CATALIS Quebec is a non-profit organization whose governance relies on a Network of public and private partners to carry out its vision and mission of operational improvement and excellence in clinical research in Quebec. The Advisory Committee plays an advisory role by supporting the executive management team in implementing the strategic plan and any priority actions approved by the board of directors.
Board of Directors
Me Jean Groleau
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Lawyer and co-founder, Groleau Gauthier Plante LLP
Marc Rivière
Former Chairman of the Board of Directors
General Partner & CMO, TVM Capital Life Sciences Inc.
Monique Lacroix
Vice President of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Human Resources and Governance Committee
Pharmacist, Clinical Research Professional and Guest Lecturer
Louise Proulx
Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee
Corporate Director
Diane Gosselin
Administrator of the Board of Directors
President & CEO, CQDM
Wilson Miller
Administrator of the Board of Directors
Co-Director of Clinical Research, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital Director
Guy A. Rouleau
Administrator of the Board of Directors
Director of the Neuro, Director of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University
Jefferson Tea
Administrator of the Board of Directors
Vice-President, Medical & Scientific Affairs, Takeda Canada Inc.
Observer Members
Marco Blouin
CEO, Science and Partnership Direction Ministry of the Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec
Julie Couture
Director of Data Quality, Research and Internal Coordination Ministry of Health and Social Services
Nathalie Girard
Strategic Projects Coordinator, Life Sciences Branch Ministry of the Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec
Guests
Danika Laberge
President and Chief Executive Officer
CATALIS Québec
François Painchaud
Corporate Secretary
Partner Robic
Team
Presidency and Executive Management
Danika Laberge
President and CEO of CATALIS Quebec
Danika Laberge, PMP
Among her recent major achievements, Danika, with the dedication and commitment of the CATALIS network members and a dedicated internal team, has orchestrated:
- The implementation of an automated provincial dashboard (PowerBI) to track performance indicators and clinical research activities in Quebec health institutions. These indicators provide a better understanding of the priorities and allow targeted actions to be taken to improve Quebec’s competitiveness in clinical research;
- The harmonization of the administrative practices of the clinical research sites in Quebec, which has led to the creation of the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service. This service aims to evaluate and approve clinical trials in Quebec in ≤ 8 weeks, a 75% reduction in the standard approval time;
- The creation of Clinical Trials Quebec (CTQ), an information and services hub for all things clinical research, powered by the CATALIS Network and developed in partnership with the Quebec government. CTQ is an innovative provincial tool that provides high-quality, complete, impartial and accessible information on clinical research, as well as innovative and free services that facilitate access to clinical trials for the Quebec population;
- The creation of a Personalized Support Service that provides free assistance to patients, caregivers and medical staff in searching for and identifying clinical trials that meet their criteria; and
• The creation of a new service to facilitate recruitment for complex trials.
Respect, ethics, innovation and efficiency are at the heart of Danika’s priorities. These values guide the identification and implementation of provincial best practices that optimize the clinical research environment for the benefit of Quebec patients.
Management Team
Me Alexandra Obadia
Chief Legal and Data Officer
Me Alexandra Obadia, LL.B., LL.M.
Having led CARTaGENE for 13 years, she is recognized for developing and implementing a governance model that allows access to data and samples for research while ensuring confidentiality and social acceptability.
Her extensive experience in the health research ecosystem has enabled her to develop trusted relationships and strategic partnerships in both the public and private sectors, and to chair and serve on numerous committees and boards.
As Chief Legal and Data Officer at CATALIS, Me Obadia’s mandate is to lead the organization’s legal and ethical affairs, as well as to develop a health data governance expertise service whose role will be to support the healthcare network in developing systems for access to medical-administrative data in line with best practices.
Olivier Jérôme
Director of Engagement, Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives
Olivier Jérôme, MIntlBus
A seasoned administrator in the organizational development and operationalization of health programs, he has actively participated in creating, reorganizing, and expanding the units he was responsible for, including those in reproductive medicine, obstetrics, oncology, and rare diseases. Olivier also has a comprehensive understanding of the political environment and governmental affairs in health at the federal and provincial levels. He will use this expertise to benefit patients and family caregivers by facilitating and accelerating access to innovative health treatments.
He joins the CATALIS team with a passion for both research and access to innovation in health care and will undoubtedly contribute to the success of its mission.
Dorothy McKelvey
Director of Operations, Central Office
Dorothy McKelvey
As Director of Operations, Central Office at CATALIS, Dorothy will be responsible for the implementation, supervision, and performance of the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service and will collaborate in the management of other operational activities of CATALIS Quebec.
Isabelle Sokolnicka
Director of Internal, Scientific and Corporate Communications
Isabelle Sokolnicka, B. Sc. pol., GrDip Jour.
A quadrilingual communications professional specialized in digital marketing, she is passionate about health and innovation; she was the project manager of the award-winning injury prevention program at the McGill University Health Centre. Isabelle has led national and international marketing communications initiatives in Canada and abroad in areas ranging from healthcare reform to the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality, namely in collaboration with the University of Montreal Hospital Centre.
