Renaud Manuguerra Gagné
Ph.D Biomedical Science
Journalist and scientific communicator

Renaud Manuguerra Gagné is a journalist and science communicator. Passionate about stem cells and regenerative medicine, he completed his PhD in biomedical sciences at the University of Montreal in 2016. He began his journalistic career after participating in the My thesis in 180 seconds contest in 2014 and winning the Fernand Séguin scholarship in 2015. Today, he is a regular contributor to Radio-Canada (CBC French) on the information network (RDI) as well as to the science program Les Années Lumières, in addition to collaborating with the magazine Québec Science and l'Actualité.

Rob Annan, Ph.D
President & CEO of Genome Canada

Rob Annan has more than a decade of success leading research and innovation organizations. As President and CEO of Genome Canada, he combines a background in genomics research with deep knowledge of science and innovation policy and a proven track record in corporate strategy. Rob is committed to translating ideas into impact. A strong believer that science and innovation—when equitably applied—can make life better, he works with researchers, policy leaders and industry across Canada and internationally to help realize the economic, environmental, and social benefits of genomics.

Rob has been involved in Canadian science policy in numerous capacities, including through executive leadership at Mitacs where he served as Chief Research Officer. Rob has also served as a fellow of the Public Policy Forum as well as a Director of Let’s Talk Science.

Rob has a PhD in biochemistry from McGill University and two undergraduate degrees: one in English from Queen’s University and another in biology from the University of Victoria.

Sven Ansorge, Ph.D
Director of manufacturing at ExCellThera

Sven Ansorge oversees clinical manufacturing and process development for ECT’s clinical pipeline. He also supports commercial development of ExCellThera’s lead product, ECT-001-CB. He holds a Ph.D. in biotechnology and is specialized in bioprocessing for the production of viral vectors, vaccines, recombinant proteins and cell therapies. He has more than 10 years of professional experience in bioprocessing and managed teams and projects within academic, industrial and GMP environments. He has a solid publication and presentation track record and contributed to/authored more than 20 peer-reviewed articles.

Since 2019, he is also an Adjunct Professor in McGill University’s Bioengineering Department. He has expert knowledge in permittivity technology, viral vector production, mammalian cell culture scale-up and cell therapy process development. 

Rodrigo Arancibia
Senior Director in the Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing Branch in the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED).

He has been with ISED since 2016 leading and contributing to the creation of various major Government policies, including the Innovation and Skills Plan to strengthen Canada’s innovation ecosystem. In his current role, he played a central role in the development of Canada’s industrial response to the pandemic and in Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy. Out of this work, Rodrigo has taken a role in the implementation of new initiatives and policies to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of the sector, promote strong partnerships among entrepreneurs, researchers, companies, and government, and support the deployment of targeted investments to accelerate the rate of discovery and commercialization as well as industrial capabilities. He is regularly communicating with stakeholders and supporting the translation of research into market applications with the objective of strengthening the ecosystem as well as industrial capabilities.

Prior to joining ISED, Rodrigo occupied the role of deputy director in the Department of Natural Resources (NRCan), responsible for the development of policies in the minerals and metals sector, international engagement, and engagement with domestic industrial and community stakeholders. Through his work, he had the opportunity to promote best practices in social engagement and acceptance, innovation, and promoting the use of clean technologies, as well as advancing issues related to critical metals and rare earth elements. In his time at NRCan he also led efforts for the creation of a vision for the department and the sector.

Rodrigo holds a Masters of Arts in economics and has work experience in Washington D.C. in the areas of economic, financial crisis, and development policies.

Aaron Bazal
Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnership

Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnership with a focus on sterility and contamination control strategies. Aaron has 5 years of experience across a variety of GMP-related fields; inclusive of regenerative medicine, sterile production of pharmaceuticals, cannabis production and extraction, CDMO’s, embryology, medical device production and several other sectors. Helping to support companies with on-going contamination control strategies and servicing their critical environments.

 Patrick Bedford
VP, Regulatory Affairs & Development at Artisan Biotechnologies
Managing Director at weCANreg

Patrick Bedford is an experienced and certified regulatory professional who is focused on facilitating global regenerative medicine development. He founded & operates weCANreg Consulting Group Inc., which provides regulatory strategy, interaction, and submission services. Furthermore, Patrick is VP of Regulatory & Development at ArtisanBio, which is a CRISPR-enabled cell engineering company enabling cell therapies and immunotherapies. In his spare time, he remains an active educator and contributor to regulatory policy development in Canada and the USA.

