Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Harold Atkins MD is a physician of the Ottawa Hospital Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, a scientist in the Center for Innovative Cancer Research and the medical director of the Regenerative Medicine Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

He received his Bachelor of Medical Science degree and Medical Degree from the University of Ottawa followed by a rotating internship year at the Victoria General Hospital in Victoria BC. Specialty training in Internal Medicine was done at the University of Ottawa. Clinical and research fellowships in Hematology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Experimental Hematology followed at the University of Washington and at the Ontario Cancer Institute.

He specializes in the management of patients requiring stem cell transplantation and he has spearheaded the use of stem cell transplantation for immune repair to treat patients with severe autoimmune diseases, particularly Multiple Sclerosis. He has also developed a clinical trial exploring the role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in preventing organ transplant rejection. His laboratory research includes a longstanding and fruitful collaboration with Dr. John Bell developing oncolytic viruses particularly for the treatment of hematological cancers as personalized cancer cell vaccines.

Senior Manager, Business Development, Industry Partnerships & Commercialization, The Hospital for Sick Children

Namrata joined IP&C in 2011. In addition to commercializing technologies in her portfolio, she supports scientists in engaging with industry through collaborative agreements. She also helps scientists obtain proof of principle grants to validate early stage ideas from government and public-private partnerships. She assists in the operational aspects of the office and provides leadership to junior members of the team. Prior to joining SickKids, Namrata was Director, Business Development at MITACS, a Network Centre of Excellence focused on matching industry, government and not-for-profit organizations with research expertise in Canadian Universities. Namrata has also held the position of Senior Scientist at Healthpoint Ltd, Texas, where she focused on developing novel therapeutics for diseased and traumatized skin and related soft tissue. Namrata received her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio in 2005.

Senior Manager, Clinical Translation & Regulatory Affairs, CCRM

Patrick has over ten years of experience interpreting federal regulatory requirements for emerging biotech products, including cell and gene therapies. In August, 2016, he moved to Toronto to join CCRM as Senior Manager, Clinical Translation & Regulatory Affairs, where he helps regenerative medicine researchers and developers navigate regulatory pathways and progress to the clinic.

Prior to CCRM, Patrick worked for the Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate (BGTD) at Health Canada, where he helped to develop a Guidance for Sponsors: Information and Submission Guidance for Subsequent Entry Biologics (SEBs or “biosimilars”); led a project to revise the Guidance Document for Cell, Tissue and Organ Establishments - Safety of Human Cells, Tissues and Organs for Transplantation; and led the development of the Guidance Document: Preparation of Clinical Trial Applications for use of Cell Therapy Products in Humans. Patrick also worked on international regulatory harmonization initiatives and chaired and represented BGTD on classification committees.

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, and obtained a Regulatory Affairs Certificate from the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society.

Senior National Reporter, National Post

Tom Blackwell has been a reporter at Canada's National Post newspaper for 16 years, much of that time as a health-care specialist covering everything from patient safety and medico-legal battles, to the brave new world of fertility medicine and the opioid-addiction crisis. In fact, he was likely the first Canadian journalist to report on the overdose dangers of fentanyl - in 2004. He's also now also exploring other interesting stories, with a particular focus on national security and on how Canada and Canadians interact with the rest of the world. Before arriving at the Post, he worked at two news services and smaller newspapers in Canada. His beats have spanned politics, crime, prisons and the war in Afghanistan. Blackwell led the Post's coverage of the SARS crisis in Toronto and in southern China - briefly being detained by security forces there - has reported on Syrian refugees in Jordan and spent two stints in and around the battlefields of Kandahar. Blackwell traveled to Ferguson, Mo., to cover the race-related protests there on two occasions. He has twice been a finalist for the National Newspaper Award, Canada's premiere prize for print journalists, and won other awards for his work.

Partner, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Patient Representative

William is a leader of the commercial litigation group at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, a leading Canadian law firm. His practice is comprised of significant commercial and corporate litigation matters for a wide range of clients, including leading Canadian and foreign corporations and government entities. He regularly appears before the Quebec Superior Court, the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada as well as provincial and federal administrative tribunals. He has also acted as counsel or as an arbitrator in numerous significant commercial arbitrations.

William has spoken or lectured at a large number of conferences in Canada and elsewhere, and at McGill University in relation to corporate law, litigation and arbitration. He is listed in L’Expert/Thomson as one of Canada’s 100 Most Creative Lawyers (2006), in L’Expert American Lawyer as one the 500 Leading Lawyers in Canada, and was recognized by L’Expert as one of the Top 25 Corporate Litigators in Canada. He is also recommended as a leading individual in Dispute Resolution in Chambers Global, and is recognized in the Who’s Who of Canada.

William was very fortunate to have survived acute leukemia in 2004, thanks to a stem cell transplant from one of his brothers, and the miracles of science and medicine. He is active in fundraising for blood cancer research, the development of stem cell technologies, and patient support, and often speaks on the importance of science and research.

Professor, University of Alberta

Timothy Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health, and Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta. His interdisciplinary research on topics like stem cells, genetics, research ethics, the public representations of science and health policy issues have allowed him to publish over 350 academic articles. He has won numerous academic and writing awards and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Trudeau Foundation and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

He contributes frequently for the popular press and is the author of two national bestsellers: The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness and Happiness (Penguin 2012) and Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash (Penguin 2015). Caulfield also has a strong social media presence and is the host and co-producer of the documentary TV show, A User’s Guide to Cheating Death.

