IAB Members - Biographies
(September 2008 - August 2009)
Eve Roberts, MD, FRCP(C)
Senior Scientist/Gastroenterologist,
The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute
Professor, Pediatrics, Medicine and Pharmacology,
University of Toronto
Chair/CEO, Canadian Liver Foundation
Dr. Eve Roberts is a Senior Scientist and Gastroenterologist with The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute and specializes in the study of metabolism. She is also a Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Pharmacology with the University of Toronto. The focus of Dr. Roberts's research concerns childhood liver diseases where a metal, such as copper or iron, damages liver cells. Although copper is essential for the normal function of numerous critically important enzymes in humans, it is toxic in excess. Likewise, iron is normally found in the liver of newborns but in some conditions hepatic iron deposition is increased and liver damage occurs. As a member of a team focusing on metabolism research, Dr. Roberts' strives to find novel and innovative therapies to treat effectively a variety of liver disorders in children, including Wilson disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Dr. Roberts is Chair and CEO of the Canadian Liver Foundation which raises funds to support research and education to reduce the risks, enhance understanding and explore new treatments and possible cures of liver disease.
Daniel G. Bichet
Professor
Department of Medicine
Université de Montréal
Dr. Daniel G. Bichet is Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the Université de Montréal and is a member of the Groupe d'étude des protéines membranaires (GEPROM). He holds a CIHR Chair in genetics of renal diseases and his laboratory is also receiving important long-term support from the Kidney Foundation of Canada and a recent award from the Gene Cure Foundation. He completed his M.D. degree at Université de Besançon (France) in 1972 and additional clinical training at Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal Hospital (Université de Montréal), Montreal General Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital (McGill University) followed by a research fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Schrier. He received the Jonathan Ballon Award of the Quebec Heart and Stroke Foundation in 1982 and was a scholar of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and of le Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ) from 1982 to 1994 and was a recipient of a Career Investigator Award of the FRSQ from 1994 to 2003.
His research involves fundamental life sustaining homeostatic networks for water and osmotic pressure balance in man and his laboratory is contributing to the prevention of dire consequences of dehydration states in children with polyuric disorders (Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus). He received a Doctorat Honoris Causa from the University of Nancy (France) in 1999 and the Medal of the Kidney Foundation of Canada in 1998.
He is staff nephrologist at Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal.
Karen Chad, B.Ed., M.A., Ph.D.
Associate Vice-President of Research
Professor
College of Kinesiology
University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Karen Chad is Associate Vice-President of Research at the University of Saskatchewan and a Professor in the College of Kinesiology with associate membership in the Colleges of Pharmacy and Nutrition and Medicine.
Dr. Chad obtained both a Bachelor of Physical Education degree (1980) and a Bachelor of Education degree (1981) at the University of Saskatchewan. She received a Master of Arts degree, with a concentration in physical education (1985), from the University of Victoria, and a PhD in human movement studies (1988) from Australia's University of Queensland.
A prolific researcher, she has a keen interest in health promotion and aspects of exercise physiology including metabolism, nutrition, body composition and human health. This has led to the development of an internationally-recognized, multidisciplinary program that builds community capacity through physical activity and health research. Through applied research, Dr. Chad works closely with community organizations, health boards, businesses, and government in an effort to help people make positive lifestyle choices and avoid lifestyle-related diseases. She is a member of numerous professional societies and provincial and national boards, including the Research, Policy and Planning Advisory Committee, as well as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Among her many accolades, in 1997 she received the YWCA Woman of Distinction (Health and Education) award. She has twice been awarded a Teaching Excellence Award by the University of Saskatchewan's student's union and received a Master Teacher Award at the school's 2005 fall convocation.
Lise Dubois, DtP, PhD
Associate Professor,
Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine
University of Ottawa
Dr. Lise Dubois holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in nutrition and population health at the University of Ottawa's Institute of Population Health and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine. A nutritionist and sociologist, Dr Dubois was previously an associate professor at Laval University, where she earned her PhD. Dr Dubois' special research interests include social determinants of health, child development, obesity and nutrition, the social aspects connected to nutrition and health, surveys of populations and indicators of health, and nutrition policy. In 2002, she conducted the first nutrition survey on preschool children in Canada. She is currently studying data gathered in Canada and other developed countries to determine the social factors contributing to social inequalities in nutrition and health. Dr. Dubois is also examining the diets of children, adults and seniors with a view to reducing health problems affected by diet inequalities. Dr. Dubois is a member of numerous professional societies, including the Ordre Professionel des Diététistes du Québec (OPDQ) and the Association internationale des sociologues de langue française (AISLF).