Prior to incorporating his own company and leading regulatory strategy at Artisan Bio, Patrick developed regulatory consulting services for a regenerative medicine Network Centre of Excellence; planned 2 Canadian CAR-T New Drug Submissions; and led teams at Health Canada responsible for developing guidance for biosimilars, transplant material, and cell & gene therapies. While leading these policy initiatives at Health Canada, Patrick also supported their Therapeutic Products Classification Committee; chaired the Cells, Tissues, and Organs Classification Committee; and championed international harmonization initiatives.

Patrick completed an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences degree at the University of Western Ontario, a Master’s degree in Bioethics and Health Law at the University of Otago, a Regulatory Affairs Certificate from the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, and is pursuing his MBA at the Jack Welch Management Institute.

 John Bell

Dr. John Bell received his PhD from McMaster University in 1982. In the three years that followed, he trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa and then at the Medical Research Council in London, England. Dr. Bell began his independent research career at McGill University in 1986 and moved to the University of Ottawa, Department of Medicine, in 1989. He is a member of the Center for Cancer Therapeutics at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Center, a Senior Scientist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He is the Director of the Canadian Oncolytic Virus Consortium supported by a Terry Fox Program Project Grant and is the Scientific Director of BioCanRx, a Network of Centres of Excellence that aims to bring novel immune stimulating therapies to cancer patients across Canada. His research program has focused on the development of novel viral and cell-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Dr. Bell is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

 Sylvie Bouchard

Sylvie Bouchard holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Université Laval in Québec city (1988). She also has a diploma (1989) and a master’s degree (1992) in Hospital Pharmacy from Université Laval (Faculty of Pharmacy), and an MBA in Corporate Management (2001), also from Université Laval (Faculty of Business Administration). Sylvie Bouchard was a hospital pharmacist and hospital pharmacy manager. She joined the Conseil du médicament in April 2010, where she has held various management positions over the years. Between April 2016 and January 2020, she headed the Direction du médicament. Since February 2020, she has headed the Direction de l’évaluation des médicaments et des technologies à des fins de remboursement.

 Lorena Braid
President & CSO at Aurora BioSollution Inc.

Dr. Lorena Braid has over a decade of experience in functional, physiological and transcriptional characterization of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and their dynamic immunomodulatory properties. Her research programs explore the identity, function, and regulation of MSCs at the interface of inflammation and regeneration, with a focus on enabling commercialization of standardized MSC-derived treatments that are practical, accessible, reliable and affordable.
Dr. Braid completed a postdoctoral NSERC Visiting Fellowship at Defence Research and Development Canada, which explored the usefulness of MSCs for military medicine and launched her current research programs. In 2014, she subsequently founded Aurora BioSolutions Inc. where she serves as CSO and leads a research team to continue developing MSC-based products for combat and mass casualty critical care. Aurora BioSolutions' pipeline includes MSC-derived treatments that can be deployed at the point of injury or initial point of care for biological and chemical defence and severe burns.
Dr. Braid recently joined the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and the Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease (C2D2) at Simon Fraser University as an Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Biology. Here, her research team studies the role of endogenous MSCs in physiology, pathogenesis and aging with a goal of developing next-generation therapeutics that target MSCs in situ.

 David Courtman
Scientist, Director of Biotherapeutics at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Dr. David Courtman is trained in cellular and molecular pathology and biophysics with extensive expertise in the development of novel therapies for cardiovascular disease. He obtained undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Medical Biophysics from the University of Western Ontario and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pathology at the University of Toronto. He completed postdoctoral training in the Vascular Pathobiology program at the University of Washington, Seattle and subsequently took up an appointment as Assistant Professor in the departments of Surgery, Pathology and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto at St. Michael’s Hospital. In 2008 he moved to the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute to continue his research and take up the directorship the clinical cell manufacturing facility.