Professor, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal
Associate Research Professor, Université de Montréal
Adjunct Professor, McGill University

Member of TMM2017 Program Committee, and Senior Chair of Plenary Session 2

Dr. Cayouette is Director of the Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM). He is also a Full Professor in the Department of Medicine at Université de Montréal, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at McGill University. His research focuses primarily on the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating cell-fate decisions during retinal development. Dr. Cayouette is a Research Scholar Emeritus of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) and he holds the IRCM Foundation Gaëtane and Roland Pillenière Chair in Retina Biology. He is Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness Canada, Member of the CIHR College of Reviewers, and sits on the Editorial Boards of the journals Neurogenesis (Landes Bioscience) and Stem Cells (Wiley-Blackwell).

Link to website
Twitter: @MichelCayouette

Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Amit Choudhary is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Biologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He performed his pre-doctoral studies in Chemistry at Indian Institute of Science‒Bangalore and doctoral studies in Biophysics with Prof. Ronald Raines at the University of Wisconsin‒Madison, where he elucidated a new force that is akin to the hydrogen bond in its quantum mechanical origin and widespread prevalence. In 2011, he was appointed a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows and was hosted by Prof. Stuart Schreiber at the Broad Institute. There, he shifted his research focus to beta-cell chemical biology and was named a Career Awardee at the Scientific Interface by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. His independent laboratory develops chemical technologies and studies exceptional organisms that survive conditions considered pathological to humans.

Associate Professor, Université de Montréal
Hematologist & Clinical Researcher, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont

Sandra Cohen is an Associate Professor at the University of Montreal, and a clinical hematologist at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, with interest in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, especially with cord blood. She is the principal investigator of the ongoing clinical trial of cord blood expansion with UM171.

Investigator, Lady Davis Institute
Assistant Professor, McGill University

Dr. Colin Crist received his PhD from the University of Tokyo and completed post-doctoral studies at the Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. He joined McGill University and the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at the Jewish General Hospital in 2012. Dr. Crist’s laboratory investigates the molecular biology underlying skeletal muscle development and regeneration. The laboratory focuses on translational control of muscle stem and progenitor cell activity, emphasizing the role of microRNAs, RNA binding proteins and pathways that globally repress protein synthesis. Deepening our understanding of how muscle stem cells develop and function will be key to realizing regenerative medicine based approaches to treating muscle disorders.

Link to website

Chief Editor, Nature Methods

Natalie de Souza obtained her Ph.D. at the Rockefeller University in 2002, employing biochemical, imaging and cell culture-based approaches to study the biogenesis and traffic of oligomeric membrane proteins, in the laboratory of Sandy Simon. She then moved to developmental genetics in the laboratory of Iva Greenwald at Columbia University, where she did post-doctoral work on the regulation of LIN-12/Notch signaling in C. elegans epithelial cells, and its role in cell fate specification. She joined the journal in December 2006 and has been editor-in-chief since 2014.

CTO, BlueRock Therapeutics

Dr. Deans has more than 25 years of experience in stem cell therapeutics, and brings strong experience in cell therapy and translational science and a global regulatory perspective to his role of CTO at BlueRock Therapeutics.

Dr. Deans was previously CSO and responsible for development of a gene-engineered red cell therapeutic platform at Rubius Therapeutics. He previously served as EVP at Athersys, developing an adult adherent stem cell therapeutics platform (MultiStem) with programs currently in late-phase clinical development. Dr. Deans was also VP of Research at Osiris Therapeutics, where he developed the approved Prochymal (MSC-based) product. Dr. Deans was previously Director of R&D at Baxter Healthcare and developed biologics used in a CD34+ cell selection platform.

Dr. Deans holds degrees from MIT and the University of Michigan, and postdoctoral training in molecular immunology at UCLA. Dr. Deans has been very active in Regulatory and commercialization workshops in the regenerative medicine space.

Senior Acquisitions Editor, Elsevier

I am currently a Senior Acquisitions editor for Elsevier working to decide what topics and books we publish in neuroscience. Prior to working for Elsevier I completed my thesis at the Hospital for Sick Children in James Ellis’ lab, which focused on using iPS cells to study autism spectrum disorder. During my PhD I participated in a number of extracurricular activities: I was a teaching assistant for four years, I was a member and ultimately Chair of the Stem Cell Network Trainee Communications Committee, I was Senior Layout Editor for an open-access journal, and a representative with the U of T Molecular Genetics Graduate Student Association, among others. I began my career at Elsevier as an Acquisitions Editor shortly after graduation and moved to San Diego for my position. I was based there for three years before relocating to Toronto. The foundational knowledge I learned about stem cells, neuroscience, genetics, and other biomedical science disciplines is extremely important to my career in publishing for knowing the technical knowledge behind the research and being up-to-date in the field. Although I no longer work in a lab, my graduate training prepared me immensely for my career.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-farra-ph-d-a2848314/

Associate Professor, Université de Montréal

Karl Fernandes, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Neurosciences at the University of Montreal. Following a B.Sc in Biochemistry/Physiology (U.Ottawa), he pursued research training in the areas of neural regeneration (UBC) and stem cell research (Montreal Neurological Institute and Toronto Hospital for Sick Children). He started his independent research program at the University of Montreal in 2006, where his lab focuses on how mechanisms of neural plasticity can be engaged to promote neural function and repair. Currently situated at the Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), his lab's specific research themes include adult neural stem cells, the effects of exercise on the brain, and neural repair in Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injury.

For more information, visit www.fernandeslab.com

Assistant Professor, University of Toronto

Sidhartha Goyal is a faculty in Department of Physics, and cross appointed in IBBME and EEB at the University of Toronto. His primary interest lies in developing mathematical and computational frameworks to quantify and uncover the rules that govern the structure of large populations of cells (cell-to-cell heterogeneity) and subsequently their fate, from large microbial populations to stem cell differentiation and tissue regeneration to tumor progression.

Sidhartha Goyal was awarded his PhD in Physics at Princeton in 2009 and then moved to Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, UC Santa Barbara, for a postdoc. He got his first degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay.

