Versha Banerji, MD, FRCPC

Associate Professor
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Versha Banerji MD FRCPC obtained her MD and residency training in Internal Medicine and Hematology at the University of Manitoba. She then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in translational research at the Harvard Cancer Centre/ Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Broad Institute of MIT. She is a Senior Scientist at the Paul Albrechtsen CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba, and a Clinician-Scientist at CancerCare Manitoba. She is the inaugural Director of The Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Clinical Care, Education and Translational Research Unit at the University of Manitoba and CCMB and leads clinical trials and population-based treatment studies locally. She manages a multi-disciplinary research team in clinical, fundamental and translational research. Her own laboratory is evaluating novel therapeutics and the impact on mitochondrial function and metabolism. She is also an inaugural awardee of the University of Manitoba Ignite Grant securing over 2.8 Million dollars in funding from University, philanthropic, government and industry partners over the next 3 years.

Alicia Berard, PhD

Assistant Professor
Departments of OBGYN and Immunology
Max Rady College of Medicine
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Alicia Berard is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of OBGYN and Immunology at the Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Dr. Berard’s research program focuses on female reproductive health, mucosal biology, immunology, and the microbiome. She is a founding member of the THRIVE study umbrella, which investigates “The role of host-bacterial relationships and immune function in different vaginal environments.” Dr. Berard is currently a co-investigator on several CIHR and NIH-funded team studies that explore the role of the microbiome and mucosal immunology in conditions such as bacterial vaginosis, HPV infections and cervical cancer progression, infertility, HIV infection, and recurrent yeast infections.

Philipa Caplan

Toronto, Ontario

With 40 years of employment and life experience I provided a wealth of business and professional expertise to a multi facetted career. Beginning as a teacher in the early years education sector while raising a young family, and for the next 30 years, my work focused on human resource management along with training and development, health and safety opportunities in the for-profit, post-secondary, government and not-for-profit sectors. A firm believer in continuing education and a life-long learner, I attained a Bachelor of Business Administration and Certificate in Management from the University of Winnipeg. At every opportunity I completed courses and certification in a multi disciplinary body of training and education with a focus on providing expertise to my profession.
After 8 years with the University of Winnipeg’s Division of Continuing Education, and a term with Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba, in 2000, I joined Macdonald Youth Services as Human Resources Manager. In 2011 I moved to the External Relations Fund Development and Events Management Division of the agency. I retired in 2018, and moved to Toronto in 2022.
Boards, Volunteer and Ongoing
• Winnipeg Studio Theatre
• Winnipeg Jewish Federation – Mitigating Poverty in the Vulnerable Sector
• Children’s Health Research Institute of Manitoba
• Creative Retirement Manitoba
• CLL CANADA
• Volunteer teacher and tutor at inner-city school and for Adult Education for recent immigrants to Canada

World-wide travel has been a lifelong passion with a focus on foreign culture and adventure. I am a mother to 5 adult children and their partners and 9 grandchildren

Dr. David Dawe, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba
Medical Oncologist, CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dr. David Dawe is a medical oncologist at CancerCare Manitoba and an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba. He is the medical lead for CancerCare Manitoba’s initiative focused on improving the experiences and outcomes of older adults with cancer and Chair of the CCTG SCLC Working Group. He leads research focused on investigating biomarkers, treatment patterns, and outcomes for patients with lung cancer and older patients with cancer to identify opportunities for system improvement. He leads a project evaluating biomarkers of frailty in patients with CLL.

Kathleen Decker, PhD

Senior Scientist, Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba
Associate Professor, College of Community and Global Health, University of Manitoba
Director, Health Services Research (HSR) Lab
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Kathleen Decker is a Senior Scientist in the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba and the Director of the Health Services Research (HSR) Lab. She is an Associate Professor in the College of Community and Global Health at the University of Manitoba. The HSR Lab’s overarching goal is to conduct innovative and rigorous research to identify and support the most effective ways to organize, manage, and deliver high-quality cancer care for Manitobans. Dr. Decker’s research is supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, Research Manitoba, and the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.