Loren D. Grossman, MD, FRCPC, FACP
Vice President, Research and Development
Eli Lilly, Canada
Dr. Loren Grossman is Vice President of Research and Development at Eli Lilly Canada. In this role he is responsible for overseeing basic and clinical research, medical education, medical information, regulatory affairs, product safety, and quality assurance and control in Lilly’s four therapeutic areas of focus: oncology, endocrinology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular/critical care. He is also a member of the Senior Management Team of Eli Lilly Canada.
Dr. Grossman, an endocrinologist, joined Eli Lilly Canada in 1997 as a Clinical Research Physician supporting the areas of endocrinology and cardiovascular research. In 2002, Dr. Grossman was promoted to Medical Advisor with his role evolving to support the areas of endocrinology and men’s health.
Dr. Grossman is currently a member of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and is a lecturer in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Prior to joining Eli Lilly Canada, Dr. Grossman was a Staff Endocrinologist and Chief, Department of Internal Medicine at Scarborough Grace Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario.
Dr. Grossman earned a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in 1978 and a Medical Degree in 1982, both at the University of Toronto. He has specialist certificates in Internal Medicine, and Endocrinology and Metabolism from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Dr. Robert Haché
Vice Dean Research, Faculty of Medicine
Professor
Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology
University of Ottawa
Senior Scientist, Ottawa Health Research Institute
Dr. Robert Haché is Vice Dean of Research in the Faculty of Medicine and a professor in the Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Ottawa. He is also a Senior Scientist in the Hormones, Growth and Development Program of the Ottawa Health Research Institute at the University of Ottawa.
Dr. Haché obtained his bachelor of science degree, with a major in biochemistry, from McGill University (1981) and completed his PhD degree in biochemistry (1987) at Queen's University. He received postdoctoral fellowship training in Marburg, Germany, with financial support from a Medical Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship, and joined staff at the University of Ottawa in 1990. Dr. Haché has since received a CIHR/Cancer Research Society New Investigator award and a CIHR Investigator award.
Dr. Haché's major research interests include investigation of the molecular mechanisms of steroid hormone signaling with a specific focus on signaling by glucocorticoid hormones acting through the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors. One goal of his research is to understand, at a molecular level, the contribution of glucocorticoids to the differentiation of preadipocytes into mature fat cells.
He has been part of grant advisory panels for the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Cancer Research Society Inc, the Arthritis Society and MRC/CIHR.
John Harnett, MD
Professor, Medicine (Nephrology),
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Co-Chair, Research Council, Kidney Foundation of Canada
John Harnett is Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) with Memorial University of Newfoundland. He is involved in cardiovascular and renal research and has been funded by the Kidney Foundation of Canada. He has also served as a grant reviewer for The Arthritis Society. He is currently co-chair of Memorial University's Research Ethics Board. Dr. Harnett's current research portfolio includes clinical trials in renal transplantation, dialysis and chronic renal disease. Future interests involve study in the advancement of telemedicine and research ethics. Dr. Harnett's research background includes work on the prognosis of heart disease in dialysis patients, exploring risk factors of echocardiographic and clinical heart disease in dialysis subjects and genetic renal disease. Currently serving as Research Council Co-Chair for the Kidney Foundation of Canada, Dr Harnett is committed to helping those Canadians who suffer from kidney failure and related disorders.
Murray Huff, PhD
Director
Vascular Biology Research Group
Robarts Research Institute
Dr. Murray W. Huff is a scientist and Director of the Vascular Biology Research Group at Robarts Research Institute and a Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). He received a PhD in Biochemistry from UWO and completed post-doctoral training at the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
Dr. Huff is an expert in the kinetic analysis of lipoprotein metabolism and has elucidated the mechanism of action of cholesterol lowering drugs, including statins, inhibitors of cholesterol absorption, cholesterol esterification (ACAT) and the apical sodium bile acid co-transporter.
