Council of Expert Advisors

Dr. Joanne M. Langley

Professor of Pediatrics and Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine; Division Head, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, IWK Health Care Centre (Co-chair)

Dr. Langley is a pediatric infectious disease physician and vaccine researcher at the Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV) at Dalhousie University. She is an active investigator in the Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) and is the co-lead of its Clinical Trials Network (CTN) and holds the CIHR-GSK Chair in Pediatric Vaccinology. As the Associate Director for Vaccine Evaluation Group at CCfV, she works with collaborators in academia, public health, industry, and non-governmental organizations to study the prevention of infectious diseases using vaccines from Phase 1 (first in humans) through to Phase 4 (post-market studies of how well vaccines work when they are used in immunization programs).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been serving as the co-chair of Canada's COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force and as a member of the COVID-19 Science Expert Panel for the Chief Science Advisor of Canada of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care and Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (Chair, 2007-2011).

Joanne Langley's Bibliography

Twitter: @jmllhfx

Dr. Marco Marra

Professor, University of British Columbia (Co-chair)

Dr. Marra has been instrumental in bringing genome science to Canada, leading numerous large-scale genomics projects to identify genetic changes that drive cancer. His research has uncovered new cancer mutations, candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets, and has demonstrated the functional interplay between the cancer genome and epigenome.

A professor in Medical Genetics at UBC, a UBC Canada Research Chair in Genome Science and a Distinguished Scientist at BC Cancer, Dr. Marra is a member of the Order of British Columbia and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He is a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame awardee, and has for several years has been listed among the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds by Clarivate Analytics, as his work was among the top one per cent worldwide for citations in his discipline.

Dr. Marra holds a PhD in Genetics from Simon Fraser University, an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Simon Fraser University and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Calgary for his contributions to genome science.

Twitter: @mmarra0630

Ingrid Abbott-Permell

President and Biosafety Consultant, Universal Biosafety

Ms. Abbott-Permell is a Certified Biosafety Professional (CBSP) with ABSA international and a Specialist Microbiologist-Biological Safety with the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists. She has over 25 years of experience in the development, implementation, and monitoring of bio risk management systems in support of facility licensing and compliance with regulatory requirements for Containment Level 2 and 3 laboratories and large-scale manufacturing facilities. In addition, she has extensive knowledge of biosafety-related laws and standards, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act (HPTA) and the Canadian Biosafety Standards, and has over twenty years' experience in the transportation of dangerous goods and the development and delivery of training courses in this field.

Ms. Abbott-Permell is a member of the Advisory Committee on Human Pathogens and Toxins, established by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in 2015 to provide scientific advice on the pathogens and toxins regulated under the HPTA and on its schedules.

Dr. Penny Ballem

Clinical Professor, Faculty of Medicine (University of British Columbia)
Senior Fellow, Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation (University of Toronto)

Dr. Ballem is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC), a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation of the University of Toronto. As a valued health leader and academic clinician for over 35 years, Dr. Ballem has advised governments across Canada on health policy, health systems and health human resources. She has received significant public recognition for her work in medicine and public service, including the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for Public Service.

Dr. Ballem previously served as the Deputy Minister of Health for the Province of British Columbia (2001-2006), City Manager of Vancouver (2008-2015), and was appointed as the Chair of the Board of Vancouver Coastal Health in 2019. She was also the executive lead for rollout of British Columbia's COVID-19 vaccination program. She earned her Masters in Immunology from the University of Western Ontario followed by her medical degree at the University of British Columbia. In January 2023, Dr. Ballem became the Premier of British Columbia's Health Systems Advocate, where she is responsible for advising on ways to move priorities forward and improve the province's healthcare system.

Dr. Alan Bernstein

President Emeritus, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR)

Dr. Bernstein has served as the President and CEO of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), an organization that brings together researchers from around the world to address important issues in science. He was responsible for developing and leading the institute's overall strategic direction, including the launching of the pan-Canadian AI Strategy. Previously, Dr. Bernstein was the founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada's federal agency for the support of health research. He subsequently became the Executive Director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise in New York, an international alliance of researchers and funders charged with accelerating the search for an HIV vaccine.

Dr. Bernstein received his PhD from the University of Toronto and completed postdoctoral work in the UK. He has authored over 225 scientific publications, making landmark contributions to the study of stem cells, blood cell formation and cancer. He has received many honours for his contributions to science and science policy, including 8 honorary degrees, Officer of the Orders of Canada and Ontario, induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, and the 2017 Henry Friesen International Prize in Health Research. Dr. Bernstein is a member of Canada's Vaccine Task Force, and chairs or is a member of advisory and review boards in Canada, the U.S., U.K., Italy, France, and Australia.