Dr. Rebecca Dielschneider, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Health Science
Chair, Natural and Social Science Department
Chair, Providence Research Ethics Board
Otterburne, MB

Rebecca Dielschneider (PhD, University of Manitoba and BSc, Dalhousie University) is a highly praised educator, award-winning scholar, and sought-after public speaker. She is an Associate Professor and Department Chair at Providence University College in Otterburne, Manitoba. There, Dr. Dielschneider built an undergraduate science program which includes a General Biology major, Health Science major, and Environmental Science major. She developed and regularly teaches courses in introductory biology, scientific writing and communication, microbiology, immunology, molecular methods, cancer biology, pharmacology, and more. Her research interests span the areas of pedagogy and cancer biology. She is currently involved in projects that investigate inclusive citation in the classroom and the immunobiology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Dr. Lei Ding

Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dr. Lei Ding is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Manitoba. He previously held a postdoctoral position at the University of Alberta, where he also completed his Ph.D. in Statistical Machine Learning in 2024. His research lies at the intersection of Large Language Models (LLMs), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Statistical Learning, with a strong focus on promoting social fairness and mitigating bias in algorithmic systems. Dr. Ding has authored over 20 publications in leading international conferences and journals, including NeurIPS, ICML, AAAI, NAACL, and PNAS Nexus.

Dr. Renée El-Gabalawy, PhD CPsych

Clinical Psychologist
Departments of Clinical Health Psychology and Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Renée El-Gabalawy is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Clinical Health Psychology and Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine in the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba (UM). She also holds adjunct appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology (Fort Garry), and is an Adjunct Scientist at CancerCare Manitoba. She is currently the Director of Research in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology and the Director of the Health, Anxiety and Trauma Lab. As a Clinical Psychologist with Shared Health, she leads the Medical Trauma and Adverse Health Events service in the Medical Psychology division.

An internationally recognized expert in the areas of medical trauma and perioperative mental health, Dr. El-Gabalawy has over 145 peer reviewed journal publications and book chapters. She been successful at obtaining millions of dollars of funding locally and nationally as both co- and principal investigator. She has received numerous academic awards including the Dr. John Arnett Excellence in Teaching Award (2024), Falconer Emerging Researcher Rh Award (2024), and the Aubie Angel Young Investigator Award (2021). Dr. El-Gabalawy also serves on the editorial board of General Hospital Psychiatry, the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Medical Extended Reality, and is the chair of the external advisory board for the Center of Perioperative Mental Health, Washington University.

Clare Hibbert

Master’s Student, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba
Clinical Research Professional, Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Clare Hibbert is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, where she earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in Genetics and a minor in Chemistry in 2024. She is currently in her second year of a Master’s degree in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Manitoba, working at CancerCare Manitoba under the direction of Dr. Sachin Katyal and Dr. James Johnston. Her research focuses on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, specifically investigating venetoclax resistance and the potential of combination therapy using a DNA-PK inhibitor.
Since 2022, Clare has worked at CancerCare Manitoba as a Clinical Research Professional, where she manages the CMRG Multiple Myeloma Database and project consenting, as well as a local and off-site database for Hairy Cell Leukemia. Her work bridges clinical research and translational science, with a strong focus on hematologic malignancies.

Christopher Hillis, MD MSc FRCPC

Hematologist
Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre
Hamilton Health Sciences
Hamilton, ON

Dr. Chris Hillis is a Malignant Hematologist at the Juravinski Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University. He is currently the interim Vice President of Oncology for Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS), formerly the Chief of Oncology at HHS and prior, was an Associate Chief Medical Information Officer for HHS. He completed an MSc in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and was a Quality Scholar at the US Department of Veteran Affairs. His clinical practice focuses on the care of patients with CLL and MPNs. Dr. Hillis leads a CIHR funded research program examining the appropriateness of clinical trial outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies. He is President of the Canadian Hematology Society and previously has held leadership positions with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as well as Choosing Wisely Canada.