Link to website

Assistant Professor, McMaster University

Dr. Kristin Hope is a McMaster University Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute Principal Investigator, OICR New Investigator and a recipient of an Early Researcher Award from the Ministry of Research and Innovation. Her research program centers on the elucidation and characterization of genes and pathways in the blood system that underlie hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal. In turn, by identifying these mechanisms, she aims to identify the underlying processes that lead to the transformation of healthy cells and progression of hematopoietic malignancies. Dr. Hope applies human stem cell modeling approaches using in vivo transplantation assays with systems-level molecular analyses and a wide spectrum of biochemical analyses. She focuses on understanding the molecular control of ‘stemness’ at the level of RNA processing and regulation, where RNA binding proteins (RBPs) enforce cellular fate decisions by imposing diverse effects on their molecular targets. In particular, her lab is exploring the premise that RBP-driven post-transcriptional control is a critical mode by which stemness and transformation are regulated in normal and diseased hematopoiesis. Ultimately this work aims to identify novel stem cell fate regulators that could inform the design of enhanced HSC-based regenerative therapies.

Scientist, STEMCELL Technologies

Dr. Robert Judson is a R&D scientist at STEMCELL Technologies. In his role, Robert oversees a research team to develop, commercialize and market innovative products for the life sciences industry. As a R&D scientist, Robert is required to wear many hats and day-to-day tasks can include reviewing new licenseable technologies, assessing IP landscapes, patent writing, grant writing, developing marketing strategies, managing external collaborations, attending conferences and of course, lab work. Robert is a relative newbie to the biotech world, but over the last few years has gained a nice perspective of transitioning from an academic track to ‘the dark side’. Having being recruited out of his postdoc, he was previously training in the lab of Dr. Fabio Rossi (UBC) and received his PhD in molecular biology in the U.K under a Nuffield Foundation fellowship. Robert has, and continues to published papers on a variety of topics in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine and enjoys teaching on a number of graduate programs on a voluntary basis. Robert is passionate about Canadian innovation and technology and is an advocate of synergy between government, academia and the tech-industry to tackle modern-day health care problems.

Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital
Associate Professor, University of Toronto

Andrea obtained her undergraduate degree from Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia in the field of Genetics and Molecular biology. During the last two years of her studies she also worked as a part time embryologist in the IVF clinic. This exposure to clinical environment prompted her interest in high rate of embryo demise and low implantation rate. Upon her move to Canada, she completed the MSc degree in Reproductive Physiology, followed by PhD in Developmental biology, both at University of Toronto. During her postdoctoral training in Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School Boston she focused her attention on the regulation of cell death in the female gonad. She is Associate Professor at the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Physiology at University of Toronto, and is also an Investigator at Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital. Research in Dr. Jurisicova’s lab focuses on molecular pathways involved in oocyte endowment and survival, genetic regulation of preimplantation embryo development and trophoblast lineage establishment and maintenance.

Professor, University of British Columbia

Dr. Kieffer’s laboratory is focused on the development of novel gene and cell therapy approaches to treat diabetes. He has co-authored >150 peer reviewed publications on these topics in addition to several book chapters and patents and given >75 invited presentations. He has mentored >30 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in addition to numerous undergraduates and is an active teacher. He has received scholarships from the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA), the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and the JDRF and his research has been supported by these agencies, in addition to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Stem Cell Network. Dr. Kieffer has also been a reviewer and member of grants review committees for these agencies, including serving as Scientific Officer and Chair on CIHR and CDA committees. In 2010 he received the CDA Young Scientist Award and in 2016 he spent 1 year on sabbatical at The Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University.

Professor and Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University

Bartha Maria Knoppers, PhD (Comparative Medical Law), is a Full Professor and Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy, Faculty of Medicine, Human Genetics, McGill University.

She holds the Canada Research Chair in Law and Medicine. She is the founder of the Population Project in Genomics (P3G) and CARTaGENE Quebec’s population biobank. Since the beginning of the SCN, she has been active in Canadian Stem Cell policy and chaired the Ethics Working Party of the International Stem Cell Forum (2005-2015). She was Co-Chair of the Sampling/ELSI Committee of the 1000 Genomes Project (2007-2014); Scientific Steering Committee Member of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (2009- ); and currently Co-Chair of the Regulatory and Ethics Working Group of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health.

She holds four Doctorates Honoris Causa and she is Fellow of many organisations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Hastings Center (bioethics), the Canadian Academy Health Sciences (CAHS) and, was named Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Academy of Social Sciences. She is also an Officer of the Order of Canada and of Quebec.

Research Projects & Operations Leader, Terry Fox Laboratory

Amanda Kotzer, PhD, PMP, has over 10 years of research, operations and administration management in an academic environment. After completing her PhD in the area of cell and molecular biology in the UK and a postdoctoral fellowship at UBC, she traded the lab bench for an office and is currently the Research Projects & Operations Leader of the Terry Fox Laboratory at the BC Cancer Agency. As a project leader, Amanda guides her team providing the best possible support for the department’s scientists while seeking to integrate the tools of project management in this complex, matrix environment. She is also currently the Project Manager for the BC Regenerative Medicine Network.

Senior Scientist, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute
Robert McEwen Chair in Cardiac Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network
Staff Pathologist, University Health Network
Associate Professor, University of Toronto

Member of TMM2017 Program Committee, and Senior Chair of Plenary Session 4

Dr. Michael Laflamme is the Robert McEwen Chair in Cardiac Regenerative Medicine at University Health Network and a Senior Scientist in the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute. His research program is focused on cardiac cell therapies based on human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), and his laboratory has made a number of important contributions in this area including 1) widely-used protocols to guide the differentiation of hPSCs and induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes or specialized cardiac subtypes (e.g. ventricular myocytes versus pacemaker cells), 2) the first proof-of-concept study showing that the transplantation of hPSC-CMs can “remuscularize” scar tissue and improve left ventricular contractile function in rodent MI models, and 3) the first direct demonstration that grafts of hPSC-CMs can electrically couple with host myocardium following transplantation in injured hearts. Dr. Laflamme has been the recipient of honors including the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology Young Investigator Award, the Perkins Coie Award for Discovery and the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Outstanding New Investigator Award. He is also a board-certified physician in Anatomic Pathology and practices diagnostic Cardiovascular Pathology.

