Meetings of the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors follow an approved agenda subject to the direction of the Chair of the Board at each meeting.

Individuals wishing to bring matters to the attention of the Board should do so by contacting:

Navdeep Kaur

nkaur@bruyere.org

Ella Mar, BSc Computing Science

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Ella Mar joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in March 2023 and has been serving as the Chair of the Board since June 2024.

Mar is an experienced Tech executive with a broad business background which includes engineering, product management, marketing, operations, and talent management. She has led teams and worked with clients in North America, Europe, and Asia. Mar has been part of the executive team of two companies who completed IPOs and has spent the last 10+ years working with Tech company executives to help them scale their businesses.

Over the last fifteen years Mar has participated on both for profit and not-for-profit Boards of Directors (three as the board chair) and in numerous Advisory roles. She is passionate about the organizations that she supports and is committed to good governance, teamwork and impact. Mar brings experience in strategy, operations, and leadership.

Mitchell E. Kutney, MA

mitch-kutney Mitchell E. Kutney joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in March 2023 and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board.

Kutney is a dynamic executive with a 25-year track record of driving strategic initiatives and securing substantial funding for diverse organizations. His leadership has been pivotal in securing hundreds of millions in funding for significant projects, including a new hospital wing, a decade-long municipal program, and a nine-figure community-led endowment.

Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Harry P. Ward Foundation, supporting local charities in the National Capital Region. In his role with the Government of Canada, Kutney is a Senior Advisor in PHAC's Data, Surveillance and Foresight Branch, where he plays an integral role in supporting negotiations with provinces and territories on public health commitments related to the Canada Health Transfer and the Working Together Agreement.

He holds a master's degree in public policy and administration from Carleton University and is a regular contributor to the Institute for Research on Public Policy's digital magazine on health innovation.

Claude Briand, CPA

Claude Briand joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in August 2022. He serves as the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee.

He is a CPA by training, and has worked for over 40 years before taking retirement in March of 2021. He brings extensive work experience in the research environment. In 2010 he joined Grand Challenges Canada as finance lead, an organization dedicated to support innovators working in developing countries, in regions of conflict and in Canada.

Over 23 years with the International Development Research Centre, he occupied management positions in the regional offices of New Delhi and Dakar, as well as in Internal Audit, Finance Services and Grant Administration at Ottawa’s Headquarters. The mandate of this organization is to initiate, encourage, support and conduct research in developing countries. At the beginning of his career, he worked for a privately held audit firm and for the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

Kumanan Wilson, MD, MSc

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Dr. Wilson is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of Bruyère Health Research Institute. He serves as the Secretary of the Board.

He is also the Vice President of Research and Academic Affairs at Bruyère Health. He had previously served as an innovation advisor for Bruyère Health, supporting the development of an innovation agenda to help implement commercial solutions in healthcare.

Twenty-five years of being a research scientist has provided him with an understanding of the culture of academia and the key factors that can help academics and academic programs succeed. He brings a unique combination of skills and experiences to his role.

He is a physician at The Ottawa Hospital working on the front lines of a busy tertiary care hospital, and a scientist at Bruyère Health and Ottawa Hospital Research Institutes. His research focuses on digital health, health data, immunization, pandemic preparedness, and public health policy and innovation. Dr. Wilson is an entrepreneur who has successfully spun out a technology company specializing in immunization software, CANImmunize.

His core value is a commitment to supporting excellence. He strongly believes that it is the people who make organizations and our country great, not the other way around. He also believes that science and innovation are the keys to a better healthcare system.

David Brook, MA, BA (Hons)

david David Brook joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in October 2019. He also served as the Chair of the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board from June 2022-2024.

Brook is the founder and principal at DBk Consulting Inc., a policy and innovation consulting firm focused on innovation, climate change, and global health policy. In this capacity, Brook has developed and implemented strategies that have secured more than $1B in public funding for Canadian organizations and companies. Until June 2023, Brook was the Chief Strategy Officer for Grand Challenges Canada (GCC), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of the most vulnerable.

Brook has a Master’s Degree in Political Economy from Carleton University, an Honours Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (International Development) and a Graduate Certificate in Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Engagement from Fielding Graduate University. He enjoys mentoring young leaders in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors and working with visionary leaders to fully realize the impact of their work.