 Jean-Sébastien Delisle M.D., Ph.D.
Director at ThéCell
Medical Director at CETC

After completing his medical and hematology training in 2004 at McGill University, and his PhD in biomedical sciences at the Université de Montréal in 2010, Dr. Delisle focused his research on T-cell biology and human T-cell adoptive therapy. He now leads a research program in T-cell biology and translational T-cell immunotherapy at HMR and is the Medical Director of the Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy (CECT), a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) cell processing facility. Dr Delisle is also the recently appointed Director of the Québec Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy network (ThéCell), province-wide research group supported by the FRQS and regrouping more than 120 researchers.

Dr. Delisle led the development and implementation of several research protocols in cell therapy, from basic science to clinical studies. These efforts yielded the first adoptive immunotherapy study in Canada to treat or prevent Epstein-Barr virus-related lymphoma, and blood cancer relapses following hematopoietic cell transplantation through the targeting of newly identified transplantation antigens. He also uses several methods to monitor the immunological outcomes of cell therapies. His current work includes the translation of genetically edited T cells using various approaches. This pipeline is supported by Dr. Delisle’s focus on basic science, which revolve around T-cell priming, differentiation and exhaustion with the goal of improving adoptive immunotherapy using ex vivo expanded T-cell.

Jason has over 20 years of industry experience in regenerative medicine, research, development, and Good Manufacturing Practices. He has successfully brought several therapeutic products to European, Canadian and U.S. markets. Dedicated to innovation, Jason joined CCRM to advance technology platform translation and build the development pipeline to clinical and commercial manufacturing for cell and gene therapies.

 Paul-Xavier Etter
Director Technical Training at CASTL

Paul-Xavier is a highly skilled senior executive with more than 20 years of industry experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry including roles with Sanofi Pasteur, Medicago, and GlaxoSmithKline. He is experienced in process development, technology transfer, green fields, production in cGMP and GLP environments, and Lean Six Sigma project management standards. Paul-Xavier has led multidisciplinary teams as well as large and complex projects from research and development to commercialization. Over his career, Paul-Xavier has contributed to the commercialization of over a billion doses of vaccines and in recent years was at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis with Medicago and Inventprise. Paul-Xavier’s passion for developing individuals to enhance their performance and deliver safe medicines to patients was applied in his role with projects in collaboration with the prestigious Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the span of his career, he successfully helped drive change and implement new processes internationally. He was an influencer at Sanofi Pasteur Canada to introduce Industry 4.0 in a major capital project.

Craig Hasilo has over 17 years of experience in training for advanced therapies biomanufacturing under GMP, cell therapy manufacturing and medical device development, with expertise in the clinical delivery of therapeutic products, process development, cleanroom operations, regulatory compliance and inspections, and CTO Regulations pertaining to donor testing for allogeneic therapies. Craig is a Co-founder of the Canadian Advanced Therapies Training Institute (CATTI) and serves as Chief Scientific Officer at both CATTI and CellCAN Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy Network. Craig harmonizes efforts between GMP cell manufacturing sites, scientists and physicians and interactions with regulatory authorities. Currently, Craig also serves as the Chair of the CATTI’s Education Committee and is responsible for the creation, validation and development of the training curriculum at the core of CATTI’s programming. This industry-leading curriculum will streamline onboarding and reduce the cost, staff resource burden and inefficiencies inherent to current training regimens.
Prior to joining CellCAN in 2017, Craig held positions of Scientific Director, Laboratory Manager and Research Associate at clinical islet transplant laboratories in Montreal, QC and London, ON. During this time, he initialized the Health Canada registered, GMP-designed, islet isolation laboratories and successfully treated type 1 diabetic patients with intraportal infusions of pancreatic islet preparations. He successfully led his team through a four-day inspection by the Health Canada Inspectorate. Concurrently with his time in Montreal, he completed his doctoral studies and is currently submitting his PhD thesis in Experimental Surgery at McGill University, with a specialization in tissue injury and immunological responses.
Craig is a co-founder of the clinical-stage biotech company, Sernova Corp., and is the primary inventor of Sernova’s Cell Pouch™ medical device for the subcutaneous implantation of cellular therapies for type 1 diabetes and hemophilia indications, as well as others. He is actively involved in advising on novel engineered diabetes therapies and medical device development projects.

