Governance

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). Although not formally in the MOU, the WCHRI Trainee Advisory Committee (started in 2018), reports to the Program Advisory Committee on important initiatives and strategies regarding our trainee members.
Oversight Board
The Oversight Board is made up of representatives from the U of A, AHS, SCHF and RAHF. 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 | Provost & Vice-President Academic, U of A |
Walter Dixon |
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 Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation Chair in Women's Health Research |
Lawrence Richer | Vice Dean, Research (Clinical), FoMD (Senior representative) |
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 |
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 September 2020 |
Scientific Advisory Committee
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
Daniel Benjamin, MD, PhD
Kiser-Arena Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Duke University
Chair, Pediatric Trials Network
Associate Director, Duke Clinical Research Institute
Daniel Goldowitz, PhD
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
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
Program Advisory Committee
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 (all UAlberta staff)
Todd Alexander | Professor, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry |
Geoff Ball | Professor, 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 |
Gary Lopaschuk | Associate Chair, Research, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry |
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 September 2020 |
Trainee Advisory Committee
You can email your Trainee Advisory Committee to wchritac@ualberta.ca if you have comments or suggestions for trainee activities or if you would like more information.
The WCHRI Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) reflects our diversity within:
- member faculties/departments.
- research theme (child, maternal, women).
- levels/types of training (graduate, postdoctoral, residency).
The TAC is aimed at engaging in-training members in WCHRI programs and activities. The TAC reports to the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) and shall be responsible for:
- 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 PAC.
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 | WCHRI Program Advisory Committee | |||
WCHRI Senior Staff | WCHRI | |||
updated December 2020 |