Governance

If you ask any of our staff they will tell you we are accountable to the patients and families in the communities we serve. However, we do have a dedicated group of stakeholders that give us guidance and make sure things run smoothly.

Board of Directors

Christopher Dyrda – Chair of the Board

Corporate Director

Photo of Christopher Dyrda - Chair of the Board

Having spent his early years in rural Manitoba, Chris graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelors of Commerce degree (1980) and subsequently from Queen’s University in Kingston (1981) with an MBA in Finance. He went on to enjoy a career spanning almost four decades with the TD Bank Financial Group and as a member of the Senior Management Team was, in his last several roles, responsible for the Business Banking operations in the four western Provinces, the three northern Territories, Ontario District, and Quebec. He earned the ICD.D designation in 2009. Chris has been actively involved in charitable work his entire adult life and is currently is the Chair of the CHEO Research Institute board, a Member of the Investment Committee of the CHEO Foundation, a member of the joint Governance Committee between CHEO Research Institute and CHEO, a member of the Investment Committee at Carleton University and a member of the Finance Committee at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. Additionally, Chris is a twenty year board member of First Nations Bank of Canada, a chartered bank with offices across the country with a major focus in the far north, that caters to the needs of Indigenous peoples, First Nations, and various Indigenous enterprises. Chris and his wife Karen split their time between their home in Ottawa and their lake home outside of Perth, Ontario. They have three adult sons each with wonderful partners.


Parm Gill – Vice Chair

Managing Partner, Gill Group

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Mr. Parm Gill is a serial entrepreneur with a myriad of start-up experience having launched several technology businesses over his career. As Managing Partner of the Gill Group, he acts as a strategic advisor, mentor, investor, and connector for start-up companies. He brings with him the experience and expertise of guiding the growth and development of numerous startup companies, with a focus on strategic planning, business development, fundraising, and intellectual property development and commercialization. His passion for entrepreneurship is equally matched by his passion for giving back to the community through active involvement with a number of charitable and non-profit organizations. You can find out more about him at LinkedIn.com/in/ParmGill, where he can also be contacted, and he can be found on Twitter @ParmSGill


Catherine Eckenswiller- Secretary

Legal Counsel, Research Legal Services, Partnerships and Innovations, Vice Principal Research, Queens University

Catherine Eckenswiller is a lawyer with over 20 years of experience advancing commercialization of technology in the public and private sectors. She is currently legal counsel with Queen’s University. Prior to joining Queen’s in 2021, Catherine established and led the legal group of an Ottawa-based vaccines company (VBI Vaccines Inc.) from its early stage in discovery research to regulatory approval of its first commercial product. Prior to joining VBI, Catherine spent 6 years with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), where she was leader of the Intellectual Property Portfolio Management group. Prior to NRC, Catherine was in private practice with two national law firms, focussing on business, financing and intellectual property transactions. She is a fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) and former chair of the IPIC Technology Transfer Committee. She has extensive experience working with non-profit organizations and has served as a member of the Board and Corporate Secretary of UNICEF Canada and as a member of the Board and Corporate Secretary of the Caring and Sharing Exchange. Catherine is a graduate of the University of Waterloo (B. Sc. Hons. Co-op, M. Sc.) and received her law degree from Western University. She is called to the Bar of the Province of Ontario and is a registered patent and trade-mark agent.


Martin Zablocki – Treasurer

Partner at Gowling WLG

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Martin Zablocki is a retired public service executive, having spent 30 years leading a variety of organizations within the Federal Government. Martin continues to provide advice to businesses looking to access government markets globally. Martin has significant experience working in international markets with companies in the infrastructure, aerospace and defence sectors. He also has a notable track record of work with business leaders in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Prior to retiring from the public service, Martin was the President and CEO of Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). CCC is a Canadian Crown corporation focused on international trade, facilitating approximately $2B in exports to foreign governments on an annual basis. Mr. Zablocki is a Fellow within the Chartered Professional Accounting profession and is a Chartered Business Valuator. Martin has served on a number of volunteer Boards and Committees.


