Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Robert Henry, Ph.D., is Métis from Prince Albert, SK and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, in the Department of Sociology. Robert’s research areas include Indigenous street gangs and gang theories, Indigenous masculinities, Indigenous and critical research methodologies, youth mental health, and visual research methods. Working closely with community partners, he has published a collection of narratives from his Ph.D. research titled, Brighter Days Ahead (2014). Robert has also published in the areas of Indigenous masculinity, Indigenous health, youth subcultures, and criminal justice. 

Dr. Carman Neustaedter is an Associate Professor in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University. He specializes in the areas of human-computer interaction and domestic computing where he studies communication behaviours amongst family and friends and designs and evaluates technologies to support improved communication practices and shared experiences over distance. His overarching goal is to allow family and friends to engage in activities together regardless of where they live in the world. This involves exploring wearable cameras, telepresence robots, mobile video chat systems, and live streaming technologies. Dr. Neustaedter’s two books, “Connecting Families: The Implications of New Communication Technologies on Domestic Life” and “Studying and Designing Technology for Domestic Life: Lessons from Home” describe key portions of his research and design practices. 

Reese Muntean is a PhD student at the School of Interactive Arts & Technology at Simon Fraser University. Her research interests include digital cultural heritage and collaborative development of ethnographic new media projects, as well as tangible computing, 3D scanning, and virtual reality applications for cultural documentation and preservation. Building on her background as a photographer and videographer, Reese’s current work examines how virtual reality and 360° video can be used to communicate traditional knowledge and cultural values of Indigenous communities. As part of this research, Reese has collaborated with communities in Canada and Thailand, as well as with the United Nations, to create images and interactive installations to convey values and cultural knowledge.

Eric Wasylenko is a palliative care physician and clinical ethicist. He was part of the leadership team that designed and implemented Alberta's program for medical assistance in dying, despite a moral position against the practice. He speaks widely on ethics and palliative care topics provincially, nationally and internationally and has Faculty appointments at the University of Calgary and University of Alberta. Eric advises a number of provincial and national health care organizations and government agencies on ethics issues, and primarily works with the Health Quality Council of Alberta. He chairs the Ethics Consultative Group for the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Holly is the Research Privacy Advisor for the Provincial Health Services Authority. She also serves as ethicist for the BC Cancer REB, is a member of Schulman IRBs Canadian panel, and a Director at Large for the Animals in Science Policy Institute. As a consultant, Holly has developed reports and guidance documents for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, created ethics, privacy, and confidentiality educational materials for the CIHR Ethics Office, and provided services for a variety of organizations including the Canadian Clinical Trials Coordinating Centre and the BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative. Holly has published her work in research ethics in journals such as Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, PloS ONE, and Trends in Neurosciences. She is currently a collaborator on a CIHR grant held by principal investigator Dr. McGrail at UBC which focuses on consulting with the public about good governance models for data sharing and access to research resources.

Scott Baker Joined the UBC Advanced Research Computing team in 2017 and has a B.A.Sc in Electrical Engineering, holds CISSP, PMP, ITIL, and Lean 6-sigma Green Belt certifications. He is the leader of the CARA IT-SIG, represents WestGrid on the Compute Canada Security Council, and has over 20 years of experience managing people, projects, and systems across a broad range of industries including private sector, non-profit, and government organizations. Scott has a passion for information security and enjoys the challenge of seeking effective non-limiting solutions for data management in the ever evolving research environment.

Sarah joined Simon Fraser University as the Manager of the Office of Research Ethics in November 2013. She has 10 years’ experience in research ethics and worked for UBC and Fraser Health Authority previously. She has been active in research ethics review harmonization efforts in BC for the past six years, believing in consensus-building and open communication to build relationships among participating institutions and others. Sarah is a member of the Advisory Committee for the BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative (BCEHI) that facilitates the review of multi-jurisdictional research projects in the province. This year, along with the Advisory Committee, she will lead the continued sustainability of BCEHI from SFU. She is a Director on the Board of the national research ethics association, CAREB.

Terri Fleming is currently the Manager of Research Compliance and Ethics at Island Health. With an MBA specializing in change management, and two qualifications in project management, Terri joined Island Health with the specific goal of developing quality management systems for research to ensure the regulatory and legal compliance of research. Terri is also the Chair of the Advisory Committee for the BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative and has used her project management skills to help the committee to successfully implement harmonized ethical review processes within BC.