She is passionate about advancing cell therapy research to meet patient and health care system needs.

 Jelena Holovati
Director, Edmonton Stem Cell Manufacturing Program at Canadian Blood Services

Dr. Jelena Holovati is an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta and a Laboratory Director for the Stem Cell Manufacturing Program at the Canadian Blood Services, including Ottawa and Edmonton stem cell manufacturing centres.

She also serves as a director of the Graduate Program at University of Alberta, educator for the University of Alberta Medical Laboratory Science Program and a scientific consultant for the Comprehensive Tissue Centre with the Alberta Health Services.

Dr. Holovati brings years of leadership experience ensuring credible and competent development, implementation, measurement and evaluation of biomanufacturing, transplantation, health and laboratory related initiatives, as well as service in education, accreditation, audit, and community governance.

 Armand Keating

Dr Armand Keating is a Professor of Medicine and of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, a senior scientist at Krembil Research Institute and a clinician scientist in the Department of Medicine at University Health Network, Toronto Canada. He established what became the largest stem cell transplantation program in Canada. He is a past president of the American Society of Hematology and of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and has served in many advisory roles at the US NIH. His research and clinical interests focus on cell-based tissue regeneration, NK cell immunotherapy and stem cell transplantation. He has conducted basic, translational and clinical research in these areas, including on mesenchymal stromal and NK cells and has published over 400 papers.

 Ella Korets-Smith, MSc, MBA

Chief Business Officer at Virica Biotech

Ella Korets-Smith is an entrepreneur and biotechnology executive with over 15 years of experience operating companies and business development.  Ms. Korets-Smith is Co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Virica Biotech, a hyper-growth company delivering on the promise of viral medicines.  Previously as VP Business Development at Antibe Therapeutics, she closed deals valued at over $100M USD, driving multiple fundraising and liquidity events and as marketing lead at Nordion Inc. has led successful marketing and business development programs which resulted in annual sales of over $50M.  Ms. Korets-Smith is the founder of a biotechnology consulting practise EKS Business Development, building biotechnology companies through network and strong partnerships.  She was also the founding CEO of TOHealth!, an industry-led organization supporting growth and funding of the health science industry in Toronto, Canada.  Her extensive and growing network of business leaders extends her reach to customers and partners in all key markets in North America and around the world.  Ms. Korets-Smith has an MSc in Medical Genetics from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Dalhousie University.

 Claude Lachance P.hD
Field Application Scientist National Manager at Bio-Rad Laboratories

 Pierre Lam
Account Manager at bioMerieux

Pierre Lam has been an account manager at bioMerieux for over 14 years. As a client relationship manager, he also assists microbiology labs of pharmaceutical, R&D and cell therapy companies to ensure that their processes, environments and products are clean and safe for patients and consumers.

She is currently President and Chief Investment Officer of CCRM Enterprises Inc., with responsibility for the investment portfolio and managing the CCRM Enterprises business unit. Cynthia is also one of the Managing Directors of AllosteRx Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm she co-founded in 2018. Cynthia is a seasoned investment professional with nineteen years’ experience in venture capital. Prior to co-founding AllosteRx, Cynthia was a General Partner with TVM Capital, a global fund with main offices in Munich and Montreal. She was recruited to TVM from VG Partners where she was partner and co-head of the life sciences fund. Cynthia has taken active roles on boards of companies including Acer Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACER), Cytochroma (acquired by OPKO Health), VisualSonics (acquired by SonoSite, now FujiFilm SonoSite), and Trillium Therapeutics (NASDAQ: TRIL, acquired by Pfizer). Cynthia is currently co-founder and board director of Delta TpX, an immune-oncology spin-off from UT Austin, board director at Fibrocor Therapeutics, a fibrosis company in Toronto, and board director at Profound Medical (NASDAQ:PROF, TSX:PRN). Dr. Lavoie received a PhD from McGill University and MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

 J. Mark Lievonen, C.M.
Co-Chair, Canada’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force

Mark Lievonen is the Principal of JML Advisory Services and the former President of Sanofi Pasteur Limited, the Canadian vaccine division of Sanofi. He is a Senior Fellow and Adjunct Lecturer at the IHPME at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and a Co-Chair of Canada’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force.