Harry Atkins

Physician, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, The Ottawa Hospital Scientist, Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, OHRI; Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa

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Harold Atkins MD is a physician of The Ottawa Hospital Transplant and Cell Therapy Program, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and a scientist in the Center for Innovative Cancer Research. 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 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and has spearheaded the use of stem cell transplantation for immune repair to treat patients with severe autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, scleroderma, myasthenia gravis and others. The outcome of a trial in Multiple Sclerosis was published in the Lancet in 2016. He ran a clinical trial exploring the role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in preventing organ transplant rejection. He is a member of a BiocanRx funded, pan-Canadian consortium to develop and improve the accessibility of new chimeric antigen receptor T lymphocytes for the treatment of hematological cancers. He was awarded the OHRI’s Dr. Michel Chretien Researcher of the Year in 2016, the Till and McCulloch Award from the Stem Cell Network in 2017 and was the co-recipient of the Canadian Blood Services Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.


Sacha Baharmand

Legal counsel with the Department of Justice Canada

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Sacha is legal counsel with the Department of Justice Canada. Prior to joining the public service, he was a litigator in private practice in Ottawa as well as on Bay Street. His litigation experience includes having been seconded to both the RCMP and the Competition Bureau to manage complex commercial and regulatory litigation on behalf of the Crown. Sacha is a recognized resource on access to justice. In his current role, he helps craft access to justice policy, drawing upon his particular expertise relating to official language minority communities. He is a member of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group on Access to Justice in Both Official Languages, as well as the Justice Canada National Advisory Committee on Access to Justice in Both Official Languages. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Manitoba and a Juris Doctor from the Université de Moncton. He is a former Associate Editor of both the Revue de la common law en français as well as the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII). Sacha has considerable experience in health policy and systems governance. Prior to joining the CHEO Board, he was most recently a board member of the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre and chaired its Quality and Safety Committee. He is a former Board Chair of Carlington Community Health Centre, having played a leading role in securing funds for its current capital project aimed at creating a primary care, wellness and affordable housing service hub. He currently serves on the board of Centretown Community Health Centre. For his commitment to legal excellence and community service, Sacha was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. He is the proud father of two daughters, both of whom are CHEO kids.


Sylvain Charbonneau

Vice-President, Research, University of Ottawa

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Sylvain Charbonneau was appointed Interim Vice-President, Research, at the University of Ottawa for a term starting July 1, 2017. He previously held the position of Associate Vice-President, Research at the University. Mr. Charbonneau received a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Ottawa and a Ph.D. in Photonics – Semiconductor Physics from Simon Fraser University, B.C. He joined the Institute for Microstructural Sciences at the National Research Council (NRC) in 1988. At the NRC, he led a number of research and development initiatives, including the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre and the Printable Electronics flagship program. In late 2000, he co-founded Optenia Inc., an NRC spinoff in the communications technology sector. Mr. Charbonneau has published over 180 papers and has 17 patents and licences in the fields of photonics, nanotechnology and ICT.


Margo Crawford

Founder and CEO, Business Sherpa Group

photo of Margo Crawford Board of directors

Margo Crawford is a Canadian thought leader on small and mid-sized businesses (SMB), including SMB leadership, succession and strategy. She values knowledge sharing and often speaks both as a key note speaker and panelist for national events. As the Founder and CEO of the Business Sherpa Group (BSG), a business management solutions company, she has grown BSG over the past 14 years to support over 400 small and mid-sized businesses throughout Canada and internationally. Prior to BSG, Margo was co-founder of Meriton Networks, an optical telecom start-up, and was instrumental in raising over $75M in equity financing and M&A expansion strategies. She currently sits on the board of the Ottawa Network for Education (Chair of Governance/HR Committee) and CHEO Research Institute and previously served on the boards of Digital Opportunity Trust and the Canadian Museum of Nature Foundation. She is also a member of the ICD Executive Committee – Ottawa Chapter, the Venture Development Committee of Invest Ottawa and the Ottawa Board of Trade SME Council. She mentors several business peer groups as well as individual CEOs. Margo was named Businesswoman of the Year, Women’s Business Network and HR Professional of the Year by the HR Vision Awards.


