The ACT Consortium consists of several committees and working groups, each dedicated to improving a specific element of the Canadian clinical trials ecosystem.
ACT Operations Committee (AOC)
The AOC is the central operational group of the ACT Consortium which provides leadership, oversight, and guidance to the other ACT committees and members to achieve objectives of the overall consortium.
AOC Co-Chairs
Dr. PJ Devereaux is a Senior Scientist at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, who has led many large international RCTs that have impacted perioperative care globally. These trials have randomized >33,000 patients at >300 centres in >30 countries. He has published >400 peer-reviewed papers, including 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine, 11 in The Lancet, and 11 in JAMA, and he has an h-index of 109. He has received over $296 million in research funding, and he holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair. He has won 30 research awards, 5 teaching awards, and a mentorship award; 12 researchers he has mentored now lead their own international RCTs.
Dr. Guy Rouleau is the Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University. He has >900 peer-reviewed articles and has received >$78M in CIHR and other research funding. He has led several multinational research networks and is co-founder of the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute. He was a founder and CEO of a biotech company (RGS Genome Inc) that merged with Xenon Pharmaceuticals in 2000. Xenon is now traded on Nasdaq with a capitalization of $2 billion. He has served on the boards of several biotechnology companies (e.g., ALS Pharma, Acanthas Pharma Inc, Bioaxone) and is a consultant for some venture capital firms. Dr. Rouleau has received the Order of Canada, Order of Quebec, and Gairdner-Wightman Award.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee ensures that ACT funds are being allocated in accordance with the original CIHR grant by approving budgets for other committees, working groups, RFAs and ACT meetings. The committee is continuing to ensure compliance with all reporting obligations and financial management plans.
Finance Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Sanjit Jolly is a clinical trialist and interventional cardiologist at McMaster University who has led several important international randomized trials in interventional cardiology (TOTAL, N=10,732 and RIVAL, N=7021). He completed Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology training at the University of Toronto. Dr. Jolly completed a MSc in research methodology in 2007 under the guidance of Shamir Mehta and Salim Yusuf at McMaster University. He is currently the global principal investigator for the CLEAR OASIS 9 trial, a 2×2 factorial randomized trial of colchicine and spironolactone in acute myocardial infarction. Dr. Jolly also specializes in chronic total occlusion and complex percutaneous coronary intervention.
Dr. Andrew Demchuk is a Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences for the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. He is also a stroke neurologist and Director of the Calgary Stroke Program, Alberta Health Services. Dr. Demchuk completed his medical degree (with distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan in 1993, followed by his residency in neurology from the University of Calgary (1993-97). He completed a fellowship in cerebrovascular disease (1997-99) from the University of Texas-Houston, under the direction of Dr. J.C. Grotta. Dr. Demchuk’s primary research interests focus on vascular imaging, where he is trying to establish target populations for new stroke treatments by selecting patients based on imaging tests performed in the emergency setting.
Scientific Committee
The Scientific Committee’s main focus was managing the ACT Consortium Request for Applications (RFAs) which supported ACT members’ research in various specific domains. Currently the Scientific Committee is focused on supporting these studies, and assisting with other consortium activities like the upcoming Indigenous demonstration projects.
Scientific Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Louise Pilote is a Professor of Medicine at McGill University and holds the Distinguished James McGill Chair. She is the Deputy Director of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, co-founder of the Canadian Organization for Sex and Gender Sciences, and co-chair of the Health Canada scientific advisory committee on women’s health care products. She is a sex and gender scientist who developed a gender measure to assess the impact of gender on cardiovascular outcomes, which is used internationally, and one of the first to use Canadian administrative databases to conduct a registry trial on report cards. She also conducts comparative effective studies to assess sex differences in the safety and effectiveness of cardiac drugs and devices to supplement evidence-based trials. She has published >350 publications, and her h-index is 83.
Dr. Amit Garg is the Associate Dean for Clinical Research at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University. He practices nephrology at the London Health Sciences Centre. He works with university partners and regional hospitals to support faculty in leading high-quality clinical trials. With significant expertise in healthcare administrative data, he has led several large, pragmatic registry-based randomized trials. He leads a team delivering a Canadian CIHR-funded training program in pragmatic trials (www.pragmatictrialstraining.ca). Dr. Garg has published over 760 papers and has an h-index of 132. In 2021, he was awarded the Hellmuth Prize, the highest distinction at Western University for sustained excellence in research.
Clinical Trial Units Committee
The Clinical Trial Units (CTU) Committee’s goals include fostering collaboration across trial units, networks, and relevant stakeholders, as well as ensuring that CTUs have the resources needed to conduct high-quality, high-impact trials. The committee has established a working group to create a comprehensive package outlining CTU standards, including job descriptions, SOPs, and Quality Assurance processes.