Link to website

President of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer, Asterias Biotherapeutics

Jane Lebkowski has been actively involved in the development of cell and gene therapies since 1986 and is currently President of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer at Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc, where she is responsible for all R&D of Asterias’ products. From 1998 to 2012, Dr. Lebkowski was Senior Vice President of Regenerative Medicine and Chief Scientific Officer at Geron Corporation. Dr. Lebkowski led Geron’s human embryonic stem cell program, being responsible for all research, preclinical development, product development, manufacturing, and clinical development activities. Prior to Geron, Dr. Lebkowski was Vice President of Research and Development at Applied Immune Sciences. Following the acquisition of Applied Immune Sciences by Rhone Poulenc Rorer (RPR, currently Sanofi), Dr. Lebkowski remained at RPR as Vice President of Discovery Research. During Dr. Lebkowski’s tenure at RPR, she coordinated preclinical investigations of gene therapy approaches for treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease and nervous system disorders, and directed vector formulations and delivery development. Dr. Lebkowski received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Princeton University in 1982, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Genetics, Stanford University in 1986. Dr. Lebkowski has published over 70 peer reviewed papers and has 13 issued U.S. patents. Dr. Lebkowski has served on the board of Directors of the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy and as the co-chair of the Industrial Committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. Dr Lebkowski serves on several scientific advisory boards and other professional committees.

Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of Bioengineering at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland

Matthias Lütolf is the director of the Institute of Bioengineering at EPFL, Switzerland. He was trained as a Materials Engineer at ETH Zurich where he also carried out his PhD studies. After a Postdoc in stem cell biology at Stanford University, Lütolf started up his independent group at EPFL in with a European Young Investigator (EURYI) award. His research is focused on the development of novel technologies for improved stem cell and organoid culture.

Chief Scientific Officer, Northern Biologics

Jeanne Magram, PhD, is the founding Chief Scientific Officer of Northern Biologics, a biotechnology company headquartered in Toronto’s Discovery District and focused on the development of new immuno-oncology antibody therapeutics. The company is financed by leading venture capital firm Versant Ventures, and in early 2015 entered into a strategic partnership with Celgene Corporation. Northern Biologics is developing a pipeline of novel therapeutics, with its lead antibody entering Phase 1 in Q4/2017.

Prior to joining Northern Biologics, Jeanne served as the NY Site Head for Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI), a partnership between Pfizer and academic medical centers to accelerate translation of innovative discoveries into new medicines.Prior to CTI, Jeanne was Vice President, Immunology & Inflammation at Boehringer Ingelheim, leading drug discovery for autoimmune diseases. Jeanne was Associate Director of GPCR Drug Discovery at OSI after acquisition of Cadus and spent five years at Hoffmann-La Roche using model systems to understand pathophysiology of disease.

Jeanne completed postdoctoral training with Nobel Laureate Dr. J. Michael Bishop at UCSF and obtained her PhD in the laboratory of Dr. Frank Costantini at Columbia University.

Principal Investigator and Director of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer
Adjunct Professor, Université de Montréal
Secretary & Chief Technical Officer, Chemistry, ExCellThera Inc.

Anne Marinier brings along more than 25 years of experience in medicinal chemistry and a strong industry expertise in all aspects of drug discovery. Before joining IRIC, Dr Marinier was Group Leader in the Drug Discovery Research group at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and has been involved in the identification of several pre-clinical candidates while contributing to the progression of numerous programs in oncology, immunology and infectious diseases. As director of IRIC Medicinal Chemistry, she currently heads IRIC’s medicinal chemistry platform, which comprises more than 40 chemists and biologists. This platform, of which she spearheaded the creation and implementation in 2007 with federal and provincial funding of more than $9M, supports drug discovery research programs from IRIC scientists and collaborators/pharmaceutical company partners. The laboratory has a strong expertise in Structure-Activity Relationships (SAR) development and compound optimization. In addition to these drug discovery activities, her team focuses also on structure-based drug and tool design as well as devising chemical probes for novel biological target identification. Two molecules discovered and synthesized at the platform in collaboration with BMS, have successfully completed Phase I trial and one of them will be further progressed in Phase II. A further compound, UM171, an enhancer of hematopoietic stem cell renewal, was developed at the platform in collaboration with Dr Guy Sauvageau and his lab, and is in Phase I/II since 2016. This discovery has led to the creation of the new biotechnology company ExCellThera for which she is one of the founders and acts as Chief Technology Officer, Chemistry.

Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Erika Matunis is a Professor of Cell Biology and an affiliate member of the Institute for Cell Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Her group’s studies of stem cells in the Drosophila testis and ovary have revealed several general principles of niche biology. These include defining the cellular and molecular nature of the Drosophila testis niche, discovering how competition occurs between two types of stem cells, and how damaged niches can recruit non-stem cells into the stem cell population. Examples include spermatogonial differentiation, niche cell transdifferentiation and stem cell sex transdifferentiation.

Dr. Matunis began studying stem cells as a post-doc with Steve DiNardo at Rockefeller over twenty years ago, when stem cells were uncharacterized in the fly testis. This yielded one of the first descriptions of a stem cell niche at the cellular and molecular level in vivo. She began her independent career as a Staff Associate at the Carnegie Institution, where her group found that Jak-Stat signaling molecularly defines the fly testis niche. She moved to Johns Hopkins as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at the School of Medicine in 2002, and was promoted to Professor in 2013.