Dr. Julie Jung Min Hong

PGY 4, Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dr. Julie Hong is a PGY-4 in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at the University of Manitoba. She has been working on Sex based analysis of biomarkers of Frailty in patients with CLL as part of her Core Internal Medicine research project.

Dr. Ortenc Hoxha, BSc., MD

PGY5 Hematology Fellow, Western University,
London, Ontario

Ortenc is a current PGY5 Hematology Fellow at Western University in London, Ontario. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Toronto and then did internal medicine training at the University of Manitoba. During his internal medicine training, he developed an interest in lymphoproliferative disorders with a research focus in CLL and time limited therapy. He has continued these research interests during his hematology fellowship training

Asim Ibrahim

Medical Student (MS2), Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Asim is a medical student at the University of Manitoba with a developing interest in lymphoproliferative disorders. He is currently conducting research in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) under the supervision of Dr. Versha Banerji and Dr. Samantha Pauls, with a focus on exploring the relationship between mitochondrial metabolism and disease progression. Through this work, he has gained experience in clinical and translational research and is further pursuing his academic interest in hematologic malignancies.

Jennifer Jochem

Project & Change Management Consultant
Winnipeg, MB

Jennifer Jochem is a highly experienced Project and Change Management Consultant with over 20 years of expertise in project management, change leadership, business analysis, and executive coaching. She has served in senior roles—including Manager, Director, and Executive Director—leading multi-disciplinary teams through high-risk, high-profile, and high-budget initiatives. Many of these projects were enterprise-wide in scope and spanned multiple countries.
Jennifer’s work as a consultant has honed her ability to adapt methodologies, tools, and deliverables to suit diverse environments. She is known for aligning project goals with strategic, tactical, and operational priorities while maintaining a strong focus on the human impact of organizational change.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Winnipeg and is a recipient of the Nobel International Peace Prize through her service with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Brittany Kasloff, RN BN

Registered Nurse, CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Brittany Kasloff graduated from Red River College in 2014 with a Bachelor of Nursing degree. She completed her practicum in the chemotherapy treatment room and joined CancerCare Manitoba as a full-time nurse later that year. Since July 2016, Brittany has been an integral member of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) department, actively participating in numerous conferences and educational programs focused on CLL to enhance her knowledge in this area. From 2021 to 2024, Brittany served as the lead nurse responsible for teaching and managing approximately 100 patients enrolled in the subcutaneous immunoglobulin program. In March 2024, she transitioned into a research nurse role, providing specialized support to patients participating in clinical trials with a focus on hematology and lymphoproliferative disorders. Brittany has also been instrumental in the establishment and operation of CancerCare Manitoba’s first nurse-led clinic.

Jay Kormish PhD

Research Technician VII Illumina Sequencing Applications
Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute
CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Jay Kormish is the technical lead for the Manitoba Genomics sequencing platform located at the Paul Albrechten Research Institute within CancerCancer Manitoba. Her area of specialty is epigenetics and Illumina sequencing applications including new protocol development. Dr. Kormish received her undergraduate training at the University of Alberta with a specialization in Molecular Genetics and doctoral training at the University of Calgary with a specialization in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Following postdoctoral training at the Fox Chase Cancer Center (Philadelphia, PA) and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (OH), she was teaching faculty at the University of Manitoba in the areas of genetics and developmental biology. Recently, her interests have moved to clinical research applications through her current appointment and a technical position in the Department of Surgery at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg.

Dr. Ivan Landego

Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba
Hematologist, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dr. Ivan Landego is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Manitoba and a hematologist in the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology at CancerCare Manitoba. His primary area of interest is immune therapies for lymphoproliferative disorders, including bispecific antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, cellular therapeutics, and bone marrow transplantation. His research interests aim to increase our understanding of disease pathogenesis and aid in the development and approval of novel immunotherapeutic strategies for primary and relapsed/refractory disease.