Heidi Elmoazzen

Director, Cell Therapy Manufacturing, Turnstone Biologics

Heidi Elmoazzen

Heidi Elmoazzen, PhD, is a credible and dedicated executive with a positive attitude and extensive experience in both the private and public sector as well as academia. Her areas of expertise include cell therapy manufacturing, stem cell transplantation, and biopreservation. She is currently the director of Cell Therapy Manufacturing at Turnstone Biologics. Prior to joining Turnstone, she spent 10 years at Canadian Blood Services where she oversaw Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank, Stem Cell Registry, Stem Cell Manufacturing programs and Cord Blood for Research Program. She obtained her Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from the University of Alberta with a concentration in cryobiology. She then went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA. Following her fellowship, she became an instructor at Harvard Medical School and an Assistant in Bio-engineering in the Department of Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She sits on numerous national and international committees and has published two book chapters on stem cell preservation as well as over 60 journal papers. She has hundreds of contributed and invited presentations at various national and international meetings.


Natalie Evans

Partner and Head of Assurance at GGFL LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants

photo of Natalie Evans Board of Directors

Natalie Evans is a Partner and Head of Assurance at the Ottawa accounting firm GGFL and is a member of the firm’s Partner Executive Committee. She joined GGFL in 2001 and during the past 20 years has worked with clients and families in a wide range of industries, to provide tailored advisory services to owner-managed businesses. She was named a GGFL partner in 2016 and the firm’s Head of Assurance two years later. Natalie also served for seven years as Treasurer and executive board member of The Ottawa Food Bank. As a Partner in a public accounting firm and a business owner, she brings extensive business and accounting expertise to the CHEO Research Institute’s diverse governance team. A mother of two, Natalie is proud to be contributing to the CHEO RI mission and the opportunities in medical advancements it brings to families for both life-changing and life-saving opportunities.


Watson Gale

General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer, CHEO

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Watson Gale is CHEO’s General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer. Watson brings over 30 years of experience in law and executive management to his role together with an extensive background in governance. Watson has a business background and a long history of working with not-for-profit and charitable organizations, including being on the board of directors of several key organizations in Ottawa. In addition to practicing law in Ontario, Watson was called to the bar in both Nunavut and the Northwest Territories and has a strong interest in Canada’s amazing northern regions.


Sapna Mahajan

Director, Genomics and Society at Genome Canada

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Sapna Mahajan is an executive leader with more than 15 years of national and international experience in the health field, specifically leading public affairs, research, policy, and program implementation. She is currently the Director of Genomics in Society at Genome Canada responsible for providing strategic leadership to enhance awareness of genomics across the country and bridge the research-policy nexus. For more than a decade, she was Director of Programs and Priorities at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, where she led ground-breaking work in the areas of workplace mental health, peer support, e-mental health, and suicide prevention. In 2018, she was recruited to spend two years at Treasury Board Secretariat leading government-wide efforts in the areas of diversity, inclusion, mental health, and wellness. Prior to joining the Commission, Sapna worked at the Queen’s Center for Health Services and Policy Research, as well as the William J Clinton Foundation and the Centre for International Health and Development. Sapna holds a Masters in International Public Health – Health Policy and Management from Boston University. She is a Canadian Healthcare Executive and a Project Management Professional. In 2015, she was chosen to participate in the Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference. She is an active community member volunteering with several charities and not for profit organizations, including as a Board member of the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre and Mindful Employer, founding member of the Guardian Council for the United Kingdom based organization Togetherall, and as an International Expert Advisory Committee member for Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute.


Steve Read

President & CEO at the CHEO Foundation

Steve Read

Steve Read is the Acting President & CEO at the CHEO Foundation, bringing to the role over 25 years of executive leadership in healthcare and private industry. Prior to his current role, Steve was the Vice President Finance & Administration at CHEO Foundation, and held executive roles in the hospital sector, including Vice President Corporate Services & Chief Financial Officer of Brockville General Hospital, and Deputy Chief Financial Officer at CHEO. He joined the world of healthcare after holding CFO and Vice President of Operations roles for a large international manufacturing firm. Steve has served on many volunteer governance boards and advisory boards in the healthcare sector (hospitals, community care and long-term care), education and financial sectors. He is currently a Trustee and Treasurer for the CHEO School Authority, and sits on the advisory board for a junior golf tour. Steve’s community volunteer work also includes several years as head coach or assistant coach for minor hockey, minor soccer, and junior golf. He is a Rotarian and past president of the Rotary Club of the 1000 Islands. Steve is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Advanced Health Leadership Program, and the Ivey Business School’s CommunityShiftTM program. He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA), holds a Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc, Honours) from Brock University, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Athabasca University in Alberta. He is currently enrolled in a certificate program in Fundraising Management.