Link to website

Chief Executive Officer, CCRM

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.

Michael May is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), a Canadian, federally incorporated, not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the development of foundational technologies that accelerate the commercialization of stem cell-and biomaterials-based technologies. Prior to CCRM, Michael was the President, and co-founder, of Rimon Therapeutics Ltd., a Toronto-based regenerative medicine company developing novel medical polymers that possess drug-like activity.

Michael sits on a number of Boards and advisory committees including: MaRS Innovation; 20/20 Vision - a centre of excellence for biomaterials in ophthalmology; the Ontario Institute of Regenerative Medicine (OIRM); the Centre for the Commercialization of Antibodies and Biologics (CCAB); the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto; the Center for Diseases of Aging within the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI) and Karolinska Institutet of Stockholm, Sweden; the Industry Committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); the Executive Committee, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM); ExCellThera Ltd.; the Rick Hansen Institute Commercialization Program Advisory Committee; Toronto Region Board of Trade Life Sciences Steering Committee; the Biozone Commercialization Committee; the NSERC CREATE M3 Program Committee; and the Cell and Gene Therapy Insights, Editorial Advisory Board.

Professor, University of British Columbia

Dr. Kelly McNagny obtained his Ph.D. in Cellular Immunology at the U. of Alabama at Birmingham in 1990. There he worked with Dr. Max D. Cooper (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Academy of Sciences) and his research focused on cell surface proteins that regulate B cell maturation and homing. He then moved to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany where he performed his postdoctoral studies in the lab of Dr. Thomas Graf from 1991 to 1996. There his work focused on transcriptional control of hematopoietic stem cell maturation and cell fate. He performed some of the first studies to identify transcription factors that regulate the gene expression and differentiation of eosinophils, which are known to play a major role in allergic and asthmatic responses. In addition, he identified a number of novel hematopoietic stem cell surface proteins (the CD34 family) and began analyzing their function. He continued his studies at the EMBL as a semi-independent, Visiting Scientist from 1996 to 1998 prior to starting his own laboratory at The Biomedical Research Centre, at UBC.

Dr. McNagny is currently a full professor in Medical Genetics at The Biomedical Research Centre at UBC where his work focuses on stem cell behavior, inflammatory disease, cancer biology and therapeutics. In 2015 he also served as the Scientific Director of the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), a National Centre of Excellence aimed at translating early stage scientific discoveries into therapies.

He has garnered several awards including the 2004 Showell-Pfizer Junior Faculty Award from the American Association for Immunology, a MSFHR Career Investigator Award and a visiting professorship at the Phillip’s University of Marburg. Kelly is a member of the Canadian Stem Cell Network Centre of Excellence (Sub-Chair of the Trainee Education Committee), Associate Director of the AllerGen Network Centre of Excellence, and Co-Director of AllerGen’s Biomarkers and Bioinformatics Platform.

Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa

Keir Menzies is an Assistant Professor at the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, and is cross-appointed to the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, at the University of Ottawa. Using an integrated systems physiology approach, Prof. Menzies’ lab examines organ or stem cell energy metabolism in aging and age-related or neuromuscular diseases. His lab is particularly interested in mechanisms that control the balance of cellular NAD+ levels, an energy-signaling metabolite, for the maintenance of energy homeostasis. His most recent work revealed the role of NAD+ metabolism in stem cell health and longevity, along with the decline in muscle health in muscular dystrophy.

Research Assistant, The Ottawa Hospital
Patient Representative

I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 21 in 1996. After multiple failed therapies, I took part in a clinical trial at the Ottawa Hospital funded by the MS Society Scientific Research Foundation involving stem cells at the age of 27. The trial was a stem cell bone marrow transplant to treat Early Aggressive MS as an auto immune disease.

As of 2006, I have actively been involved with the Stem Cell Network on the Research Management Committee as a Patient Advocate, as well as with the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation since their inception in 2009 as their first volunteer.

I am currently employed at the Ottawa Hospital since 2008 as a Research Assistant at the Ages Cancer Assessment Clinic.

I have a passion for stem cell research and speaking to the public about my experience being involved in a clinical trial.

Twitter: Jennifer Molson @number1jmo
LinkedIn: Jennifer Molson

ICREA Senior Research Professor, Pompeu Fabra University

Pura Muñoz-Cánoves studied Pharmacology at the University of Valencia. She obtained her PhD in Biology at the Madrid Autonomous University for work carried out at The Scripps Research Institute, and did postdoctoral work at the University of California-San Diego and The Scripps Research Institute, and in 1995 she joined the Cancer Research Institute in Barcelona as a postdoc, becoming an independent group leader in 1997. In 2002 her group moved to the Center for Genomic regulation in Barcelona, and she became a senior group leader in 2007 in that Institution. In 2009 she moved to the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), supported by ICREA, as coordinator of the Cell Biology Unit. At present, she is an ICREA Research Professor and Cell Biology Professor in the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences at the UPF, and is an EMBO Member. Since May 2016, she holds a double appointment at the Spanish National Cardiovascular Research Center (CNIC) in Madrid. The main objective of the Mñoz-Cánoves group is to understand the mechanisms regulating stem cell homeostasis and regenerative functions. Research is specially focused on stem cells of skeletal muscle. Recent studies from the laboratory have shed light on 1) age-associated muscle decline and wasting (sarcopenia) and loss of stem-cell regenerative functions with aging; and 2) the physiopathology of muscular dystrophies.