Dr. Aaron Marshall, PhD

Professor and Head, Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba
Past-President, Canadian Society for Immunology
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dr. Aaron Marshall is Professor and Head of Immunology at the University of Manitoba and Past-President of the Canadian Society for Immunology. Dr Marshall earned his PhD in Immunology at the University of Toronto and during a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Washington he furthered his studies in the field of B lymphocyte molecular biology. His research program is centred on signal transduction pathways that control various aspects of normal and malignant B lymphocyte biology, including cell migration, adhesion, metabolic reprogramming and immune regulation. Dr. Marshall’s work has a particular focus on regulation and function of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway in the context of CLL and beyond. Dr. Marshall has also worked with Manitoba CLL Clinic researchers to better understand immune dysfunction in CLL patients more broadly

Dr. Deanna Santer, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba
GlaxoSmithKline Research Chair, Immunology of Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Deanna Santer, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and GlaxoSmithKline Research Chair in Immunology of Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Santer received her PhD in Immunology from the University of Washington and then completed post-doctoral training at the University of Alberta with Nobel Laureate Dr. Michael Houghton and Dr. Lorne Tyrrell studying antiviral immunity and the immunoregulatory roles of the newest family of interferons (type III). Dr. Santer established her research group at the University of Manitoba in November 2020 where they aim to understand how immune responses are regulated by IFNs in various diseases or infections. The lab has been funded by CIHR, NSERC, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Research Manitoba, New Frontiers in Research Fund, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and University of Manitoba internal grants. Outside of the lab, Dr. Santer is passionate about promoting women in science through mentorship opportunities with Women In Science: Development, Outreach and Mentorship (WISDOM) and the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST).

Dr. Pamela Skrabek, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Chair Lymphoproliferative Disease Site Group
Hematologist at CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg Manitoba

Dr. Pamela Skrabek is hematologist who completed medical school and residencies in Internal Medicine and Haematology at the University of Manitoba. As chair of the provincial Lymphoproliferative Disease Site Group (DSG) she provides leadership and coordination for DSG multidisciplinary clinics, teaching and educational, administrative and research activities.

Dr. David Szwajcer, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Assistant professor, Max Rady College of Medicine
Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba
Section: Medical Oncology and Hematology
CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. David Szwajcer is a hematologist and an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine, specializing in medical oncology and hematology. He serves as the director of the Manitoba Blood and Marrow Transplant program and the Manitoba Advanced Cell and Tissue Therapy Laboratory, which is GMP compliant. Dr. Szwajcer’s research is driven by his clinical roles, focusing on regenerative medicine and interprofessional collaboration.

Dr. Carla Taylor, PhD

Professor, Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba
Principal Investigator, Metabolic Nutrition Laboratory, CCARM
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Carla Taylor is a Professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba, and Principal Investigator of the Metabolic Nutrition Laboratory at the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM). She was Team Leader at CCARM from 2016-2022.

Dr. Taylor completed her bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition at the University of Manitoba and her PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph. She had post-doctoral experiences at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the University of Washington, Seattle before returning to the University of Manitoba in a faculty position. In 2025, she received the Earle Willard McHenry Award in recognition of distinguished service in nutrition from the Canadian Nutrition Society.

Her research program investigates how dietary components, such as lipids, proteins, and bioactive compounds from plant, marine, and animal sources, may be beneficial for prevention and management of metabolic diseases, particularly obesity, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. Her research investigates potential mechanisms linking cellular, inter-organ and whole-body metabolism, as well as application of findings to human health via clinical trials. The current clinical trial is investigating effects of age, being male or female, menopausal status, and the omega-3 index on blood vessel health (assessed by non-invasive instruments). Her research has been funded by CIHR, NSERC and several food/agriculture organizations and initiatives.

