policy Analyst. Working closely with partners and jurisdictional leaders, he helps make complex research accessible and relevant to decisions affecting communities in Canada. He leads projects spanning national guidance on artificial intelligence in mental health and substance us health care, measurement-based care, and knowledge synthesis and mobilization; bringing research, practice-based expertise, and lived experience into dialogue to shape better policy and care. His work advances evidence-informed responses to shared health priorities.
About Cesar
Cesar holds a PhD in Public Health and Health Systems from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Zurich's Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development (Switzerland). He also holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Health Studies and Gerontology, Health Informatics Option from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and received training in Advanced Drug Policy Management through the Council of Europe — Pompidou Group's International Drug Policy Academy (France).
Cesar is interested in how evidence can expand people’s opportunities to live healthier lives. His expertise includes cannabis and alcohol policy, youth substance use, surveillance and risk communication.
His career spans research, policy, teaching and health system improvement, including work with WHO, UNODC, the universities of Geneva, Zurich, and Waterloo, and UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre. Through collaborations with health authorities internationally, he has helped connect research with practical policy and health and social service priorities.
He’s particularly proud of his work on the International Cannabis Policy Study, which grew from his doctoral research into a multinational collaboration supporting understanding of cannabis policy and population health.
Outside of work, Cesar’s obsessed with his Bernese mountain dog, Rösti. He enjoys stand-up comedy, excessive coffee and wandering around Jean Talon Market.