Research Group Leader, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics

Caren Norden has been a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Cell biology and Genetics since the fall 2010. Before this she finished her PhD at the Institute of Biochemistry of the ETH Zurich in Switzerland working on yeast cell cycle and afterwards did her postdoctoral work in the group of William Harris in Cambridge, UK from 2006 to 2010. During this time in Cambridge, she started working on the zebrafish embryo using live imaging and found fundamental mechanisms that explain nuclear movements in the retinal neuroepithelium.

In her own lab researchers untangle the events that lead to the development of the vertebrate retina from cells to tissue mainly still using the developing zebrafish embryo. To get insights into these fundamental questions, a combination of cell and developmental biological methods is used including advanced quantitative imaging, image analysis tools and, in collaborations, theoretical modeling.

Link to website
Twitter: @NordenLab

Assistant Professor, University of Alberta

Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu is an Assistant Professor cross-appointed to the Faculties of Law and Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta. He is a member of the University's Health Law Institute, a Principal Investigator, and a member of the Stem Cell Oversight Committee. His research examines the ethical, legal and social issues associated with novel and emerging biotechnologies, including stem cells and genetic technologies.

Dr. Ogbogu is currently leading a Stem Cell Network Impact Research project aimed at producing recommendations for updating Canadian laws and regulations pertaining to research involving human embryos and reproductive materials. He is also in Canadian and international policy discussions on genome editing and mitochondrial replacement therapy. Ubaka was recently awarded the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations' Distinguished Academic Early Career Award.

Twitter: @ubakaogbogu

Senior Associate, McKinsey

Ben Paylor is a Senior Associate with McKinsey and Company, a leading management consultancy, and is currently based in New York. He primarily focuses on commercial and R&D strategy for mid to large-size biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He holds MPhil. in Cardiovascular Biology from Maastricht University and a PhD in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia, and completed his post-doctoral training in bioethics at Stanford University.

Associate Professor, University of California, San Francisco

Miguel was born in New Haven, CT, in 1972 and went back to Portugal with his family when he was four months old. He grew up in Coimbra, Portugal, and attended the University of Coimbra for an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Masters’ degree in Cell Biology, under the supervision of Carlos Faro. He moved to the US in 1997 for his PhD at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Harvard University, where he was co-advised by Doug Melton and Andy McMahon. He received his PhD in 2002, and moved to San Francisco in 2003 to become a UCSF Fellow, an independent research position. In December 2007, he became an Assistant Professor at UCSF, and at the end of 2010 his lab moved to the new Regeneration Medicine Building at the UCSF Parnassus Campus. In July 2013, he was promoted to Associate Professor.

Link to website

Associate Professor, Université de Montréal

Member of TMM2017 Program Committee, and Senior Chair of Plenary Session 5

Vardit Ravitsky is Associate Professor at the Bioethics Programs within the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal. She is also Director of the Ethics and Health Branch of the CRE, an inter-university research centre in ethics. Ravitsky is an elected Board member and Treasurer of the International Association of Bioethics (IAB). She is a member of CIHR’s Standing Committee on Ethics and of the CIHR’s Advisory Board on Research Excellence, Policy and Ethics. Previously, she was faculty at the Department of Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania and a fellow at the Department of Bioethics of the NIH and at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

Professor Ravitsky's research focuses on reproductive ethics and the ethics of genetics and genomics. She is particularly interested in the various ways in which cultural frameworks shape public debate and public policy in the area of bioethics. Born and raised in Jerusalem, Ravitsky brings international perspectives to her research and teaching. She holds a BA from the Sorbonne University in Paris, an MA from the University of New Mexico in the US, and a PhD in philosophy (with a specialization in bioethics) from Bar-Ilan University in Israel.

Twitter: @VarditRavitsky
Link to website

Senior Scientist and Chief of Research Emeritus, Hospital for Sick Children
Professor, University of Toronto

Janet Rossant, CC, PhD, FRS, FRSC, is President & Scientific Director of the Gairdner Foundation, SickKids Chief of Research Emeritus and a world-renowned expert in developmental biology.

Widely known for her studies of the genes that control embryonic development in the mouse, Dr. Rossant has pioneered techniques for following cell fate and altering genes in embryos. Her current research focuses on stem cell development and cell differentiation in the developing embryo, important areas for the study of birth defects as well as regenerative medicine.

Dr. Rossant trained at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, UK and has been in Canada since 1977, at Brock University and then the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto. She joined SickKids in 2005 and established it as a global forerunner in genetic research. Dr. Rossant has been recognized for her contributions to science with many awards, including the ISDB Ross G. Harrison Medal, Killam Prize for Health Sciences, March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology, SDB Conklin Medal, and CIHR Michael Smith Prize in Health Research. She is a Fellow of both the Royal Societies of London and Canada, and is a foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Science.

Professor, University of British Columbia

Member of TMM2017 Program Committee, and Senior Chair of Plenary Session 6

Dr. Rossi is currently a faculty member in the Department of Medical Genetics and the Director of the Biomedical Research Centre at the University of British Columbia. After completing his medical education in Genoa, Italy, he obtained a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the prestigious European Molecular Biology Laboratories in Heidelberg, Germany. During his postdoctoral work at Stanford University, Palo Alto, he developed several novel tools and methods to study biological events (e.g. protein-protein interactions) at the single cell level. Over the last fifteen years, he has made an impact in three distinct fields. In tissue regeneration, he has identified and characterized mesenchymal progenitors that respond to damage to provide trophic support to tissue specific stem cells, but that can also give rise to fibrotic scars if regeneration goes awry. In neuroinflammation, he has shown that microglia, the innate immune cells of the CNS, is completely independent from bone marrow resident hematopoeitic stem cells and that in fact, when peripheral monocytes enter the CNS they exacerbate the damage. In epigenetics, he is elucidating the role of specific methyltrasferases on normal and leukemic cell function. He is the proud father of 4 children, and lives in Vancouver because it is the only place where he can “sail and ski on the same day”.