Jean Ruiz, MA, is a Sr. Research Ethics Analyst in the University of British Columbia Office of Research Ethics.  In her role as research analyst, Jean is responsible for providing policy and administrative guidance, and developing and delivering educational programs in research ethics principles and application processes.  She also manages the UBC Behavioural Research Ethics Board.  She joined the UBC Clinical Research Ethics Board administration in 2007 and in May 2011 took on her present role.  Jean has been an active BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative (BCEHI) advisory committee member since its inception. She came to UBC from the University of Saskatchewan where she worked in management and as a research assistant in the areas of education and perceptions around health and wellness.  She has a MA in History from the University of Saskatchewan. 

Dawn is Island Health’s Health Research Ethics Board (HREB) Coordinator in Victoria BC. The HREB reviews everything from behavioural studies to genetics and in 2017, reviewed 170 new and ongoing studies. Dawn is also on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards (CAREB-ACCER), Chair of CAREB-ACCER’s Virtual REB Working Group, and a member of CAREB-ACCER’s Professional Development Committee, and Webinar Working Group. Dawn received her Doctorate from the University of Toronto, OISE, in Human Development and Applied Psychology. She holds a Masters of Education from Brock University, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria, and a Bachelors (Hons.) degree in Philosophy from the University of Regina. Dawn has been a practicing qualitative analyst for 17 years and has publications in the Journal of Research Practice, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, Journal of Mixed Methods Research, and Disability and Society. She has worked with researchers from Bhutan; the Maldives; the UK; the Centre for Leadership in Learning, McMaster University; Diagnostic Radiology Program, McMaster University; Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Institute for Child Study, (U of T); PROPEL Centre for Population Health Impact, University of Waterloo; and United Nations University. 

H.F. Machiel Van der Loos, Ph.D., P.Eng, is Associate Professor and Associate Head – External, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia.  He received a Diplôme d'Ingénieur from the EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland (1978), and a PhD from Stanford University (1992) in human-robot interaction. As Director of the RREACH Lab and the CARIS Lab at UBC, he conducts research in rehabilitation robotics, roboethics, design methodology, and industry-focused human-robot interaction. He has more than 50 journal articles, 100 conference papers and 4 book chapters across these subjects, and is Associate Editor for the Journal “Assistive Technology”. Dr. Van der Loos primarily teaches in core design courses, notably the Capstone Design Project  course for the department and the “Designing for People” graduate project course across Computer Science, Applied Science and the iSchool. He was the general chair of the Design Society’s ICED17 conference held at UBC in 2017.

Gillian Corless is Senior Advisor, Research Ethics at the First Nations Health Authority, supporting the development of an Indigenous research ethics review process that will reflect the needs and priorities of BC First Nations communities. She holds an MA from McGill University in community-based policy and planning, and began her career in the land claim territory of Nunavut. Before joining FNHA in June 2017, Gillian was at UBC for 9 years, leading the implementation and ethics for two population health research studies under the guidance of an Aboriginal Steering Committee. 

Tim Michel is the coordinator for the PILAR (Promoting Indigenous Led Actions in Respecting) Tobacco Project and is a joint hire for the First Nations Health Authority and Simon Fraser University. Tim has been a lecturer for the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University and served ten years as the Aboriginal Coordinator for the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Land & Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. Prior to that, he worked with various education and Aboriginal organizations. He has a deep interest in various Indigenous spiritual practices (Secwépemc, Cree and Lakota).

Dr. Laura Arbour is a Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia situated at the Island Medical Program in Victoria, BC and is a Clinical Geneticist at Island Health. Her clinical practice and research focuses on northern and Indigenous health issues as they pertain to genetics. Trained as both pediatrician and clinical geneticist, her research integrates maternal child health issues and the understanding of the genetic component of Indigenous health of all ages. Dr. Arbour led or co-led several workshops held in Canada to explore ethically acceptable ways to carry out genetic research in Aboriginal populations. The concepts were adopted for the CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal Peoples, which informed the revised national Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS2 Chapter 9). This work was highlighted in Nature, Science and Cell as well as the American Society of Human Genetics 2010 Presidential address. She is currently the project lead on a Genome Canada/CIHR funded grant, with co-leads Drs. Nadine Caron and Wyeth Wasserman (of UBC) “Silent Genomes: Reducing health-care disparities and improving diagnostic success for Indigenous children with genetic disease” which aims to address the challenges of equitable access to genetic/genomic diagnosis and care for Canadian Indigenous populations.