CTU Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Justin Ezekowitz is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology and Co-Director of the Canadian VIGOUR Centre at the University of Alberta. He also serves as a cardiologist at the University of Alberta Hospital and Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, and as President of the Canadian Heart Failure Society. Dr. Ezekowitz’s clinical and research endeavors are dedicated to advancing heart failure care. He actively participates in numerous heart failure clinical trials, both as a site investigator and as a member of steering or executive committees for several multicenter international studies. His leadership extends to the design and implementation of investigator-initiated trials, supported by governmental and non-governmental research agencies. Furthermore, he conducts clinically applicable research leveraging population health, registry data, and other sources, applying advanced data analytics to explore health system change and disease risk.
Dr. Ryan Zarychanski is a Professor of Medicine, Hematologist, Critical Care physician, and Clinician-Scientist at the University of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba. His research focuses on the hematologic aspects of critical illness where he leads several national and international randomized trials in the fields of sepsis-immunomodulation, anticoagulation and blood conservation.
Networks Committee
The Networks Committee connects with the leaders and coordinators of ACT research networks to help build a community of clinical trialists. They have provided guidance on RFA 4, which resulted in ACT welcoming six new networks to the ACT Consortium. The committee is working towards supporting ACT’s portfolio hospitals and connecting networks with resources and relevant initiatives.
Networks Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Clara Bohm is a leading researcher in the field of nephrology, focused on improving the lives of individuals with chronic kidney disease. Her research delves into the effects of physical activity and exercise on functional status, quality of life, and health outcomes of patients. One of her research focuses is identifying and overcoming barriers to exercise in individuals with chronic kidney disease. Her work in this area is helping to pave the way for new, innovative solutions to improve the health and well-being of patients. Dr. Bohm is also a dedicated physician and a leader in patient-centered care for individuals on hemodialysis. She strives to develop innovative solutions to improve the patient experience for those living with kidney disease.
Dr. Karthik Tennankore is a nephrologist and professor of medicine at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada). He received his MD at the University of Western Ontario and obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology through Harvard University. His research is focused on studying and improving outcomes of dialysis patients (including those on home dialysis) and kidney transplant recipients, with a major focus on frailty and its impact on patient health outcomes. More recently he has been embarking on innovative research in machine learning for risk prediction and novel approaches to measuring cognitive function in dialysis patients. He is the current executive committee co-chair for the Canadian Nephrology Trials Network (CNTN).
Knowledge Mobilization Committee
The Knowledge Mobilization Committee supports ACT initiatives by mapping Knowledge Mobilization assets and incentivizing KM activities so that knowledge generated from trials can be shared in formats that benefit a range of audiences. The committee has developed and launched an award to support KM initiatives by RCTs in Canada. The development of a monthly webinar series outlining aspects of KM relevant to trials is currently underway, and is expected to start in Fall 2025.
KM Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. David Campbell is a medical specialist in Endocrinology & Metabolism and a health services researcher focused on social disparities and their impacts on clinical outcomes of cardiometabolic diseases, like diabetes. He is the co-director of the Health Policy Trials Unit at the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary. He conducts research that uses mixed methods, interventional approaches, community and stakeholder engagement, and knowledge translation to contribute to reducing the impact of social disadvantage on clinical outcomes by informing health policy and clinical practice.
Dr. Justin Presseau is a Senior Scientist and Director for the Methodological and Implementation Research program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Scientific Lead for KT at the Ottawa Methods Centre, and Associate Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa. He leads a multidisciplinary team focused on rigorously drawing from behavioural and implementation science to support the health and well-being of patients, the public, and supporting health providers in the health care system to provide high quality care.
Systems Transformation Committee
The Systems Transformation Committee, consisting of the Contracts, Regulatory Processes, and Ethics working groups, aims to optimize the pan-Canadian clinical trial process and improve the efficiency of RCTs. Accomplishments include establishing a governing Data and Samples Sharing Agreement (gDSSA), in use by several groups, and helping to develop a process for selecting a group to run a Canada-wide research ethics review system. Going forward, the Systems Transformation Committee is working towards establishing a master clinical trials agreement, and supporting the implementation of these initiatives.
Systems Transformation Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Dean Fergusson is a Senior Scientist and Deputy Scientific Director for Clinical Research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and a Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Surgery, & School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa. He is a clinical trialist with research foci in evidence-based transfusion medicine and clinical trial methods. Dr. Fergusson has conceived, designed, and conducted randomized trials in transfusion medicine that have advanced knowledge and practice in defining the optimal blood product to transfuse, establishing timelines to administer transfusions, and evaluating transfusion alternatives.
Dr. Lawrence Richer is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta and a practicing pediatric neurologist. He is the Associate Dean of Research for the College of Health Sciences and the Center Director of the Northern Alberta Clinical Trials and Research Center (NACTRC). In his leadership roles, he is committed to advancing support for impactful interdisciplinary health research, clinical trials, and leveraging health data to improve patient outcomes. His research focus is on developing a better understanding of the mechanisms and management of the myriad conditions associated with autonomic dysregulation and orthostatic intolerance, such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, concussion, long COVID, and chronic migraine.