Mark served as Chair of the Board of Directors of BIOTECanada, Rx&D (now Innovative Medicines Canada), the Ontario Genomics Institute, the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation and the Centre for the Advancement of Health Innovation, as Vice-Chair of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and as a member of the Board of Oncolytics Biotech, Acerus Pharmaceuticals, the Public Policy Forum and York University. Currently, he is Chair of the Board of Quest PharmaTech Inc., and a member of the Board of Sona Nanotech Inc., Biome Grow Inc. and the Gairdner Foundation.

Mark was appointed to the Order of Canada, named a Chevalier de l’Ordre National de Merite by the Government of France, and inducted into the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame. He has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from Life Sciences Ontario and the Pharmaceutical Sciences Group, and the Canada Medal from The Chemical Institute of Canada.

Mark holds a BBA in accounting and a MBA in finance and marketing from the Schulich School of Business, and received a Honourary Doctor of Laws from York University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.

 Kristy Lonergan
Senior Director at adMare Academy

As Senior Director of the adMare Academy, Kristy Lonergan leads the development and delivery of a suite of unique programs to train highly qualified personnel -- from undergrads to industry executives – that will drive the growth of Canada’s life sciences industry.
Kristy has 15 years of experience in the commercialization of life sciences technologies with a demonstrated track record of success in a variety of roles across corporate development, business development, strategic marketing, and product management. Prior to adMare, she held positions of increasing responsibility at STEMCELL Technologies, most recently managing a team of product marketing managers with accountabilities covering the company’s portfolio of cell culture products targeting academic, cell therapy, and drug discovery markets.
Kristy Lonergan holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Victoria, an MSc from McGill University in Neuroscience, and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University.

 Michael May, Ph.D
President & CEO, CCRM

Michael May is President and CEO of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), a Canadian, not-for-profit that develops technologies, launches new companies and catalyzes investment in the field of regenerative medicine, including cell and gene therapy. CCRM is now seeking partners and financing for a commercial scale cell and gene therapy facility. Prior to CCRM, Michael was the President, and co-founder, of Rimon Therapeutics Ltd., a Toronto-based tissue engineering company developing novel medical polymers that possess drug-like activity.
Michael sits on a number of boards and advisory committees including: the ARM Foundation for Cell & Gene Medicine; AgeX Corporation; panCELLa Inc. CCRM Enterprises; the International Advisory Board of the Swedish Centre for Advanced Medical Products (CAMP); the Poietis SAB; the Entrepreneurship Leadership Council at the University of Toronto; the Cell and Gene Therapy Insights, Editorial Advisory Board; the Commercialization Committee of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy; He is the Chairman of ExCellThera Ltd.

Dr. May completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto in 1998 as an NSERC Scholar and was awarded the Martin Walmsley Fellowship for Technological Entrepreneurship.

 Lauralyn McIntyre
Senior Scientist at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre is an Intensivist and Critical Care Research Chair at the Ottawa Hospital, an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine with a Cross Appointment to the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and a Senior Scientist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She has served on the executive of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG), is a member of the Translational Biology Group (CCCTBG), Co-Chair of the grants and manuscripts committee for Sepsis Canada and was a panel member (2106) and panel Co-Chair (2021) for the Surviving Sepsis Guidelines. She has published 198 peer-review articles and has mentored many undergraduate students and postgraduate trainees throughout her career. Her peer-reviewed funded research programs span from highly experimental and translational to usual care research questions that are multi-method and multi-disciplinary and focus on randomized trials related to transfusion of stem cells in septic shock and fluid resuscitation in the acute and critically ill. Throughout her career, Dr. McIntyre has collaborated locally and nationally with CCCTG and CCCTBG researchers across 33 adult and pediatric research programs.

 Fernanda Mendonça
Business Development Specialist at Mitacs

With a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Fernanda is one of the Mitacs representatives in Ottawa. Working closely with Carleton University, she loves to develop new partnerships to foster innovation in Canada.

 Nicolas Montpas
Associate Director at Centre C3i

Nicolas Montpas is a trained pharmacologist, problem solver and passionate science geek. He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Montreal where he carried out his research to find novel relapse biomarkers for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Through his career, he managed several research programs notably on hematopoiesis and on development of innovative treatment against leukemia. He is now leading the Biomarkers and Diagnostic Unit at C3i Center.