James Wishart, MA, LLB

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James Wishart joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in October 2018 and serves as the Chair of the Governance Committee.

He heads the Legal department at NAV CANADA, a private not-for-profit company with a statutory mandate to deliver air navigation services across Canada and the North Atlantic. In previous roles, Wishart served as Chief Legal Officer at Canopy Growth Corporation, as a litigator at Dentons Canada LLP, and as a law clerk to the Honourable Justice Ian Binnie.

He brings broad experience in corporate governance and risk management along with a passion for proper syntax to his role as Director.

Julie Pandeya

julie Julie Pandeya joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in May 2024.

Pandeya is a seasoned executive, having held various senior and executive positions with many high tech and industry leading companies. Her focus and strength are helping translate strategy into an actionable execution plan, recognizing the importance of diversity, collaboration, and team building for the best results.

Pandeya is currently Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Mercury Filmworks, an animation company that has been creating children’s television animation for over 25 years. Prior to this role Pandeya has filled senior roles in SHOEBOX Audiometry, IBM Global Business Services and Cognos. She started her career with EY Ottawa. Over the years Pandeya has brought expertise surrounding transformation and operational excellence across business, finance and dales operations function among various industries including software, service and production. Pandeya attained her Bachelor of Commerce from Carleton University and her accounting designation in 1996.

Pandeya has spent most of her years in Ottawa and has a strong belief in supporting the community and care for others. From her early years as a teen, she has been engaged in community building organizations that promote social wellness, togetherness and growth. She is currently on the board of Canadian Career Apprenticeship Initiative, a non-profit organization that supports career growth for arts graduates in small and mid-sized communities. She has previously been on the board of VoiceFound and McKellar Park association.

Justin Winchiu, CPA (CA)

justin Justin Winchiu joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in March 2024.

Winchiu brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience in operations, compliance, risk management, and governance in growth companies and globally-focused organizations. In that time, he has successfully built and led teams of finance, legal, IT and human resource professionals in Canada and internationally through periods of change.

Currently, he is the Chief Financial Officer at Multiview Financial, a software development firm operating across North America, recently recognized as one of the top small and medium employers in Canada and one of the top employers in the National Capital Region. In addition to his executive roles, Winchiu has contributed his time to multiple boards and governance bodies. He most recently served as Treasurer of Cuso International, a global development organization, and previously in board and committee roles with Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa and Youth Ottawa.

He holds an Executive MBA from Queen’s University, an Executive MBA from Cornell University, and is a Bachelor of Commerce Honours graduate from the University of Ottawa. Winchiu is a Chartered Professional Accountant in Ontario.

Thomas G. Conway

thomas Thomas G. Conway joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in October 2018.

Conway is a trial and appellate lawyer. He is a founding partner of Conway Baxter Wilson LLP, an Ottawa-based litigation law firm. He was called to the bar of Ontario in 1989. He is also an honorary member of the Law Societies of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

He is ranked by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in Canada in the specialty of corporate and commercial litigation. He is included in the Lexpert-ranked directory of Canada’s leading litigation lawyers. He has been recognized by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of Canada’s 25 most influential lawyers, and one of five recognized in the category of “change makers.”

Conway is an experienced corporate director and leader, having served as the Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario, President of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, founding Chair of the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents and President of the County of Carleton Law Association.

Guy Chartrand, Hon. BComm., MBA

guy Guy Chartrand joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in June 2017. He is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Bruyère Health.

Chartrand's value proposition can be summed up in a few words: breathe life into organizational design.

Chartrand has enjoyed a progressive career path that has given him more than 29 years of executive experience and a solid foundation on which he has built himself to exceptional professional success. Chartrand has held senior management positions in three acute care hospitals and one sub-acute care hospital, as well as the Ministry of Community Support Services, Long-Term Care and Community Services.

He holds an MBA and an Honors Bachelor of Commerce degree from Laurentian University where he taught the MBA program for eighteen years.

Proficient in French and English, Chartrand has established a solid professional network with various stakeholder groups across the province and across the country. His work with internal and external stakeholders has taught him that every voice has the potential to make an important contribution to any business.