Timothy Caulfield

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 public health policy has allowed him to publish over 350 academic articles. He has won numerous academic, science communication, and writing awards, and is a member of the Order Canada and a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Mr. Caulfield contributes frequently to the popular press and is the author of national bestsellers. He is also the co-founder of the science engagement initiative #ScienceUpFirst and was the host and co-producer of the award-winning documentary TV show, A User's Guide to Cheating Death, which has been shown in over 60 countries, including streaming on Netflix in North America.

Dr. Elizabeth Douville

PhD, ICD.D, President and Chief Executive Officer at IRICoR

Dr. Douville is the President and CEO of IRICoR, a pan-Canadian leader in the de-risking of early-stage academic assets in the field of drug discovery. IRICoR's mandate is to accelerate the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative therapies in cancer and rare diseases. She was the Founder and Managing Partner of AmorChem, a leading early-stage venture capital fund focusing on academic innovation and translating it into early-stage biotech companies. As a venture capitalist with more than 25 years of life sciences' investment experience, she has raised and managed funds, and has sourced, led and overseen several investments in biotech companies, in promising university technologies, and successfully created several spin-off companies. She is an active participant in the life sciences' ecosystem and several not-for-profit organizations. She is the Chair of Genome Canada, a Member of the Canada Foundation for Innovation and a member of the Policy Engagement Committee of Research Canada. She is also currently a board member of Corbin Therapeutics Inc. and SemaThera Inc.

Dr. Douville trained as a biochemist, obtaining her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London, UK. She also has a Certificate in Management from CIREM/HEC and a Certificate in Leadership and Leadership Abilities from the Leadership Institute. More recently, she received the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Dr. Amine Kamen

Professor, McGill University

Dr. Kamen is a professor in the Department of Bioengineering at McGill University and a Canada Research Chair in Bioprocessing of Viral Vaccines. He is a world expert in process development for the manufacturing of biologics, and has significantly contributed to the advancement of cell-culture engineering, process optimization, process analytical technologies and scale-up of different technology platforms to enable viral vectors and nanoparticles production for gene delivery and vaccination. Through his work, Dr. Kamen has designed advanced manufacturing processes for safe, efficacious, and cost-effective vaccines and delivery systems for live gene editing.

Dr. Kamen is also a Researcher Emeritus of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) where he was employed until the end of 2013 as Head of the Process Development section of the Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio. He received his Doctorate. in Chemical Engineering from École des Mines de Paris and a PhD in Biochemical Engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Mark Lievonen

Principal, JML Advisory Services and former President, Sanofi Pasteur Limited

Mr. Lievonen is the Principal of JML Advisory Services and the former president of Sanofi Pasteur Limited, the Canadian vaccine division of Sanofi. He 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. He was also the Vice-Chair of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and has served as a board member of Oncolytics Biotech, Acerus Pharmaceuticals, the Public Policy Forum and York University. Currently, he is a board member of Quest PharmaTech Inc., Sona Nanotechnologies Inc., Biome Grow Inc. and the Gairdner Foundation.

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

Mr. Lievonen holds a BBA (Accounting) and an MBA (Finance and Marketing) from the Schulich School of Business, and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from York University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.

Mr. Lievonen is a current member of the Canada COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force.

Dr. Dennis Liotta

Samuel Candler Dobbs, Professor of Chemistry
Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology
Chair, Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE)/Emory Institute of Drug Development (EIDD) Advisory Committee
Co-Director of AHIA, Advancing Healthcare Innovations in Africa

Dr. Liotta is a professor in both the Departments of Chemistry, and Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at Emory University. In his four-decade-long career at Emory University, Dr. Dennis Liotta has improved the longevity and quality of life of millions worldwide. He has been directly involved in the discovery and development of multiple lifesaving therapeutics. As an entrepreneur and visionary, he has fostered many businesses in the biotech industry and pioneered new approaches to drug development in academia.

Dr. Liotta's research focuses on the discovery and development of novel antiviral, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory agents. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications, often cited by scientists around the globe. An inventor with over 100 US patents, Dr. Liotta contributed to 18 lifesaving, FDA-approved therapies and is recognized as a premier discoverer of novel therapeutics. While his biggest impact came from the HIV/AIDS therapeutics he co-discovered, he has made important contributions to other therapeutic fronts, such as oncology and neurological diseases. Dr. Liotta is also the co-founder of DRIVE (Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory), a non-profit drug development company that focusses on diseases caused by single-stranded RNA viruses. The company provided a pivotal solution to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Joanne Liu

Physician and Professor at McGill University

Dr. Liu is a paediatric emergency physician and professor at McGill University's School of Population & Global Health, where she focuses on pandemic and health emergencies. Prior to joining McGill, Dr. Liu began her career with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in 1996 and went on to serve as the International President of MSF for over six years. In this role, she coordinated emergency medical aid and responded to humanitarian and health emergencies including outbreaks/epidemics all over the world.

