Governance

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

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

Stephanie A. Atkinson, PhD, DSc (honoris causa), FCAHS, FASN

• Professor, Department of Pediatrics
• Associate Member, Department Biochemistry & Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University
• Special Professional Staff, McMaster Children’s Hospital

Paul Franks, PhD

• Professor, Genetic Epidemiology, Lund University
• Head of the Department of Translational Medicine and Scientific Director, Medical Science, Novo Nordisk Foundation
• Adjunct Professor, Harvard School of Public Health

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

Charles Nelson, PhD

• Director of Research, Developmental Medicine Center, Boston Children’s Hospital
• Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
• Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Richard David Scott Chair in Pediatric Developmental Medicine Research, Boston Children’s Hospital

Paula Rochon, MD, MPH, FCAHS

• 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