Janet Cosier, FCPA/FCMA

Janet Cosier joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in December 2024.

Cosier is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA/FCMA). After a successful 30-year career, Cosier retired from the Bank of Canada where she held executive-level positions leading the strategic planning and enterprise risk management portfolios. She also held the positions of the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Internal Auditor. Since retiring, Cosier chaired two international central banking training courses in strategic planning and risk management for ten years. Cosier is a Board member of the Bruyère Health Board of Directors. She is the Board Chair of The Hospice Hub, a new startup not-for-profit organization, providing hospice palliative care services to individuals at end-of-life, and their families and caregivers in a rural community southwest of Ottawa.

Cosier has considerable Board governance experience, having served on several not-for-profit Boards of Directors including the Canadian Payments Association, the Ontario Hospital Association, and the Queensway Carleton Hospital. Cosier served as the Board Chair of the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center, and the Rideau Community Health Services. Cosier has a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and computer science from York University, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Windsor.

Peggy Taillon

Peggy Taillon joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in March 2017. She is the Vice-President of Strategy Office, Communications, Development, Engagement and Integration at Bruyère Health.

Taillon is a determined advocate and leader of health-related reform, as well as a sought-after speaker and collaborator.

Before joining Bruyère Health in 2013, she led mental health reform in the Champlain region and across the province as part of Ontario’s Mental Health Implementation Task Force.

Taillon also contributed to establishing the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the foundation of the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions (formerly known as the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health).

As an advisor to the provincial minister of health and long-term care and the premier, she helped guide the implementation of Ontario’s network of regional health authorities, the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs, now known as Home and Community Care Support Services).

Taillon is also committed to inclusion and social justice. She is the founder of HERA Mission, a non-profit foundation that supports women by leading development projects empowering widows, children, and grandmothers in western Kenya, where she adopted her son.

Dar Dowlatshahi, MD, PhD

dar Dr. Dowlatshahi joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in June 2023.

He obtained his MD and PhD from McMaster University, completed a residency in Neurology at the University of Ottawa, followed by a Stroke Fellowship at the University of Calgary. He is a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa, a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, the Vice Chair Research of the Department of Medicine, and a Stroke Neurologist at The Ottawa Hospital.

Dr. Dowlatshahi has over 300 peer-review publications on the topic of stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage and holds a Tier 1 Clinical Research Chair at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on early hematoma expansion.

Lucie Thibault, PhD

lucie Lucie Thibault joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in October 2018.

Thibault is professor and dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She has previously worked at Brock University, at The University of British Columbia, and as a visiting scholar at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (2010) and at the RheinAhr Campus of Koblenz University of Applied Sciences (2017).

With over 30 years of teaching experience, Thibault has lectured on organizational theory, sports ethics, sport globalization, governance and policy, and social issues in sport. She is a member of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) and was named a NASSM research fellow in 2001. In 2008, Thibault was awarded the Earle F. Zeigler Award from NASSM for her scholarly and leadership contributions to the field.

Her research interests lie in the formation, management, and evaluation of cross-sectoral partnerships in sport organizations. She also investigates the role of the Canadian government in sport excellence and sport participation and government involvement in developing sport policy. Her research has been published in numerous scholarly journals. She is the co-editor of Contemporary Sport Management (2021, Human Kinetics) and Sport Policy in Canada (2013, University of Ottawa Press).

In her capacity as dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Thibault also serves on the board of directors of both the Hôpital Montfort and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute.

Martine Lagacé, PhD

martine Martine Lagacé joined the Bruyère Health Research Institute Board of Directors in June 2024.

She is the Associate Vice-President, Research Promotion & Development within the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation at the University of Ottawa. She is a full professor in the Department of Communication and is affiliated with the School of Psychology. She has also served as Vice-Dean, Governance of the Faculty of Arts from 2014 to 2018, and Director of the Department of Communication from 2011 to 2012. In addition to her administrative experience, she has extensive expertise in journalism, having worked at Radio-Canada for more than 10 years.

Lagacé also contributes to several organizations, including the National Seniors Council, the Institut du savoir Montfort, the LIFE Research Institute and the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal. She has also forged several international research collaborations, particularly in France and Italy.