Senior Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Professor, University of Ottawa
CEO & Scientific Director, Stem Cell Network

Member of TMM2017 Program Committee, and Senior Chair of Plenary Session 7

Dr. Michael Rudnicki is a Senior Scientist and the Director of the Regenerative Medicine Program and the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He is Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Rudnicki is CEO and Scientific Director of the Canadian Stem Cell Network (SCN). Dr. Rudnicki’s achievements have been recognized by numerous honours including being named a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, an International Research Scholar of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for two consecutive terms, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Dr. Rudnicki is an internationally recognized thought leader in molecular genetics and regenerative medicine whose research has transformed our understanding of muscle development and regeneration, and fueled the development of novel molecular and stem cell based approaches to the treatment of muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Rudnicki’s key discovery was the identification and characterization of muscle stem cells. This work pivoted the field towards the study of adult regenerative myogenesis and set the stage for novel molecular and stem cell based approaches to the treatment of muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Rudnicki is a member of the editorial boards of Cell Stem Cell, Journal of Cell Biology, and Stem Cells. He is a founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Skeletal Muscle. Dr, Rudnicki has also organized many international research conferences and was a founding director of the Society for Muscle Biology.

Principal Investigator, IRIC
Professor, Université de Montréal
Hematologist, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital
Scientific Advisor, Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank
Scientific Founder and CEO, ExcellThera

Chair of TMM2017 Program Committee

Guy Sauvageau holds the Canada Research Chair in the Molecular Genetics of Stem Cells at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the Université de Montréal. He is a practicing hematologist at Hospital Maisonneuve Rosemont in the HSC transplantation Program. He co-founded a system biology institute focusing on cancer research (www.iric.ca), the center for cell therapy of Montréal (www.cetc-hmr.org), the Québec Leukemia Cell Bank (http://bclq.org) and lately a biotechnology company (www.excellthera.ca). His work emphasizes studying the molecular basis for self-renewal in hematopoietic normal cells and leukemia. Over the years his laboratory has become well recognized for the development of primary cell-based assays adapted for high-throughput screening of genes and small molecules involved in HSC expansion and differentiation.

In recent years, through his collaboration with A. Marinier his laboratory identified the small molecule UM729 and optimized UM171 which enhances self-renewal of human HSCs. Results from these studies are being successfully translated to the clinic with the launch of a CIHR- and CCSRI-funded clinical trial in 2016. Guy Sauvageau is also leading a large scale program, Leucegene (www.leucegene.ca), on the development of diagnostic and prognostic tests for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The characterization of the transcriptional and mutational landscape of the various AML subgroups comprised in the Leucegene cohort has led to numerous discoveries including the development and validation of a novel AML prognostic signature that predicts resistance to current therapies and reclassifies ~30% of the intermediate risk AML patients. The program is now entering its therapeutic phase.

Link to website

Science Reporter, The Globe and Mail

Ivan Semeniuk is an award winning science journalist with Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. A life-long communicator of scientific discoveries and ideas, he has worked in print and broadcast media for over 20 years and his stories have informed Canadians about topics as diverse as space exploration, genetic engineering and climate change. Prior to joining The Globe and Mail in 2013, he was the Washington-based chief of correspondents for the journal Nature, U.S. bureau chief for New Scientist magazine and producer and columnist with Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet. He was named an MIT Knight science journalism fellow in 2007 and in 2016 he received the Royal Canadian Institute’s Fleming Medal for contributions to the public understanding of science.

University Professor, University of Toronto

Member of TMM2017 Program Committee, and Senior Chair of Plenary Session 1

Professor Molly Shoichet holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering at the University of Toronto. She has published over 575 papers, patents and abstracts and has given over 350 lectures worldwide. She currently leads a laboratory of 32 and has graduated 157 researchers. Her research is focused on drug and cell delivery strategies in the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, retina) and cancer. She co-founded three spin-off companies, is actively engaged in translational research and science outreach.

Dr. Shoichet is the recipient of many prestigious distinctions and the only person to be a Fellow of Canada’s 3 National Academies: Canadian Academy of Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Dr. Shoichet was the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Laureate for North America in 2015, elected Foreign Member of the US National Academy of Engineering in 2016, and won the Killam Prize in Engineering in 2017. She holds the Order of Ontario, Ontario’s highest honour and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2013, her contributions to Canada’s innovation agenda and the advancement of knowledge were recognized with the QEII Diamond Jubilee Award. In 2014, Dr. Shoichet was given the University of Toronto’s highest distinction, University Professor, a distinction held by less than 2% of the faculty.

Dr. Shoichet received her SB from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1987) and her PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Polymer Science and Engineering (1992).

Photo credit: Brigitte Lacombe

Professor, University of Ottawa

Member of TMM2017 Program Committee, and Senior Chair of Plenary Session 3

Dr. Slack is a full professor at the University of Ottawa in the Faculty of Medicine, and University Research Chair. The goals of Ruth Slack’s research is to understand the mechanisms regulating stem cell quiescence and longevity, as well as stem cell activation to promote regeneration of the damaged brain after stroke or in neurodegenerative diseases. Her most recent studies have shown that defects in mitochondrial function or aberrant changes in mitochondrial shape or metabolism result in the depletion of adult neural stem cells, leading to defects in learning and memory. She is a Senior Editor for the Journal of Neuroscience, and has served on many review panels including CIHR, HSFO, and the Stem Cell Network. Her research is currently funded through CIHR, HSFO, CFI, Brain Canada, Krembil Foundation, Parkinson’s Research Consortium and Ontario Brain Institute.

