Dr. Mark Embrett

Dr. Mark Embrett serves as a Lead Implementation Scientist at Nova Scotia Health (NSH), spearheading the analysis of implementation strategies across various healthcare domains, including primary and chronic care, cancer care, and precision oncology. Through his research he leads engagement with healthcare providers, system managers, and decision-makers to design, implement, and disseminate evidence-based interventions. Mark also leads the research design and analysis of several proof-of-concept projects for provincial health innovations, including precision medicine and home-based cancer care.  Mark helped design and provides mentorship within NSH’s Network of Scholar. His expertise also extends to conducting rapid
evidence synthesis to inform health policies and strategies, notably contributing to an integrated wellness and chronic disease management strategy for NS.

Beyond his role at NSH, Mark provides evidence synthesis consulting services including impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, for national and international organizations, including the World Health Organization, United Nations, Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Institute for Population and Public Health. He is also a session instructor at Dalhousie and McMaster University.

Dr. Brandon Sheffield

Dr. Sheffield is an anatomic and molecular pathologist. He is the founder of the Advanced Diagnostics division at William Osler Health System, and is currently serving as the Divisional Lead. Dr. Sheffield also serves as the Director of Molecular External Quality Assurance for the CPQA, Canada’s national pathology quality organization, and the Regional Lead for Mississauga Halton West region with Cancer Care Ontario. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and recently published his first textbook on molecular pathology. Dr. Sheffield’s main clinical and research interests lie in the delivery of biomarkers to support precision cancer care in real world scenarios.

Don Husereau

DON HUSEREAU is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at The University of Ottawa. He does freelance health care research, and works with private and public sector life sciences organizations to help them understand the value of health technology and its implications for health and innovation policy. He is the author of “A State of Readiness Progress Report: Towards the routine use of genome-based testing in Canada’s largest regions”

Dr. Rodney Ouellette, MD, PhD

As the founding Scientific Director of the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute and the Molecular Genetics Laboratory, he has dedicated over 25 years to clinical molecular diagnostics and precision medicine research, specializing in liquid biopsy technologies for cancer. He has authored over 75 scientific articles and secured tens of millions in research funding for the region.

Dr. Doha Itani

Dr. Itani is a distinguished pathologist with expertise in anatomic, hematopathology, and molecular genetics. She trained at the American University of Beirut, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins, specializing in the molecular genetics pathology and hematopathology. Dr. Itani started her practice in Calgary in 2013, she has focused on molecular genetics pathology and bone and soft tissue pathology and served as Chair of the Provincial Pathology Group in this area. She currently leads the Molecular Diagnostics and Cytogenetics Laboratory at Saint John Regional Hospital while also serving as an associate professor at Dalhousie University.

Dr. Anthony Reiman

Tony Reiman is a Medical Oncologist at the Saint John Regional Hospital, Professor of Biological Sciences and the Integrated Health Initiative at the University of New Brunswick, and Professor of Medicine at Dalhousie University. Dr. Reiman works in the areas of pre-clinical and clinical therapeutics and biomarkers for multiple myeloma and related disorders. He currently serves as Co-lead with Drs. Sherri Christian and Robin Urquhart for the Atlantic Cancer Consortium, part of the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Consortium, a pan-Canadian initiative in precision oncology.

Dr. Tanya Gillian

Dr. Tanya Gillan is the Clinical Director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, QEII Hospital, Halifax, NS and Associate Professor, Department of Pathology at Dalhousie University. She is a clinical molecular geneticist and cytogeneticist with a special interest in hematological malignancies and test utilization, which most recently includes a collaboration with national experts to review the current state of AML testing in Canada and develop consensus guidelines. In addition to her clinical work, she is involved in the development and validation of new cancer genomics molecular assays. She also enjoys sharing her love of genetics and genomics with colleagues, students and trainees and has created an advanced molecular rotation for hematopathology residents and fellows and is the co-creator of monthly NGS rounds and staff education rounds.

Dr. Ravi Ramjeesingh MD, Ph.D., FRCPC

Dr. Ramjeesingh is an Associate Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Dalhousie University. He completed his MD (2008) and Ph.D in cancer research (2004) at the University of Toronto. He completed his residencies at Queen’s University and a clinical trials methodology fellowship at the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG). His main clinical expertise is in hepatopancreobiliary (HPB) and breast cancers. He is the chair of the HPB Disease site group in Nova Scotia, the Director of Research for Medical Oncology Nova Scotia and the Medical Director of the Nova Scotian oncology clinical trials group (ACCRU). His main research focus is in real world evidence of HPB cancer and translational research in Pancreatic Cancer.