Dr. Huff receives peer-reviewed funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HSFO). He has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers, and his research has been recognized by over 50 invited presentations in the past 5 years. Dr. Huff is involved in clinical research in the areas of lipoprotein risk factors for coronary heart disease -- and is currently chair of the CIHR Metabolism Grant Review Committee.
Jeffrey A. Johnson, PhD
Professor
Department of Public Health Sciences
University of Alberta
Dr. Jeffrey A. Johnson is a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta. He is also a Canada Research Chair in Diabetes Health Outcomes.
Dr. Johnson received a Bachelor of Social Policy degree with Distinction (1988) and a Master of Science degree in clinical pharmacy/pharmacoepidemiology (1994) from the University of Saskatchewan. He received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, with a specialty in pharmaceutical economics (1996).
Dr. Johnson's research is helping to improve the way our healthcare system deals with the growing epidemic of diabetes. He aims to improve the overall quality of care for people with diabetes, and determine the most effective way of reducing heart disease, which is the leading killer of people with diabetes. Recent research suggests that many people can avoid developing diabetes by losing weight through healthy eating and physical activity. Dr. Johnson is interested in the cost-effectiveness of implementing such programs for the whole population.
Dr. Johnson is a Fellow with the Institute of Health Economics in Edmonton, and holds adjunct appointments in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Alberta and the College of Pharmacy at University of Arizona. He also chairs the Alliance for Canadian Health Outcomes Research in Diabetes (ACHORD), a group of multi-disciplinary researchers with interests in epidemiologic, pharmacoepidemiologic, cost and economic evaluations, and alternative care delivery strategies in diabetes.
Naana Afua Jumah, D.Phil
First Year Medical Student
Harvard Medical School
Dr. Naana Afua Jumah is a first year medical student at Harvard Medical School. In 2001, she completed a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto and in 2004 she completed her D.Phil. in Medical Engineering at the University of Oxford.
Dr. Jumah's research has focused on targeted drug delivery technology for which she has been the recipient of many awards including a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Undergraduate Research Award and a Rhodes Scholarship. She has been involved in numerous healthy lifestyle programmes focusing on Aboriginal and immigrant/refugee youth through the Regional Multicultural Youth Council in Northwestern Ontario.
Dr. Jumah is also a role model in a science promotion campaign with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the United Kingdom. Her particular interest is promoting science education to young women.
Donna G. Lillie, RN, BA, CHE
Vice President
Research and Professional Education
Canadian Diabetes Association
Donna G. Lillie is Vice President of Research and Professional Education with the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Mrs. Lillie received her Bachelor of Arts degree at York University in 1982 after having received training as a Registered Nurse from the School of Nursing in 1969. She went on to become a Certified Health Executive and studied health care systems at the Rotman School of Management and Harvard University.
Mrs. Lillie's leadership and guidance of 22 staff members at the Canadian Diabetes Association helps in the production of healthcare professional publications and tools, the hosting of an annual professional conference, the allocation of research funding, and advocacy for people affected by diabetes through public policy and government relations work. This work is enhanced through the support of more than 500 expert volunteers.
Mrs. Lillie's comprehensive knowledge of the healthcare milieu is borne of her tremendous experience in a variety of roles. Professionally, she has been held positions in clinical and administrative roles in institutional and non-profit sectors. She has held numerous positions on various committees, including the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada, the National Diabetes Surveillance Systems, numerous task forces and advisory boards - and was integral in the development of the landmark Canadian Diabetes Association 2003 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada.
Mrs. Lillie is recognized as a leading voice of both the Association and people living with diabetes in Canada. She is called upon frequently as a spokesperson for diabetes and related health care and research issues in Canada.
Dr. Aleck Ostry
Canada Research Chair
Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar
Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Victoria
Dr. Ostry is currently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Victoria. He holds a Canada Research Chair in the Social Determinants of Community Health and is also a Senior Scholar with the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research in British Columbia. He has a MSc in Health Service Planning, an MA in history (specializing in the history of public health), and a PhD in epidemiology. He conducts an extensive program on the social determinants of health with a focus on food security and nutrition policy.
