Dr. Jason Acker is an outstanding mentor, educator and advisor who is internationally recognizedfor his leadership and scholarly contributions to the transfusion sciences and cryobiologycommunities. He is an innovative scientist whose paradigm-shifting research discoveries haveadvanced the preservation of cell-based therapeutics. He is a collaborative researcher whosuccessfully brings together multidisciplinary teams to support the translation of novel discoveriesinto innovative products. Through his service with national and international organizations he hasactively contributed to improving ...

Interim Dean, University of Toronto

Professor Allen, currently serving as Interim Dean of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, leads a highly productive research program developing advanced drug formulations. Her research has yielded >130 publications with several featured in journal covers and editorials. Dr. Allen is committed to the commercialization of her research, with a number of innovations moving towards clinical development. She has played a significant leadership role at her University, at granting agencies and in scientific societies. A dedicated member of the Controlled Release Society, she ...

VP of Research, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou is the Vice President of Research and Director of the Bloorview ResearchInstitute at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Canada’s largest pediatric rehabilitationhospital. She is also a child neurologist and professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto. Sheis a senior clinician scientist and co-leads of the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Holland Bloorviewand University of Toronto. She holds a Canada Research Chair in translational therapeutics inautism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the Dr. Stuart D. Sims Chair in Autism at Holland Bloorview. ...

Professor Emeritus, Medicine; President, Friends of CIHR, Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research (FCIHR)

Aubie Angel MD, BSc(Med), MSc (Exp Med), FRCPC, FCAHS: Professor Emeritus: President, Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Senior Fellow, Massey College (Member of Corporation), University of Toronto. Dr. Angel is an Endocrinologist with research interests in adipose tissue and lipid/lipoprotein metabolism. His earlier research concerned fat formation and storage in adipose tissue and discovered that in obesity, total body cholesterol is enlarged because of the accumulation of cholesterol in fat tissue. He also found that fish oil diets resulted in smaller fat stores compared to ...

Professor of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University

Dr. Martin M. Antony is among Canada’s leading experts on the correlates and evidence basedtreatment of anxiety and related disorders. He has contributed over 300 peer-reviewedpublications and over 30 widely recommended books that have been translated into 20 languages.Dr. Antony has played a central role in the delivery of evidence-based mental health care in Ontarioas founding director of the Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic and the Clinical PsychologyResidency Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, founding director of Toronto MetropolitanUniversity’s Psychology graduate ...

Dr. Robert Armstrong has made outstanding contributions in clinical care, education, research, and service to government. While Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UBC, he has also served as President of Pediatric Chairs of Canada. His major contributions include innovation in developmental pediatrics and provincial, national, international leadership to ameliorate health outcomes for children with disabilities. He is actively involved in global child health, working with rural born infants in Pakistan, fostering educational innovation in Uganda, supporting Chinese capacity for improved ...

Jehannine is an Associate Professor in Psychiatry & Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia, where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Translational Psychiatric Genomics. She is also executive director of the BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute. She graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Bath, a PhD in Neuropsychiatric Genetics from the University of Wales College of Medicine, and a MSc in Genetic Counseling from the University of British Columbia. Her research work involves studying the impact of genetic counseling for people with ...

Richard Austin is a Professor of Medicine, Amgen Canada Research Chair in Nephrology and Career Investigator of the Heart and Stroke. As Director of the Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research, he combines biomedical and genetic research strategies to better understand how cellular stress pathways drive cardiovascular and kidney disease. With >150 publications in high-impact scientific journals, Dr. Austin’s seminal discoveries have contributed to the development of new medicines for these diseases. As a passionate scientist, he serves on numerous grant panels and is a celebrated mentor of ...

Peter Backx has been at the forefront of medical research designed to better understanding themolecular and ionic underpinnings of the heart’s electrical and contraction properties, particularlyin relationship to disease. His work has bridged information gaps related to cardiac arrhythmiaswhich is causes ~50% of deaths related the cardiovascular system. These studies have led directlyto new concepts and approaches for treating arrhythmias including ongoing clinical trials for ironoverloadrelated cardiomyopathies. More recent studies have focused on the most commoncardiac arrhythmia, atrial ...

Professor Emeritus, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta

Barbara Ballermann is internationally recognized for the quality of her discovery research in endothelial biology in kidney disease. A nephrologist by training, she has made important discoveries toward reducin the human costs of this disease. She has taken on important leadership roles at the academic division and departmental levels at the University of Alberta and has been an advocate for research and for the career development of her faculty members. She was president of the Canadian Society of Nephrology and volunteers her expertise to the Kidney Foundation of Canada.