 David Morrison
Manager, BIO-PORTAL/COVID-19 Biobank Jewish General Hospital

David Morrison is a Type-1 Diabetic who was diagnosed when he was 16 years old. He currently manages the BIO-PORTAL at the Jewish General Hospital. The BIO-PORTAL is a biobank that aims to recruit 12,500 diabetic patients over 5 years that will provide genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and deep phenotypic data to researchers around the world.

 Cate Murray
President & CEO of Stem Cell Network

A results oriented executive leader with more than two decades of experience working in public affairs and health research. Cate Murray has a proven track record of helping national organizations move their mandates forward.
She currently serves as the President & CEO for the Stem Cell Network. Since 2017, she has secured $69 million in federal funds to support stem cell and regenerative medicine research. Today, she is driving change and growth of SCN. This work will ultimately lead to innovative therapies and technologies that will benefit the health of Canadians for years to come.
Cate began her career in the mid-90s as a political advisor. Exposure to decision-makers provided her with an understanding of the intersection of politics and the public service in the development and communication of public policy.While at CIHR Cate worked on the development and national consultations of the agency’s strategic plan and oversaw numerous communication initiatives. Reporting to the executive team, Cate was instrumental in helping CIHR build awareness of the organization amongst Parliamentarians.
As the inaugural Director of Communications for the Council of Canadian Academies, Cate oversaw a team who implemented a multi-year communication strategy that saw the brand and the reputation of the Council grow. She engaged on over two dozen projects that have been central for policy development, such as: the state of R&D in Canada, potential impacts from shale gas extraction, business innovation, research integrity, and medicines for kids. While at the Council, Cate also provided leadership and project management support on corporate initiatives such as strategic planning, performance audits and evaluations, and advising on government outreach activities.
Throughout her career, Cate has worked to think strategically and act tactically. Her efforts have translated into millions of dollars in earned national media and support from stakeholder organizations, politicians and members of industry.

 Nicolas Noiseux

Dr Nicolas Noiseux is a cardiac surgeon (FRCSC), full professor (tenured) at the University of Montreal, director of research in cardiovascular surgery at the CHUM. Research training for both basic and clinical sciences: BSc in Biochemistry, MSc in Molecular biology, and research fellowship at Harvard University. Independent researcher at the Centre de Recherche du CHUM leading a cutting edge translational research program and several clinical trials addressing key questions in regenerative and cardiovascular medicine. He possesses valuable and unique surgical skills in preclinical experimental models mimicking a variety of human diseases in small and large animals. In his laboratory, he set up various platforms for in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo experiments to study animals up to humans, at the cellular or whole organ levels. He initiated COMPARE-AMI (co-PI) and IMPACTCABG (PI) trials combining 80 patients treated with intracardiac transplantation of autologous CD133+ stem cells: first Canadian experience and a major milestone in the field. Re-engineering stem cells for a tailored approach leading to next generation clinical trial using pharmaco-optimization to improve therapeutical potential.

 Kelley Parato
Program Director - Health Challenge Program at National Research Council Canada

Dr. Kelley Parato obtained her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from University of Ottawa in 2003 followed by post-doctoral training with Dr. John Bell where she researched how oncolytic viruses and the immune system work together to fight cancer. She has more than 15 years of experience in the development, management and evaluation of fundamental discovery and applied translational research programs in the academic, non-for profit and biotech sectors. Previously she has held positions including Director of Scientific Affairs at BioCanRx, Research Program Manager for the Canadian Oncolytic Virus Consortium, Clinical Research Program manager for the Ontario Regional Biotherapeutics program (ORBiT), and led early translational research activities in the biotech industry. In her current role at the National Research Council as the Program Director for the Cell and Gene Therapy Challenge Program, Kelley is passionate to foster multi-sectorial research teams to support the translation of scientific health research into innovative medicines using delivery models that promote access and affordability, and ultimately bring benefit to Canadians.

Ms. Peika comes to us with over 20 years of quality and regulatory experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Chemist by trade, leader by choice, and expert in good manufacturing practices, she has helped organizations design, implement, improve, and remediate quality systems, while building high-performing teams and developing strong succession candidates who are now leaders in their field. Additionally, she has led product development and regulatory approval initiatives, in North America, Europe and Asia, with powerful and sustainable tools and processes.

