Eilish Cleary

Eilish Cleary (October 22, 1963 – March 22, 2024) was an Irish-born Canadian physician, health officer, and public health advocate who served as the Chief Medical Officer of Health in New Brunswick from 2007 until her termination in 2015, following a controversial decision by the provincial government. Shortly before her dismissal, she was studying glyphosate, a herbicide that is used in the province and has been characterized as potentially being carcinogenic to humans.

Born in Dublin, Cleary became the country's youngest doctor upon graduating from Trinity College. She later moved to Canada where she served as a public health official in Manitoba before moving to New Brunswick to work there. After her termination, Cleary continued working as a public health official for other provinces until her death in 2024 from ovarian cancer. She received multiple awards and honours throughout her career, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and Platinum Jubilee medals as well as appointments to various institutions such as the University of Manitoba and the University of New Brunswick.