Dr. Liu graduated from the McGill University School of Medicine in 1991 and did her pediatric specialty training at University of Montreal. She holds a Fellowship in Paediatric Emergency Medicine from New York University School of Medicine as well as an International Master's in Health Leadership, also from McGill University. Dr. Liu is currently a member of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide an evidence-based path to ensure countries and global institutions effectively address future health threats. She is a board member of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the New Humanitarian. She is on the international advisory board of two Lancet Commissions: The Global Listening Project and NUS-Lancet Pandemic Readiness, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation (PRIME) Commission.

Chris Procyshyn

Former CEO and Co-founder, Vanrx Pharmasystems (now Cytiva)

Christopher Procyshyn is an internationally recognized expert in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, with numerous patents in the areas of drug development, process sciences and robotics. Formerly founder, board member and CEO of Vanrx Pharmasystems Inc, a BC-based global leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing automation, he led the company to become the fastest-growing company in Canada in 2018 (Deloitte Fast 50). Following, he managed the company's acquisition by Danaher Corporation and its expansion in the Vancouver area. Prior to Vanrx, Chris led manufacturing, process science, and engineering functions at QLT Inc, a pioneer in Canadian biotechnology.

He has worked with numerous global regulatory bodies to introduce novel technologies into licensed manufacturing of human therapeutics, and has authored and presented on technology development in cGMP environments extensively. Chris has over 25 years of experience in the global pharmaceutical industry, and is a member of the Canadian Covid-19 Vaccine Task Force. He holds a B. Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. Benjamin Rovinski, PhD

Managing Director, Lumira Ventures

With over 30 years of investment, operational, managerial and research experience in the healthcare industry, Dr. Rovinski has helped build life sciences companies at all stages of development. He is known both as a senior scientist and an achievement-oriented executive, with demonstrated success in strategic planning, drug development, and operational management of global multifunctional teams. Dr. Rovinski held several senior management positions in the biotechnology sector, including 13 years at Sanofi Pasteur (formerly Aventis Pasteur) where he led global research and development programs in the areas of HIV/AIDS and therapeutic cancer vaccines, bringing several of them through to clinical stage. He has published several scientific articles and reviews and is the recipient of over 30 patents. He received a PhD in biochemistry from McGill University, and did post-doctoral studies in molecular oncology and retrovirology at the Ontario Cancer Institute.

Dr. Rovinski joined Lumira Ventures in 2001, and his current and past board roles include: Antios Therapeutics; Antiva Biosciences; Aurinia Pharmaceuticals; Bright Angel Therapeutics; Deka Biosciences; G1 Therapeutics; Health Hero Network; KAI Pharmaceuticals; Morphotek; and OncoMyx Therapeutics. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Life Sciences Ontario, Ontario Genomics, and he volunteers for various personal career mentoring programs targeting young adult entrepreneurs.

Dr. Rovinski is a member of the Government of Canada COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force.

Dr. Ilse Treurnicht

Managing Partner at TwinRiver Capital

Dr. Treurnicht is a Managing Partner at TwinRiver Capital, an impact investment firm with the dual mission of advancing positive environmental/societal impact while also generating strong financial returns. She is also a General Partner at North South Ventures, a seed-stage cross-border bio/med fund. She has broad experience in commercialization of therapeutics, medtech, as well as digital health solutions, as a business executive, investor and director. Until 2022, she served as Executive Chair of Triphase Accelerator Corporation, a company advancing promising oncology therapies. She was the CEO of MaRS Discovery District in Toronto for over 12 years, where she oversaw its development into a leading urban innovation hub.

Dr. Treurnicht has served on the Government of Canada's Science, Technology and Innovation Council (2014 to 2016) and Canada's Advisory Council on Economic Growth (2016 to 2019). She is currently the Chair of the Public Policy Forum, and a director of the Equality Fund. She served as Chair of the Impact Canada International Advisory Committee, a multi-sector group providing advice to the Impact and Innovation Unit in the Government of Canada's Privy Council Office.

She holds a DPhil in Chemistry from Oxford University and an MSc in Chemistry from Stellenbosch University.