Indigenous Committee
The Indigenous Committee’s focus is involving Indigenous Peoples in trials and identifying Indigenous health priorities. The committee successfully established a guiding Grandmother’s Council and has developed distinctions-based cohorts to ensure accurate representation. Currently the Indigenous Committee is developing several demonstration projects that bring together randomized clinical trials and Indigenous health priorities and practices.
Indigenous Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Wayne Clark is a member of the AOC and is the ACT Indigenous Peoples Champion. He is an Inuk healthcare leader and early career researcher. Dr. Clark is Executive Director of the Indigenous Health Program at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta. He worked closely with Inuit (Nunavut and Manitoba) in COVID-19 Inuit identified diagnostic tests and has contributed extensively to health and social policy for the Inuit in Manitoba. Dr. Clark also engaged Manitoba First Nations and other Indigenous communities on health system transformation and digital health to draft the Indigenous Partnership Strategy for Shared Health Manitoba.
Dr. Wanda Phillips-Beck, an Anishinaabekwe woman from Hollow Water First Nations Territory, began her career as frontline nurse working in remote communities, and then became a researcher and Seven Generations Scholar with First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba. Along the way, she has earned a Master’s of Science degree in qualitative research and a PhD in population health research from the University of Manitoba’s Department of Community Health Sciences. She has also spent the last six years studying Indigenous ways of doing research while working with the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba.
Training Committee
The Training Committee’s overall goal is to consolidate training activities across the entire ACT Network. The Training Committee has established a weekly newsletter to connect ACT Members to educational resources, and collaborated with the Patient Engagement committee to develop a Patient Engagement Resource for researchers.
Training Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Jean Bourbeau is a clinician scientist, professor, and full-time researcher at McGill University who is trained as a Respirologist in epidemiology and biostatistics from McGill University, and Senior Scientist at the Center of Outcome Research and Evaluation (CORE), Research Institute McGill University Health Centre (RIMUHC). His research focuses on epidemiology and outcomes of COPD using different methodology approaches, which has led to an integrated mode of treatment, Living Well with COPD (LWWCOPD) self-management program, combining pharmacologic and lifestyle changes that is innovative in directly involving patients as partners in their own care. Another major focus of his research includes the creation of the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD) study, the first population-derived COPD longitudinal cohort that includes 9 sites in 6 Canadian provinces.
Dr. Shrikant Bangdiwala has extensive experience in the design, conduct and analysis of multi-center observational and experimental studies in congestive heart failure, cardiovascular risk factors, functional bowel disease, and obesity prevention. Currently a professor in McMaster University’s Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, he is a former Fulbright senior specialist in global public health, and holds faculty positions in universities in Chile, South Africa and India. His statistical research interests include non-parametric methods, methodology for clinical trials, reliability and validity of diagnostic tests, and graphical methods for descriptive analyses. He is a member of the USA NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), chairs the Multinational DSMB for the division of AIDS at NIH, and is a member of the Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA.
Big Biotech Industry Committee
The Big Biotech Industry Committee serves as a networking body and connects the ACT Consortium to the broader biotech and pharmaceutical industries. The committee has provided guidance on the establishment of a single national Research Ethics Board, CanReview. Current projects include convening provincial partners for the adoption of standardized tools, and developing a framework for a national concierge service for clinical trials.
Big Biotech Industry Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Shurjeel Choudhri is the Senior Vice President and Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs (M&SA) for Bayer Inc. Before assuming his current role, Dr. Choudhri was a Global Clinical Leader, Anti-Infectives with Bayer Global Clinical Development. Prior to joining Bayer, Dr. Choudhri was an assistant professor in the Departments of Medical Microbiology and Internal Medicine at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Choudhri obtained his MD and completed his specialty training at the University of Manitoba. In 1996, he was awarded the Young Investigator Award by the Canadian Association of HIV Researchers. Dr. Choudhri has authored or co-authored >100 scientific abstracts and >50 publications in peer reviewed journals. He is a passionate advocate for mobile and digital health and for promoting Canada as a destination for clinical research.
Leslie Madden is an experienced Senior Director in regulatory science and quality assurance, currently leading efforts in Canada at Moderna since May 2021. Previously, Leslie held roles at Elvium as Director of Regulatory Affairs and at Biogen, where responsibilities included Global Regulatory Lead for the Multiple Sclerosis Franchise and leadership in commercial strategy for SPINRAZA. Early career experiences include positions at Galderma and GlaxoSmithKline, focusing on regulatory affairs. Leslie holds a Global Professional Masters of Law (LLM) from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Science in Biology from York University, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Affairs and Quality Control from Seneca Polytechnic.