Dr. William G. Paterson, B.Sc., M.D., FRCPC
Professor of Medicine, Biology and Physiology
Queen's University
Dr. Paterson is a clinician-scientist whose research focuses primarily on the physiology and pathophysiology of the esophagus. His CIHR-funded laboratory explores the neuromuscular mechanisms that control esophageal peristalsis and lower esophageal sphincter tone and relaxation. He also studies the mechanisms whereby inflammatory mediators released during acid-induced esophagitis alter neuromuscular function of the esophagus. Dr. Paterson is Chair of the Division of Gastroenterology at Queen's University and holds a Queen's University Research Chair. He is also currently the President of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. Through this latter position he has taken an active role in developing evidence-based benchmarks for wait times and in projects designed to improve access to high quality digestive healthcare for Canadians.
Sylvie Robichaud-Ekstrand, PhD
Network Director and Coordinator
School of Nursing
University of Moncton
Dr. Sylvie Robichaud-Ekstrand is currently the network director and coordinator for the School of Nursing at the University of Moncton.
In 1982, Dr. Robichaud-Ekstrand received her Bachelor degree in Science from the University of Ottawa. In 1986 she obtained a Master of Science degree, with a specialty in Nursing, from the University of Toronto. In 1993, she received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the Université de Montréal.
Her current research program aims at developing and evaluating cognitive, affective and behavioural novel approaches to assist individuals with manifest disease or at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) to adopt healthier lifestyles. Nurse- and interdisciplinary-led interventions are evaluated for the primary and secondary prevention of CVD among adults.
Dr. Robichaud-Ekstrand is a recognized exercise specialist from the American College of Sports Medicine. From 1999 to 2001, she was the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation Scientific Officer for Nursing, where she acquired experience with multi jurisdictional and national research dealing with health services.
Dr. Robichaud-Ekstrand has obtained prestigious research career scientist awards (1995-2000) to develop nursing research, from the Medical Research Council and the National Health Research and Development Program.
Gregory Taylor, BSc, MD, CCFP, FRCPC
Director
Chronic Disease Prevention Division
Public Health Agency of Canada
Dr. Gregory Taylor is the Director of the Chronic Disease Prevention Division and Acting Director of the Evidence and Information for Chronic Disease Policy Division at the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control (CCDPC), Public Health Agency of Canada.
Dr. Taylor obtained his medical degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax where he also completed a family medicine residency. After several years in active primary care in Ontario, he completed a fellowship in Community Medicine at the University of Ottawa and joined Health Canada's Laboratory Centre for Disease Control.
His responsibilities cover all aspects of chronic disease prevention from a country wide perspective including screening and early detection. He also directs the Agency's Grants and Contributions program for the national component of the Canadian Diabetes Strategy and the Canadian Breast Cancer Initiative. His acting duties have expanded his responsibilities to include leading the non-Aboriginal component of the Agency's Canadian Diabetes Strategy, and lead the development of two new innovative programs for the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, including Knowledge Translation and Best Practises. He maintains his connection with the University of Ottawa as assistant professor of Epidemiology and Community Medicine.
Tanya Verrall, PhD, RD
Researcher
Health Quality Council, Saskatchewan
Dr. Tanya Verrall is a Senior Researcher with Health Quality Council - an independent, provincially-funded organization with a mandate to measure and report on healthcare system quality as well as to promote and support quality improvement initiatives in Saskatchewan. She is also an adjunct faculty member with the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan. Prior to her current position, Dr. Verrall was a research associate with the College of Kinesiology (In motion program) at the University of Saskatchewan.
Dr. Verrall obtained her PhD in nutrition from McGill University (2004) and her Master of Science degree in nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan (1996). She also obtained her professional dietetics degree (BSc) from the University of Saskatchewan (1992) and the Kingston General Hospital Dietetic Internship program (1993). She is currently a member of the Saskatchewan Dietitians Association (SDA).
Dr. Verrall has extensive research and work experience planning and evaluating health promotion initiatives and she has worked with a variety of population groups, in both community and clinical settings. Her current research activities involve the design and evaluation of quality improvement initiatives. In particular, she is examining the implementation and outcomes of the Saskatchewan Chronic Disease Management Collaborative, a quality improvement initiative aimed at improving the care of people with diabetes and coronary artery disease.