Regina Watteel, PhD, is the author of Fisman’s Fraud: The Rise of Canadian Hate Science, published in November 2023.

Regina holds a Doctorate in Statistics from the University of Western Ontario (UWO), A Master of Science degree in Statistics from UWO, and Bachelor of Science degree from McMaster University. Dr. Watteel has served as a consultant to medical practitioners, social scientists, and various levels of government. She also served as the principal statistician for an Ottawa-based economic consulting firm that specialized in econometrics, program evaluation, business case development and risk-benefit-options analysis.

As project manager and lead analyst, Dr. Watteel routinely engaged with stakeholder groups to deliver comprehensive solutions from early needs assessments and metrics development through to data collection, performance measurement, statistical analysis and the dissemination of findings, including implications and limitations. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate level university courses in multivariate statistical analysis, data analysis and engineering statistics.

Dr. Watteel’s career path took a dramatic turn following a motor vehicle accident in which a substance-impaired driver plowed into her while she was putting groceries into the trunk of her vehicle. Ultimately, Dr. Watteel stepped down from her position to focus on rehabilitation, health and her three children. She also took the opportunity to branch out and pursue aspirations in the publishing business. During the pandemic, concerns over the censorship of important scientific information and a government course of action that seemed to be moving in a direction of maximal harm and risk prompted a passionate return as a statistical sleuth.

Since March 2020, Regina N. Watteel has monitored the evolving world-wide pandemic data, government responses and emerging scientific findings. Early on, it became apparent to Dr. Watteel that the government’s actions were not based on sound decision-making practices and were at odds with their own risk management framework, which they appeared to have abandoned completely. She has been outspoken about the need for transparency and the importance of adhering to a rational, evidence-based approach that is open to scrutiny.