Lisa Shearer has worked in research ethics at UBC Okanagan since 2012. Prior to this she worked in the Educational sector of the SK Provincial Government. In her role as Manager of the Research Ethics Board at UBC Okanagan, she has developed a strong interest in research ethics and helping researchers navigate the field of research ethics and the approval process. Her educational background has been invaluable as it has allowed her to develop educational resources for the university community and the members of the Board.  

Eugenie Lam has worked in the area of research ethics at the University of Victoria since 2005.  She has held the position of Research Ethics Coordinator since 2006 and is an Advisory Committee member on the BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative.  Eugenie was a research coordinator and research assistant for 10 years on a number of funded studies.  In addition, she has been employed in the not-for profit sector, served on community boards, and taught as a sessional instructor.  Eugenie has an MA in Educational Psychology.

Dr. Nelly Oelke is a registered nurse and graduated with her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Calgary. Dr. Oelke is a health services researcher with expertise in integrated health systems, primary health care, patient engagement, chronic disease management, mental health, indigenous health, and health policy. Her research skills include qualitative methodology, mixed methods, case study methodology, knowledge translation, and deliberative dialogue.

Dr. Oelke has been working at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus since 2011. In 2016, she took on the position of Academic Co-Lead for the BC SUPPORT Unit Interior Centre where she takes an active role in patient engagement in research, knowledge translation and implementation science. Prior to coming to UBC, she worked for 10 years in an applied research unit with Alberta Health Services working in the Health Systems and Workforce Research Unit. Prior to that time, she worked in prevention and promotion for the Alberta Cancer Board, focusing on breast and cervical cancer screening and reaching vulnerable populations. Dr. Oelke has also worked in public health, pediatrics, medicine and nursing education. Currently, Dr. Oelke has several funded projects focusing on integrated services and supports for adults 50 and over with mental health concerns in rural communities. She also is involved in research on care transitions as a key component of integrated health systems. Furthermore, she has completed a knowledge synthesis on measuring integration in health systems. Finally, Dr. Oelke also has a partnership with researchers in Brazil focusing on integration and care transitions.

Personally, I am a mother of two nurses and a grandmother. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, gardening, and cross-country skiing, all which are easily accessible in the Okanagan Valley.  

Ruth Lavergne is a quantitative researcher who uses observational methods and large administrative databases to examine health care delivery, with a focus on primary care and health human resources. Ruth also leads a project funded under the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) that aims to build resources and capacity for patient-oriented primary care research through the BC Primary Health Care Research Network. Ruth is an Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

Ursula Wick is a community member with lived experience with the health and social care system and accessing services. Ursula lives in Oliver, BC, a small rural community in the southern interior. She has extensive experience as a volunteer in her community and has developed and facilitated the Facets Holistic Self-Discovery Wellness Program.

Brenda is a UBC Engineering graduate who became interested in healthcare subsequent to personal health difficulties. Brenda is a member of the BC Primary Health Care Research Network Patient Advisory, and is a patient collaborator on the PREFeR (PRioritiEs For Research) Project.

Brenda has volunteered for a number of patient partner roles through PVN. Healthcare research is a particular area of interest, and she has participated as a subject in research trials and attended BC Support Unit workshops as well as their first provincial conference. Brenda provides patient perspective feedback regarding grant funding applications through the BC Primary Health Care Research Network Patient Advisory, and has joined as a patient collaborator in several research projects applying for grant funding.

In addition to the Patient Advisory for the BC Primary Health Care Research Network, Brenda’s advisory roles include the Integrated Primary Care Continuing Professional Development Advisory Group, Providence Health Care Ethics Resource Forum & Advisory Group, and Vancouver Coastal Health Regional MHSU Community Clinical Practice Council. Brenda is a member of PVN (Patient Voices Network), CEAN (Community Engagement Advisory Network) and PAN (Patient Advisors Network).