Investigator, BC Children's Hospital
Professor, University of British Columbia

Bruce Verchere is a Professor in the UBC Depts of Surgery and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, head of the Canucks for Kids Fund Childhood Diabetes Laboratories at BC Children’s Hospital, and holds the Irving K Barber Chair in Diabetes Research. His research focuses on understanding pancreatic beta cell function, with particular focus on islet amyloid and inflammation, and with the goal of developing therapeutic approaches for enhancing beta cell survival and function in diabetes and following transplantation. He was awarded the Diabetes Canada Young Scientist Award in 2006 and a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for diabetes research and service in 2012. In recent years he has served on a number of advisory and editorial boards, including the Diabetes Canada Board of Directors and National Research Council; the Institute Advisory Board for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes; on editorial boards of the journals Diabetes, Endocrinology, Diabetologia, and Islets; and on grant review panels for Diabetes Canada, CIHR, JDRF, and NIH.

Senior Scientist, Krembil Research Institute
Scientific Division Head: Research, Krembil Research Institute
Professor, University of Toronto

Dr. Valerie Wallace obtained her PhD in the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto (UT) and completed postdoctoral studies in developmental neuroscience at University College London. From 1998-2013 she was at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (University of Ottawa) where she was Senior Scientist and Director of the Vision Research Program. Dr. Wallace joined the Krembil Research Institute/University Health Network in September 2013, where she is Senior Scientist and Co-Director of Donald K Johnson Eye Institute and Director of the Vision Science Research Program. She holds appointments in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto. A molecular and developmental biologist by training, she is recognized for her work on the role of Hedgehog signaling in neural progenitor proliferation in the central nervous system. Her lab is now applying this knowledge towards investigating the role of morphogen signalling in tumorigenesis and the development of cell-based approaches for the treatment of blinding eye diseases, including age related macular degeneration.

Medical Science Liaison, Boerhinger Ingleheim

Dr. Ryan Ward is a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease group at Takeda Canada. Prior to this, Ryan served as an MSL for six years in the Oncology Group at Boehringer Ingelheim Canada. As an MSL he is the customer-facing, in-field scientific expert supporting the company’s clinical trials, medical education and medical- and scientific-related issues. Prior to this Ryan completed his PhD in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Dirks at the Hospital for Sick Children and in the Dept. of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. His projects centered on understanding brain tumour stem cells and developing models of the disease. Ryan also completed his MSc at McGill University in the laboratory of Dr. Chantal Autexier studying the role of the telomerase enzyme in acquired drug-resistance, and his BSc at McMaster University in the Biology & Pharmacology Co-Op program.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-ward-phd-07946021/

Senior Communications Advisor, OIRM

Lisa Willemse is a communications professional with 18 years’ experience working in the technology, child development and health research fields. With a background in fine art, communications and journalism, Lisa now works as a consultant and her clients include the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Stem Cell Network, the International Society for Stem Cell Research and Canadian Blood Services. She was invited Alumni-in-Residence for the acclaimed Banff Science Communications program and currently sits on a number of volunteer boards. She spends her off time in Gatineau Park (her “backyard”) where she forages for wild mushrooms and, as a certified guide, leads mountain bike riding groups.

Follow her on Twitter and Medium @WillemseLA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisawillemse/

Associate Professor, University of Victoria

Dr. Willerth holds a Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Victoria where she has dual appointments in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Division of Medical Sciences as an Associate Professor. She currently serves as the President of the Canadian Biomaterials Society and on the steering committee for the B.C. Regenerative Medicine Initiative. She served as the Acting Director for the Centre for Biomedical Research at the University of Victoria during 2017. Her honors include being named a Woman of Innovation in 2017, one of the 2015 Young Innovators in Cellular and Biological Engineering and a "Star in Global Health" by Grand Challenges Canada in 2014.

Professor, University of Toronto
Executive Director, Medicine by Design
Chief Science Officer, CCRM

Member of TMM2017 Program Committee

Dr. Peter Zandstra graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McGill University in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, under the supervision of Jamie Piret and Connie Eaves. He continued his research training as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the field of Bioengineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (with Doug Lauffenburger). In 1999, Dr. Zandstra began his faculty appointment at the University of Toronto’s (UofT’s) Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, with cross appointments in the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and Chemical Engineering. During his time at the UofT, he has held the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Stem Cell Bioengineering and he was appointed University Professor (2016), the university’s highest academic rank. In addition to his UofT appointment, in July 2017, Zandstra joined UBC as the Founding Director of a new School of Biomedical Engineering and as the Director of the Michael Smith Laboratories. In these roles, he aims to build programs with deeper interactions between the departments of engineering, biology and medicine, especially in the area of cellular and molecular engineering and synthetic biology.

Zandstra’s research integrates engineering and biological approaches and in the last several years, work in his lab has focused on using computer modelling and strict control of the microenvironment (niche engineering) to develop a deeper understanding of the regulatory networks that determine stem cell fate. He served as the Executive Director of Medicine by Design (2015-2017), and has co-founded three biotech companies. He is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), a Toronto-based regenerative medicine translation centre. In addition, Zandstra serves as the Scientific Founder and Chief Technology Officer for ExCellThera.

Associate Professor, University of Regina

Amy Zarzeczny is an Associate Professor with the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina campus. After completing law school at the University of Alberta, she clerked for Alberta’s Court of Queen’s Bench and Court of Appeal and practiced law with the firm of Reynolds, Mirth, Richards & Farmer LLP in Edmonton, Alberta. Zarzeczny subsequently obtained her Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science, following which she held an appointment as a Research Associate with the University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute. Zarzeczny later served as Crown Counsel with the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of Saskatchewan in the Policy, Planning and Evaluation Branch. In addition to her primary academic appointment, Zarzeczny is an External Research Fellow with the University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute and a pro bono member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan. Her research focuses on health law and policy issues, with a particular interest in legal, bioethical and policy challenges associated with emerging biotechnology and medical innovations. She is grateful for funding support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation and the Stem Cell Network.