Dr. Donna Turner

Interim President and CEO Chief of Population Oncology, CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dr. Donna Turner is an epidemiologist who has been with CancerCare Manitoba since 1999. Appointed Interim President and CEO in April 2025, she also serves as Chief of Population Oncology, overseeing epidemiology, the Manitoba Cancer Registry, screening programs, and quality and safety initiatives. She led the development of Manitoba’s integrated cancer screening programs — BreastCheck, CervixCheck, and
ColonCheck — and is the Scientific Director of The Manitoba Tomorrow Project, a major longitudinal health study.

Dr. Turner is a national leader in evidence – based cancer control, working with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and international organizations to advance data-driven healthcare. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, and is an Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba.

Nicole Wozny

Information Coordinator, Manitoba Tumour Bank
Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Nicole Wozny graduated from the Health Information Management program at Red River College in 2014. She completed her practicum in the Manitoba Tumour Bank, and never left. She has spent the last 11 years working on various disease sites, including breast, lung, ovarian and CLL, starting with data entry before moving into her current position as Information Coordinator.

Dr. Rene Zahedi, PhD

Director, Manitoba Centre for Proteomics
Systems Biology Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dr. Zahedi received a master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Bochum/Germany in 2004 and his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Wuerzburg/Germany in 2008 (‘the phosphoproteome of human platelets’). After two years as a postdoctoral fellow, he became a principal investigator (2010-2017) at the Leibniz-Institute for Analytical Sciences (ISAS) in Germany. In 2018, Dr. Zahedi became Associate Director of the Segal Cancer Proteomics Centre at the Jewish General Hospital of the McGill University in Montreal and an associated member of McGill’s Centre for Translational Research in Cancer. In 2022, he joined the University of Manitoba’s Department of Internal Medicine as full professor and became the new director of the Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology. Dr. Zahedi’s research focuses on the development of methods for the sensitive analysis of post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as protein phosphorylation, proteolytic cleavage (N-terminomics), and redox modifications, as well as the combination thereof, to study signalling and PTM-crosstalk in clinical samples. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed articles in internationally renowned journals, yielding an h-factor of 49, including pioneering work on using quantitative (phospho)proteomics to characterize human platelets and their dynamic activation/inhibition through phosphorylation. Dr Zahedi is a member of the board of the Canadian National Proteomics Network (CNPN) and serves as editor-in-chief for Expert Review of Proteomics (Taylor&Francis).

Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics
Director, Bioinformatics Platform, Cancer Care Manitoba Research Institute
Co-director, Statistical Genomics and Bioinformatics Platform, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Zovoilis is since January 2024 an Associate Professor of Bioinformatics at the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics at the University of Manitoba and a senior scientist at Cancer Care Manitoba Research Institute. Dr Zovoilis is a physician with a background in Medical Genetics, a doctorate from the University of Goettingen (Germany), postgraduate training in bioinformatics from the University of Manchester (UK), and expertise in bioinformatics of next generation sequencing from his time as research fellow at Vancouver Genome Sciences Centre (Canada), a research fellow at Harvard Medical School (USA), a Canada Research Chair in RNA Bioinformatics and Genomics at the University of Lethbridge and the director of its bioinformatics core facility. He has been the founding director of the Southern Alberta Genome Sciences Center (SAGSC) and also the academic lead of the Alberta Bioinformatics Network (BioNet), and currently of its successor, the Bioinformatics Network (BioNet) Prairie. He is the director of the Bioinformatics Platform at Cancer Care Manitoba Research Institute and co-director of the Statistical Genomics and Bioinformatics Platform at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Zovoilis’ research combines translational research in medicine, in particular aging associated diseases such as cancer and dementia, with basic research in bioinformatics. His expertise in bioinformatics of next-generation sequencing (NGS) is demonstrated by multiple leading or senior author scientific publications in distinguished journals such as Cell, Science, Elife, PNAS and EMBO Reports. Being the Academic Lead of BioNet Prairie, he works to foster research collaborations and partnerships in the fields of bioinformatics and computational biology in the prairie provinces and across Canada.