 Louisa Petropoulos
Chief Executive Officer at C3i Center Inc

Louisa Petropoulos joined C3i in August 2016. Prior to that she was at Thrasos Therapeutics as Director of Business Development where she headed BD, Market & Commercial Development of Thrasos’ leading products. Prior to Thrasos, she was an Associate Direrctor of BD at MethylGene (now Mirati) where she played an active role in the negotiations leading to successful licensing deal with upfront, RD and milestone payments of more than $50M. In addition, Louisa played a key R&D, market & commercial role in MethyGene’s anti-infective programs that helped advance the Company’s anti-fungal into clinical trials. Before joining MethylGene, she spent 8 years in venture capital as part of Innovatech du Grand Montreal then Multiple Capital where she was Director of Life Science Investments leading and supporting numerous deals and public offerings including Enobia, MethylGene (Mirati) leading to over $1B in value. She also held several board and observer seats that included Enobia (sale to Alexion), BioAxone, BioAgriculture (sale to Merck), Nextal Biotechnoligies (sale to Qiagen), Vascular Genetics (now VIA Pharmaceuticals).

Louisa holds a Ph.D in Microbiology & Immunology from McGill University.

 Gayle Piat
Operations Manager, Alberta Cell Therapy Manufacturing (ACTM), University of Alberta

Gayle Piat has a background in Medical Laboratory Technology and has over 30 years’ experience working in the life science field with 12 years spent specializing in Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and 12 years in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). In 2003 she earned the designation of Registered Quality Assurance Professional in GLP through the Society of Quality Assurance while working at the Alberta Research Council as the Quality Assurance Manager at a GLP toxicology facility. In 2011 Gayle joined the University of Alberta as Project Manager for construction of a GMP cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility and currently manages the facility, Alberta Cell Therapy Manufacturing (ACTM). In 2016 she earned Regulatory Affairs Certification through the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society. Gayle is an active member of the Canadian biomanufacturing ecosystem including serving as a committee member in ISPE Canada's Women in Pharma Committee and CellCAN, a network focused on advancing cell and gene therapy manufacturing under GMP through deployment of standards for training that implement best practices.

Jennifer Quizi
Director, Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre- Virus Manufacturing Facility at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Nancy Robitaille
V.P. à la médecine transfusionnelle, Héma-Quebec

Dr. Robitaille is a pediatric hematologist specialised in transfusion medicine and in hemoglobinopathies. She is Vice-President of Transfusion Medicine at Héma-Québec as well as Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal and a member of the hematology-oncology division at CHU Sainte- Justine. Dr. Robitaille is the current Chair of the Canadian Standards Association’s Technical Committee on Blood and Blood Components.

Dr. Rasmus Rojkjaer
Founder & CEO at SmokePond Biologics

SmokePond Biologics is building Canada’s largest and most advanced biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility. SmokePond will develop and market its own biologic medicines, as well as offer critical end-to-end CDMO services across multiple platforms and is ideally-positioned to become North America’s new biomanufacturing centre of excellence.

Dr. Rojkjaer previously established and led the creation of the industry’s largest biologics portfolio as Head of Global Biopharmaceuticals at Mylan. He was also CEO and key strategist at Alvotech, and held key leadership positions at Novo Nordisk.

Dr. Rojkjaer championed and built biopharmaceutical R&D, manufacturing & commercialization infrastructure across the globe (incl. in the U.S., Switzerland, China, Denmark, Iceland, Malaysia, and India), creating more than 5,000 high-tech jobs. He has led over 30 successful biologics development efforts, 11 of which have launched commercially.
Originally from Denmark, he holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Michigan.

 Michael Rosu-Myles
Executive Director at Health Canada

Dr. Rosu-Myles is the Executive Director for the Centre for Oncology, Radiopharmaceuticals and Research and the Health Canada lead for the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals. He manages a team who engage in cutting edge research and product evaluation and testing to support regulatory decisions on the authorization of clinical trials and market access for biologic oncology products, radiopharmaceuticals and novel biologics including both cell and gene therapies. Dr. Rosu-Myles received his Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbiology from the University of Western Ontario and trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute in the US National Institutes of Health prior to being recruited to Health Canada to establish a stem cell research program in 2008. Since starting as Executive Director in 2018 Dr. Rosu-Myles has played a leadership role in the implementation of Health Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in the development of implementation of their new Advanced Therapy Regulations.