Lindy Samson

Chief of Staff, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)

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Dr. Lindy Samson is the Chief of Staff and Chief Medical Officer at CHEO. Appointed in April 2016, she is responsible for organizing the activities of the medical staff and for ensuring the quality of clinical care and patient safety. In addition, she is a staff physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases, she holds an academic appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine and is a Clinical investigator at the CHEO Research Institute. Her academic and research work is focused on pediatric HIV, the impact of social on the health of children and youth and teaching/evaluating the Health Advocate and Leadership Roles across the continuum of learners.


Lucie Thibault

Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa

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Lucie Thibault, PhD, is professor and dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. She has worked at Brock University, at The University of British Columbia, and has been a visiting scholar at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and at the RheinAhr Campus of Koblenz University of Applied Sciences. In 30 years of teaching, Lucie has taught organizational theory, ethics in sport, globalization of sport, governance and policy, and social issues in sport. Lucie serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics as well as the European Sport Management Quarterly. She has previously held the role of editor of the Journal of Sport Management. She is a member of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) and was named a NASSM research fellow in 2001. In 2008, Lucie was awarded the Earle F. Zeigler Award from NASSM for her scholarly and leadership contributions to the field. Her research interests lie in the formation, management, and evaluation of cross-sectoral partnerships in sport organizations. She also investigates the role of the Canadian government in sport excellence and sport participation and government involvement in developing sport policy. She has been an invited speaker featuring her research in many conferences around the world. Her research has appeared in numerous scholarly journals such as the Journal of Sport Management, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Human Relations, Leisure Studies, European Sport Management Quarterly, International Journal for Sport Policy and Politics, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. She is co-editor of Contemporary Sport Management (2018, Human Kinetics) and Sport Policy in Canada (2013, University of Ottawa Press).


Mark Walker

Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ottawa Hospital

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Dr. Mark Walker earned his Medical Degree from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario (1993). His Residency Training in OB/GYN was completed at the University of Ottawa, Ontario (1998); followed by this Fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Toronto. In 2003, Dr. Walker earned a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto. He recently graduated from Harvard University with a Masters in Health Care Management. Dr. Mark Walker is a high risk Obstetrician and Clinical Epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa. He has published over 250 per reviewed articles and has made a significant impact in our understanding of folic acid in pregnancy, and thrombophilia in pregnancy. Dr. Walker is highly involved in public policy at the provincial and national levels advocating for women and children’s health. Since joining TOH in 2000, Dr. Walker has held several positions including Fellowship Director for Maternal Fetal Medicine and working closely with the Department of Medicine for the promotion of medical disorders awareness in prenatal care. Dr. Walker’s leadership roles include Chief and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Newborn Care at The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa, the scientific Director and co-director of BORN (Better Outcomes Registry and Network), and the Medical Lead for Obstetrics and Gynecology for the Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program. He held a Tier 1 Chair from the University of Ottawa in Perinatal Research. He is co-founder of the OMNI Research Group (Obstetrics & Maternal Newborn Investigations) at The Ottawa Hospital.

Research Strategy and Management Team 

Jason Berman

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, CHEO Research Institute

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Dr. Jason Berman is the CEO and Scientific Director of the CHEO Research Institute and the Vice-President Research at CHEO. He is also a Full Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Previously he served as Associate Chair, Research, Department of Pediatrics, and Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology & Immunology and Pathology at Dalhousie University and interim Vice President Research, Innovation and Knowledge Translation for the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist and internationally recognized for pioneering research using zebrafish to study childhood cancers and rare inherited diseases. His laboratory has served as the Atlantic node of the Centre for Drug Research and Development and a national hub for zebrafish modeling of orphan diseases. He has served as president of the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation, president of the Canadian Hematology Society and is a founding member of the Canadian Rare Disease Models and Mechanisms Network. He is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the national Maternal Infant Child and Youth Research Network and a member of the board of the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Cancer Research.


