Meet the Team

CHEER is led by a national team of more than 30 highly engaged leaders in their field, representing all regions across Canada, and is supported by a small but mighty team that helps to advance activities. See members of the teams listed below.

Principal Investigators:

Susan Marlin

Susan Marlin is the President and CEO of Clinical Trials Ontario (CTO), an organization established by the Province of Ontario in 2012 to make Ontario a preferred location for global clinical trials while maintaining the highest ethical standards. Prior to joining CTO, Susan served as the Associate Vice-Principal at Queen’s University. Susan worked with the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group for many years, initially coordinating cancer clinical trials and later leading the development and implementation of the Ethics and Regulatory Office. She served as President of the Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards, as a member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Research Integrity Committee, the Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board and the Tri-Agency Panel on the Responsible Conduct of Research. Susan is on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Life Sciences Ontario and the Management Team for the Ontario SPOR (Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research) Support Unit. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and is the nominated principal investigator on a Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded project to streamline research ethics review for child health research across Canada.

Thierry Lacaze- Masmonteil

Dr. Thierry Lacaze-Masmonteil assumed leadership of the Maternal Infant Child Youth Research Network (MICYRN) in May 2018. He received his medical degree from the University Paris 5 – René Descartes in 1993 and a PhD in biological sciences at the University Paris 7 – Pierre et Marie Curie in 1995. He completed a fellowship in Neonatology in 1997 and a Master in Epidemiology in 2000. He was appointed professor of Pediatrics at the University Paris 11 in 1997. Thierry moved to Edmonton, Alberta, in 2003 to become the inaugural director of the Women and Children Health Research Institute (WCHRI) in 2006. In 2010, He was recruited as a senior scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute and was the scientific director of the Clinical Research Unit at CHEO from 2011 to 2015. Dr. Lacaze-Masmonteil is currently Professor of Paediatrics at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. His areas of study include clinical trials with an emphasis on medications.

Richard Carpentier

Dr. Richard Carpentier is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke; the Chair of the Montfort Hospital Research Ethics Board; and the past Chair of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Ethics Board. Dr. Carpentier holds a doctoral degree in philosophy from Université de Montréal and a master’s degree in ethics from Université du Québec à Rimouski. He was Executive Director at the National Council on Ethics in Human Research (NCEHR) and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada from 1997 to 2010 and worked at Health Canada in the Science Policy Directorate.

National Team of Investigators:

NameRole Position(s) / Institutional Affiliation(s)Province
Marlin, SusanNominated Principal InvestigatorPresident & CEO Clinical Trials Ontario; Adjunct Lecturer, Queen’s UniversityOntario
Carpentier, RichardPrincipal InvestigatorAssociate professor, Department of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke; past Chair, CHEO REB; Chair, Montfort Hospital REBOntario/Quebec
Lacaze, ThierryPrincipal InvestigatorProfessor, Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary; Scientific Director, MICYRN Alberta
Adamko, DarrylCo-InvestigatorProfessor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Respirology, University of Saskatchewan; Pediatric Respirologist; Director of Pediatrics ResearchSaskatchewan
Arbour, LauraCo-InvestigatorProfessor, UBC Department of Medical Genetics, Affiliate Professor, University of Victoria, BC Children’s Hospital Clinical Geneticist, Clinical geneticist at Island HealthBritish Columbia
Autmizguine, JulieCo-InvestigatorAssistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Montreal; Associate Director, Clinical Research, Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte JustineQuebec
Benseler, SusanneCo-InvestigatorProfessor, Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary; Director, Alberta Children’s Health Research InstituteAlberta
Berman, JasonCo-InvestigatorProfessor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Ottawa; CEO & Scientific Director, CHEO Research Institute; Vice President Research CHEO;Ontario
Campbell-Yeo, MarshaCo-InvestigatorProfessor and Clinical Scientist, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Departments of Pediatrics, Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre; Neonatal Nurse PractitionerNova Scotia
Kelly, LaurenCo-InvestigatorAssistant Professor, University of Manitoba; Clinical Trialist; Director of C4T (Canadian Childhood Cannabinoid Clinical Trials)Manitoba
Knoppers, BarthaCo-InvestigatorDirector, Centre of Genomics and Policy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University; CRC Chair in Law in MedicineQuebec
Offringa, MartinCo-InvestigatorNeonatologist and Professor, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto; Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluation Sciences, Sick Kids Research InstituteOntario
Parekh, RulanCo-InvestigatorProfessor of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Toronto; Associate Chief, Clinical Research, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; CRC in CKD EpidemiologyOntario
Parker, MelissaCo-InvestigatorAssociate Professor, Pediatrics, McMaster University, Associate Member of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), HDICYH IAB memberOntario
Piedboeuf, BrunoCo-InvestigatorProfessor, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Director of University Affairs, Minister of Health and Social Services, Government of QuebecQuebec
Richer, LawrenceCo-InvestigatorVice Dean, Research, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta; Professor & Division Director of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, University of Alberta; Director, Northern Alberta Clinical Trials and Research Centre Alberta
Schmolzer, GeorgCo-InvestigatorClinical Scientist and Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Alberta; Director of the Centre for the Studies of Asphyxia and Resuscitation; Heart and Stroke Foundation/University of Alberta Professor in Neonatal ResuscitationAlberta
Stockley, DeniseCo-InvestigatorProfessor and Scholar in Higher Education, Office of the Provost (Teaching and Learning Portfolio) and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Cross-Appointment, Faculty of Education and the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s UniversityOntario
Vercauteren, SuzanneCo-InvestigatorHematological Pathologist, BC Children’s Hospital; Director, BC Children’s Hospital BiobankBritish Columbia
Zawati, M’anCo-InvestigatorAssistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, McGill UniversityQuebec
VanWylick, RichardCo-InvestigatorAssociate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Queen’s University; Associate Dean, Professional Development, Faculty of Health SciencesOntario
Basile, ErikaCollaboratorDirector, Research Ethics and Compliance, Western UniversityOntario
Bourada, ValerieCollaboratorManager, Research Ethics, CHEO REBOntario
Boycott, KymCollaboratorProfessor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa; Clinical Geneticist, Department of Genetics, CHEO; Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute; Chair, International Rare Disease Research Consortium, Diagnostics CommitteeOntario
Brodeur-Robb, KathyCollaboratorExecutive Director, C17 CouncilAlberta
Dallaire, FrédéricCollaboratorAssociate Professor of Pediatrics, Universite de Sherbroke; Pediatric Cardiologist, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrokkeQuebec
Hook, AlexandraCollaboratorChair, Research Ethics Board, Aurora College Research Ethics CommitteeNorthwest Territories
Leadon, KathleenCollaboratorDirector, Research Operations, IWK Health CentreNova Scotia
Longstaff, HollyCollaboratorDirector, Privacy and Access, PHSA Research and New Initiatives, BC Provincial Health Services Authority; Chair, Pan-Canadian Privacy Research Network; Ethicist, BC Cancer REBBritish Columbia
Majnemer, AnnetteCollaboratorVice-Dean Education, Faculty of Medicine, Professor School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill UniversityQuebec
McGrail, KimberlynCollaboratorProfessor, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, UBC; Scientific Director, Population Data BC and the SPOR Canadian Data PlatformBritish Columbia
Palmer, AntoniaCollaboratorFounder, Neuroblastoma Canada; Co-Founder Ac2orn; REB Member, Ontario Cancer Research Ethics BoardsOntario
Pardy, NatashaCollaboratorOncologist, Co-Chair Newfoundland Health Research Ethics BoardNewfoundland
Tsang, VivianCollaboratorKidsCan National Initiative YPAG National Director and Co-founder, International Children’s Advisory Committee Board of DirectorsBritish Columbia
Virani, AliceCollaboratorDirector, BC Provincial Health Services Authority EthicsBritish Columbia

CHEER Support Team:

NameCHEER RoleOther Position(s)
Miranda Miller Project Manager 
Christine OrielAdministrative Support Administrative Assistant, Maternal Infant Child & Youth Research Network (MICYRN)
Emily EdwardsCommunications SupportCommunications Officer, Clinical Trials Ontario
Elise JohnsonCommunications SupportCommunications Lead, Clinical Trials Ontario
Matthew D’AscanioREB Review System SupportAssociate Director, Streamlined Ethics Review System, Clinical Trials Ontario
Amber Hastings TrueloveEducation SupportHealth Education Researcher and Consultant, Queen’s University Faculty of Health Sciences Office for Professional Development and Educational Scholarship