Michael D. Carter MD PhD FRCPC

Dr. Carter completed medical school at the University of Toronto, followed by residency training in Anatomical Pathology at Dalhousie University and a 1-year fellowship in Molecular Genetic Pathology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.  He began as an Anatomical and Molecular Pathologist at NSH Central Zone and Assistant Professor of Pathology at Dalhousie University in 2018 and, in July 2021, was appointed Medical Director of Molecular Diagnostics at NSH. He is also Medical Director of Research, Division of Anatomical Pathology, and co-chair of the Molecular Oncology Diagnostic Testing Provincial Stewardship Committee for NSH.

Dr. Angela Hyde MD, Ph.D. FRCPC

Angela Hyde completed her MD and PhD in Cancer Genetics at Memorial University of Newfoundland, then Internal Medicine residency at Memorial and Medical Oncology at the University of Ottawa. She is a Medical Oncologist and Clinician Scientist with Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Disciplines of Oncology and Laboratory Medicine at Memorial University, and Oncology Lead at the Centre for Translational Genomics.  Her clinical focus is gastrointestinal malignancies and hereditary cancers. She is co-lead on numerous clinical and research initiatives relating to cancer genetics/genomics and hereditary cancer syndromes.

Dr. Doha Itani

Dr. Itani is a distinguished pathologist with expertise in anatomic, hematopathology, and molecular genetics. She trained at the American University of Beirut, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins, specializing in the molecular genetics pathology and hematopathology. Dr. Itani started her practice in Calgary in 2013, she has focused on molecular genetics pathology and bone and soft tissue pathology and served as Chair of the Provincial Pathology Group in this area. She currently leads the Molecular Diagnostics and Cytogenetics Laboratory at Saint John Regional Hospital while also serving as an associate professor at Dalhousie University.

Dr. Rodney Ouellette, MD, PhD

As the founding Scientific Director of the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute and the Molecular Genetics Laboratory, he has dedicated over 25 years to clinical molecular diagnostics and precision medicine research, specializing in liquid biopsy technologies for cancer. He has authored over 75 scientific articles and secured tens of millions in research funding for the region.

Dr. Ravi Ramjeesingh MD, Ph.D., FRCPC

Dr. Ramjeesingh is an Associate Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Dalhousie University. He completed his MD (2008) and Ph.D in cancer research (2004) at the University of Toronto. He completed his residencies at Queen’s University and a clinical trials methodology fellowship at the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG). His main clinical expertise is in hepatopancreobiliary (HPB) and breast cancers. He is the chair of the HPB Disease site group in Nova Scotia, the Director of Research for Medical Oncology Nova Scotia and the Medical Director of the Nova Scotian oncology clinical trials group (ACCRU). His main research focus is in real world evidence of HPB cancer and translational research in Pancreatic Cancer.

Stephanie Snow MD FRCPC

Dr. Stephanie Snow is a staff Medical Oncologist at the QEII hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  After pursuing undergraduate training at McGill, she completed her training at Dalhousie, where she is now a full professor in the Faculty of Medicine.  Dr. Snow has a strong interest in Medical Education and is Vice Chair of the Royal College Medical Oncology Examination Board.  Finally, Dr. Snow is active in patient advocacy, serving as the current President of Lung Cancer Canada, and sits on the medical advisory committees of several other patient advocacy groups in colorectal and gastric cancer.

Robert MacDonald

Robert’s professional career has spanned the private, public, and no-profit sectors. Over the last 13 years, he has been with the Lung Association, first as a Health Initiatives Manager and the last 7 years as President & CEO. During his tenure as CEO, he has greatly improved the organization’s finances, increased staff retention, improved programming, and has grown the organization through a merger with the PEI Lung Association. Prior to his, he worked in the Nova Scotia Premier’s Office. He is passionate about continuing to improve lung health in both NS and PEI through innovation and prevention. In his free time, he enjoys sports, reading, and the outdoors.

Doris Grant

For over 20 years, Doris has led commercialization, intellectual property protection and business development initiatives with a proven track record of building impactful partnerships and securing transformational funding to advance innovation mandates. Most recently Doris served as Senior Director of Innovation at Nova Scotia Health where she led the implementation of multiple high-priority, transformative and innovative initiatives to enhance healthcare and the health of Nova Scotians.