Chris St. Germain

Chief Financial Officer, CHEO Research Institute

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Chris is the Chief Financial Officer of the CHEO Research Institute. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Chartered Accountant) with more than 30 years of work experience. For over twelve years, Chris has provided leadership of the organization with the assistance of the Finance Officers and is responsible for the financial operations including budgeting, monthly financial reporting, year-end financials, and reporting to the Board of Directors. In addition to the financial operations, he assists researchers with potential commercialization opportunities. Chris began his career at Deloitte where he came a Trustee in Bankruptcy and assisted companies’ turnaround from financial distress. Following his work from Deloitte, he has worked with many different organizations and industries on a part-time basis as a Chief Financial Officer. These organizations include not-for-profit entities, private enterprises, publicly traded companies, and high net worth individuals.


Jennifer Ruff

Director, Communications, CHEO Research Institute

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Jennifer Ruff is the Director of Communications for the CHEO Research Institute overseeing communication efforts at the RI with a focus on optimizing external communications. Responsible for leading communications strategically, Jennifer works in collaboration with the CHEO and CHEO Foundation communication teams, under the direction of the Chief Branding and Communications Officer, to ensure alignment and inform with impact. Jennifer joined the CHEO Research Institute in 2021 following more than a decade of municipal government communications and leadership experience with the City of Orillia and County of Simcoe. Before transitioning to to the field of public relations and communications, Jennifer was an award-winning print journalist, working for both daily and weekly print newspapers, and interning with outlets such as CBC and RogersTV. She graduated at the top of her class in the University of Ottawa/Algonquin College journalism program.


Jennilea Courtney

Director, Research Operations, CHEO Research Institute

Jennilea Courtney is the Director of Research Operations at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO RI). She is a certified clinical research professional with extensive experience in program and clinical study management. In her role as Director of Research Operations, she provides senior leadership to the institute’s office of grants and awards, quality assurance and regulatory compliance, and patient engagement. Additionally, she oversees research workspace, risk management, research navigation, Start Smart- the institution’s new study approval program, and supports the RI’s research programmatic structure and mentorship program.


Ivan Terekhov

Director of Research Informatics & Technology

Ivan is an experienced analytics professional who has been immersed in the world of Epic data for the past 10 years. His journey with EMR data began when he spearheaded an electronic data conversion for Women’s College Hospital’s Epic implementation. This experience sparked a passion for utilizing data to improve healthcare outcomes and led him to join the Business Intelligence team at CHEO. As his expertise grew, he eventually transitioned to the role of Lead Data Architect for the CHEO RI Data Warehouse Program. Today, Ivan serves as the Director of Research Informatics & Technology at CHEO RI, where he oversees the Data Science, Epic Research Application and Data Warehouse teams.


Melissa Bellocchi

Director, Human Resources, CHEO Research Institute

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Melissa Bellocchi joined the CHEO Research Institute as the Director of Human Resources in December 2021 following a 26 year career in the private sector. Melissa holds a Bachelors in Human Resources and Labour Relations and holds her Certified Human Resource Leader (CHRL) and Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designations from the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA). In her role as Director of Human Resources at CHEO RI, Melisa provides a full range of human resource consultation services to researchers and research professionals. This includes direction on matters relating to employee relations, performance management, organizational development, recruiting, training, compensation, workforce and succession planning and organizational structure. Melissa and the HR team collaborate regularly with all members of the ORS to support the ongoing growth of the RI. Melissa enjoys giving back to her community and volunteers with the Human Resources Professional Association as a mentor and served on the Ottawa Board of Directors for many years, including being President of the Ottawa chapter in 2018-2019. Melissa also holds certifications in payroll through the Canadian Payroll Association and volunteers with the organization as a subject matter expert. Melissa is thrilled to be joining the CHEO Research Institute and is excited to get to know the people who make CHEO a great place to work!


Nicole Melong

Manager, Health and Safety, CHEO Research Institute

Nicole Melong is the Health and Safety Manager for the CHEO Research Institute.


Samira Chamaa

Manager, Grants and Awards, CHEO Research Institute

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Samira Chamaa is the Manager of Grants and Pre-Awards with more than 15 years of experience specializing in the health research sector. She is responsible for the direction and overall management of pre-award grant and award administration, and post-award non-financial administration. She provides leadership for incorporating national best practices into institutional policies and procedures to ensure compliance with agency terms and conditions, and Institutional policy. Samira works with scientists, clinical researchers, trainees, administrative and finance teams to support the successful application and administration of research grants. From major competitions to internal grant programs, Samira advises and assists researchers at all levels of their careers to receive the essential funding that will propel health research forward. Prior to joining the CHEO Research Institute in 2011, Samira worked at the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Heart Institute supporting basic science, translational, clinical and industry sponsored research projects, contracts and educational programs.


