
The governance of WCHRI is defined in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Alberta Health Services (AHS), the governors of the University of Alberta (U of A), the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation (SCHF) and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation (RAHF) / Alberta Women’s Health Foundation (AWHF).
The Oversight Board is made up of representatives from the U of A, AHS, SCHF and AWHF. The board ensures that WCHRI meets the highest standard of good governance, including accountability and transparency and delivers quality, innovative research. The board provides strategic direction and is responsible for making sure that legal and regulatory requirements are met, approving the annual budget and monitoring WCHRI’s overall performance.
Oversight Board members
Brenda Hemmelgarn | Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, U of A (Chair) |
Steven Dew (Greta Cummings, Designate) | Provost & Vice-President Academic, U of A |
Walter Dixon (Randy Goebel, Designate) | Interim Vice-President, Research, U of A |
Sarah Forgie | Chair, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, U of A |
Jane Schulz | Interim Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, U of A |
Lawrence Richer | Vice Dean, Research (Clinical), Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, U of A |
Shanthi Johnson | Dean, School of Public Health, U of A |
Lorne Tyrrell | Director, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, U of A |
Kathryn Todd | Vice President, Provincial Clinical Excellence, AHS |
Christine Westerlund | Senior Operating Officer, Stollery Children’s Hospital, AHS |
Judith Hockney | Senior Operating Officer, Royal Alexandra Hospital, AHS |
Mike House | President & CEO, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation |
Jeff Bryson | Board of Trustees representative, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation |
Sharlene Rutherford | President & CEO, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation |
Dianne Balon | Board of Directors representative, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation |
Ex -officio (non-voting members) | |
Sandra Davidge | Institute Executive Director |
Todd Alexander | Institute Associate Director |
Katherine Sweet | Director of Strategic Partnerships, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation |
Updated December 2020 |
The Scientific Advisory Committee is made up of internationally renowned research leaders. The committee provides an external viewpoint and advises WCHRI on a number of topics relevant to institute structure and strategy—research themes, operations, mentorship, leadership, evaluation, etc. The committee also offers WCHRI a mechanism to build national and international collaborations with other like-minded institutes and networks.
Scientific Advisory Committee members
- Kiser-Arena Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Duke University
- Chair, Pediatric Trials Network
- Associate Director, Duke Clinical Research Institute
- Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia
- Senior Scientist, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia
Annette Majnemer, OT, PhD, FCAHS
- Vice Dean, Education, Faculty of Medicine
- Professor, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University
- Director, CHILD-BRIGHT Network
Patrick McGrath, OC, PhD, FRSC, FCAHS
- Professor, Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University
- Former Vice President Research, Innovation and Knowledge Translation for the IWK Health Centre and the Nova Scotia Health Authority
- VP Research, Women’s College Hospital (WCH)
- Professor, Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto
RTO/ERO Chair in Geriatric Medicine
The Program Advisory Committee is made up of U of A cross-faculty representatives. The committee represents member interests and advises WCHRI’s executive director on programs and operations, which includes:
- providing guidance on the development, prioritization and alignment of WCHRI programs and services;
- assisting in the determination of performance indicators and reviewing actual performance against those indicators;
- assisting in the dissemination of key WCHRI outcomes and results; and,
- providing guidance on operational and business issues, especially issues that would compromise the success of WCHRI.
Theme leads are appointed within the Program Advisory Committee by the executive director. Their role is to provide more focused attention towards:
- developing a community of member researchers within each theme area;
- identifying opportunities to better support theme areas through existing programs and operations; and,
- assisting with ongoing strategic planning by developing goals and objectives that will support theme area development.
Program Advisory Committee members
Todd Alexander | Associate Director, WCHRI |
Geoff Ball | Associate Chair, Research, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry |
Rhonda Bell | Professor, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences WCHRI theme lead for pregnancy and developmental trajectories |
Margie Davenport | Associate Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation |
Sandra Davidge | Executive Director, WCHRI |
Greg Funk | Professor, Physiology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry; Lead, WCHRI Shared Lab Space |
Carla Hilario | Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing |
Lisa Hornberger | Professor, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry |
Maria Mayan | Professor, Faculty of Extension |
Jacqueline Pei | Associate Professor, Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education |
Lesley Pritchard | Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine |
Sue Ross | Cavarzan Chair in Women’s Health Research WCHRI theme lead for lifelong women’s health |
Lonnie Zwaigenbaum | Professor, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry |
Updated March 2021 |
Contact the Trainee Advisory Committee if you have comments or suggestions for trainee activities or if you would like more information.
The WCHRI Trainee Advisory Committee shall be responsible for the following areas:
- Member faculties/departments
- Research theme (child, maternal, women)
- Levels/types of training (graduate, postdoctoral, residency)
The Trainee Advisory Committee is aimed at engaging in-training members in WCHRI programs and activities. The Trainee Advisory Committee reports to the Program Advisory Committee and shall be responsible for the following areas:
- Representing in-training member interests in WCHRI
- Providing feedback and suggestions to improve WCHRI programs and trainee engagement
- Providing input on career and skill-building opportunities for in-training members
- Advising on WCHRI Research Day workshops, topics and format
- Participating in WCHRI Research Day activities as co-judges, co-moderators, timers, etc
- Other topics as determined by the committee and approved by Program Advisory Committee
Trainee Advisory Committee members
Member | Supervisor | Position | Theme | Department/Faculty |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tara Azimi | Stephanie Montesanti | PhD candidate | Children, Women | School of Public Health |
Megan Beggs (on leave) | Todd Alexander | PhD candidate | Children | Physiology |
Alyson Campbell | Shannon Scott | PhD candidate | Children | Nursing |
Andrea Eaton | Geoff Ball | Masters student | Children, Pregnancy | Pediatrics |
Qutuba Karwi | Gary Lopaschuk | Postdoctoral fellow | Children, Pregnancy | Pediatrics |
Nitya Khetarpal | Sue Ross | Undergraduate student | Women | Obstetrics and Gynecology |
Victoria Meah (on leave) | Craig Steinbeck | Postdoctoral fellow | Pregnancy, Women | Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation |
Ehsan Misaghi | Andrew Waskiewicz | MD/PhD candidate | Children, Pregnancy | Science |
Katie Mitran | Stephanie Yanow | PhD candidate | Pregnancy | School of Public Health |
Nicholas Ruel (chair) | James Hammond | Masters student | Children | Pharmacology |
Alexa Thompson (delegate chair) | Carmen Charlton | Masters student | Pregnancy | Laboratory Medicine & Pathology |
Jacqueline Pei | Program Advisory Committee member | |||
WCHRI Senior Staff | Tanya Voth | WCHRI | ||
Updated December 2020 |