 Denis-Claude Roy
Director and Founding MemberDirector and Founding Member
Hemato-Oncology & Cell Therapy University Institute, Hopital Maisonneuve-Rosemont

Dr. Denis Claude Roy is a hematologist and a full professor in the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal. He is Director of the Hematology-Oncology and Cellular Therapy University Institute (IHOT) and also directs the Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy. Recognized for his expertise in the field of stem cells, Dr. Roy is Executive Director of CellCAN, the Canadian Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapy Network for Knowledge Mobilization and Scientific Director of the C3i Centre for the Commercialization of Cancer Immunotherapy. He received the Persillier-Lachapelle Award from the Government of Quebec in 2020 in recognition of his prolific career.

 Mitchel Sivilotti
COO at CCRM

Mitch Sivilotti is a respected leader in the Life Sciences industry and serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of OmniaBio Inc. Most recently, Mitch was the Chief Operating Officer at CCRM, a Toronto-based cell and gene therapy (CGT) accelerator focused on viral vector and cell therapy manufacturing innovation, company creation and early-stage venture investments. Over the course of five years at CCRM, Mitch was responsible for creating a contract development and manufacturing organization with 200 employees, which has grown to become OmniaBio Inc. Before joining CCRM, Mitch was the President of TotipotentRX Corporation, which designed and commercialized sterile disposables for the CGT market, and developed a therapeutic pipeline of candidates for cardiovascular diseases. Its lead product was granted pivotal trial approval in the U.S for Critical Limb Ischemia. TotipotentRX, co-founded by Mitch in 2007, was acquired by Thermogenesis Corporation (Nasdaq: THMO) in 2014. Mitch’s professional career began at Pall Corporation, a Danaher company (NYSE: DHR), where he held several business management and technical positions focused on process equipment and sterile consumables for the advanced therapies market.
Mr. Sivilotti sits on the board of the Standards Coordinating Body for Regenerative Medicine and is a regular contributor to the Forum on Regenerative Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences, where he has supported an ex-officio member seat for CCRM for four years. Mr. Sivilotti holds a graduate degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the Université Laval.

Dr. Duncan Stewart is a pioneering Canadian cardiovascular researcher, recognized for his many important discoveries in blood vessel biology, as well as his dedication to translating these discoveries into benefits for patients and society. After beginning his career in academic cardiology at McGill University in Montreal, he moved to Toronto as Head of Cardiology at St. Michael’s Hospital and later became Director of the Division of Cardiology, and Executive Director of the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine at the University of Toronto. He was recruited to lead the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) in 2007.

Dr. Stewart has published more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has received a number of distinctions and prizes, including the Dexter Man Chair of Cardiology and Research Achievement Award of the University of Toronto, and the Research Achievement Award of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Throughout his career, Dr. Stewart has demonstrated leadership in bringing diverse groups of clinicians and scientists together to put Canada on the world stage for translational cardiovascular and regenerative medicine research.

As well as serving as Executive Vice-President of Research at The Ottawa Hospital and CEO and Scientific Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Dr. Stewart is an active senior scientist in The Ottawa Hospital’s Regenerative Medicine Program and holds the Evelyne and Rowell Laishley Chair. He is also a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Scientific Director of the Canadian Vascular Network and a practicing cardiologist.

 Jonathan Yeh Ph.D., MBA
Founding Partner at Saisei Ventures

Jonathan is a co-founder and partner of Saisei Ventures, a leading healthcare focused venture capital firm with operations in the United States and Japan. Jonathan is an early-stage investor in the field of regenerative medicine and advanced therapies, with particular expertise in cell-based therapies and gene-modified cells. Jonathan’s diverse background spans early-stage venture company creation and investment, strategic business partnering, and fund management. Jonathan was a CIHR Post-doctoral Fellow at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at Université de Montréal and received his MBA from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. Jonathan received his PhD from the Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine at McGill University.