Megan Radmore

Legal Counsel and Director, Governance and Contracts, CHEO Research Institute

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Megan is Legal Counsel and Director of Governance and Contracts at the CHEO Research Institute (RI). Megan is a health lawyer and executive with expertise in corporate, commercial and regulatory law. Following her Call to the Bar, Megan built a business law practice, first at a boutique firm and subsequently at Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP (in the Life Sciences Group), where she advised global drug, medical device, natural health product and food/beverage clients on advertising, regulatory compliance, government relations, product launches and recalls. Megan also assisted SMEs with a wide range of corporate and commercial matters from formation, transactions and financing to mergers, acquisitions and dissolution. At RI, Megan oversees corporate governance, and policies and procedures, working closely with the RI Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Board of Directors to ensure effective organizational management. She also directs the RI’s legal affairs, negotiating all operational agreements, providing strategic counsel on issues of privacy, compliance, human resources and innovation/commercialization, and leading the RI’s legal team in the drafting, review and negotiation of complex, inter-institutional research contracts. Most importantly, as a mom of two young children, Megan is proud to be part of the CHEO family!


H.J. Jardine

Director, Research Integration & Innovation

As the Director of Research Integration and Innovation, H.J.’s mandate is to guide CHEO to become a research-intensive healthcare organization by embedding research in all that we do. Working with teams at CHEO, the CHEO Research Institute, and beyond, H.J. identifies opportunities to expand research and innovation throughout the organization. An industrial engineer by training, he has helped organizations in both the private and public sectors find ways to operate more effectively and efficiently. H.J. joined CHEO in 2015 as a member of the quality improvement team to focus on improvements for patients, families and all members of Team CHEO. In that role, he worked collaboratively across CHEO and with external organizations, using Lean methodology to solve problems and realize improvement opportunities. He has led initiatives on clinical units, within administrative departments, in acute care services as well as community programs. H.J. has also worked closely with the CHEO senior leadership team managing the executive offices and providing strategic advice for decision making to support the team to deliver on their mandate for the organization. Integration is a key strategic direction of the CHEO Research Strategy and requires the engagement of the entire CHEO community with co-leadership from researchers and management. Using his experience and knowledge of the organization, H.J. provides direction for initiatives that better integrate research and continue CHEO on the path to become a research-intensive healthcare organization.


Sabrina Hamer

Manager, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance, CHEO Research Institute

Sabrina has 19 years clinical research experience with more than half of her experience in regulated clinical trials. Sabrina joined the CHEO RI team in 2016 as part of the Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance Program. Sabrina has vast knowledge in the areas of quality assurance, clinical trial management, Good Clinical Practice, Health Canada and FDA regulations, and other international best practice guidelines. Sabrina aims to provide the best support and service to the research community, and works collaboratively with various departments to navigate the complex and ever changing regulatory environment.

Indigeneity, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Social Justice (I-IDEAS)

EDII: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity is expanding to I-IDEAS: Indigeneity, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Social justice at CHEO RI. 

CHEO RI is committed to the principles of I-IDEAS.  I-IDEAS strengthens the academic community, the quality, social relevance and impact of research, and ultimately the health and wellness of children and youth.  Analyses, systems and practices informed by these principles ensure barriers faced by underrepresented or disadvantaged groups are identified and addressed, which in turn enhances the integrity of application and selection processes, strengthens research outputs, and increases the overall excellence of research.

About I-IDEAS at the CHEO Research Institute

We have five strategic goals guiding our work across the CHEO Research Institute, CHEO, and the CHEO Foundation.

Our five strategic goals are:

• We are our community: Team CHEO is representative of the communities we serve across all three of our organizations
• Everyone belongs: We foster a sense of belonging
• Know better, do better: We have a culture of continuous training, education & research around Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, Access and Social Justice.
• Working together: We build and maintain relationships with the broader community that reflect Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, Access and Social Justice.
• Equitable access and care for all: Every child, youth and family has equitable access to and delivery of effective and appropriate health-care services and experiences

The CHEO Research Institute participates in collaborative strategic work across Team CHEO to address inequities and help put forward recommendations for change.  To learn more about EDII at CHEO visit the CHEO I-IDEAS webpage.

Annual Reports

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