A brand builder and a seasoned strategist, Isabelle looks forward to joining the CATALIS team to elevate the organization’s profile and promote Quebec’s expertise in clinical research, and ultimately participate in the acceleration of innovative treatments.
Olga Vila
Director of Finance and Administration
Olga Vila, CPA
Olga has held management positions in a variety of organizations including healthcare, real estate, IT and financial services. She is driven by a desire to contribute to sound governance and continuous improvement of management processes.
Olga joins CATALIS as Director of Finance and Administration. Her solid expertise in financial management will enable her to contribute to the success of CATALIS’ mission, particularly with regard to financial governance, performance analysis and accountability to stakeholders.
Stéphanie Lamarche
Associate Program Director
Stéphanie Lamarche, M. SC., PMP
Stéphanie has held coordination, quality assurance and project management positions at several Contract Research Organizations (CRO) and at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). Most recently, she has held project management positions with responsibility for leading multiple cross-functional teams and strategically developing partnerships with pharmaceutical industry clients.
Stéphanie joins CATALIS Quebec as Associate Program Director. Her solid expertise in the field of clinical research will enable her to contribute to the success of CATALIS’ mission, particularly with regard to patient access to clinical trials and strengthening Quebec’s competitiveness in this field.
Central Office Services
Mireille Dessureault
Senior Project Lead
Mireille Dessureault, M. Sc.
Having started working in the field of basic research during her studies, she then became interested in the clinical aspect of oncology research. Mireille has worked in the fields of sarcoma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and melanoma, which makes her a versatile project manager who will certainly be useful during the CATALIS FAST TRACK Evaluation Service pilot project.
Mireille has always been a supporter of optimization in all aspects, and it is with great enthusiasm that she has joined the CATALIS team to contribute to the optimization and outreach of clinical research in Quebec.
Cristina Al-Ali
Project Lead
Cristina Al-Ali
Before joining the CATALIS team, Cristina also worked as a Clinical Research Associate for a Clinical Research Organisation (CRO) – a professional experience through which she developed skills in confidentiality agreements, ethical review of multi-centre research projects in the Health and Social Services Network (HSSN), as well as in centralized ethics submission.
As a Project Lead, Cristina will contribute to the development of the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service with the goal of helping patients obtain better access to clinical trials in Quebec.
Kristina Amja
Project Lead
Kristina Amja, M. Sc.
Over the past few years, Kristina has been involved in a number of research projects related to patient partnership and patient experience in the healthcare system. Kristina also holds a Yellow Belt in Lean Six Sigma, a skill that will undoubtedly contribute to the development of CATALIS’ Quality Management and Continuous Service Improvement Program. Kristina also applies this knowledge in her volunteer activities with the office of Quality and Continuous Improvement at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, where she helps maintain quality improvement and optimize the quality of life of the users of this institution.
Kristina’s professional goal is to promote a patient-centred approach to care and to improve and facilitate access to clinical trials in Quebec for all medical conditions.
Yasmine Hadji
Project Lead
Yasmine Hadji
Before joining CATALIS, Yasmine worked in a hospital as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Ethics and Regulatory Affairs department for phase I to III studies. Thanks to this professional experience, she had the opportunity to work with several researchers and acquire various skills, in particular in IRB submission, multi-center research projects, as well as in regulatory start-up processes at research sites in the Health and Social Services Network.
Yasmine has also worked in pediatric allergy, hematology and oncology. These diverse experiences have shaped her versatility and adaptability, soft skills that will serve her well in her role.
As a Project Lead at CATALIS, Yasmine will be involved in the development of the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service to help Quebec patients obtain rapid access to clinical trials.
Sutton Smith
Project Lead
Sutton Smith, Ph. D.
She has also worked with the Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine on the pediatric neuroimaging project, enhancing her knowledge of good documentation and consent practices.
Sutton’s diverse skills in scientific writing, advanced statistics, ethical protocol management and project submission will serve her well as a Project Lead in the CATALIS FAST TRACK Evaluation Service.
Tiamat Carrier
Personalized Support Service Agent
Tiamat Carrier
After obtaining her diploma as a Licensed Practical Nurse, Tiamat worked in the field as a volunteer travel nurse in remote regions of Quebec and in all types of medical facilities. After several years on the travel nurse team at the Charles LeMoyne Hospital, she was trained in neurosurgery, oncology, nephrology and medicine in 13 departments.
She currently uses her teaching skills as an instructor for the SASI Licensed Practical Nurses program.
As a Personalized Support Service Agent, Tiamat will be the point of contact for users (patients, family caregivers and healthcare professionals), providing them with information about clinical research and guiding them in their search for ongoing or upcoming clinical trials that meet their needs.
Operations
Xavier Bonhomme
Quality Systems and Training Specialist
Xavier Bonhomme
In 2018, Xavier joined the MUHC Research Institute, where he developed a deeper understanding of the diversity of structures and methods that prevent the research community from achieving the success it deserves. Xavier’s goal is to find effective solutions to counter this phenomenon and to implement tools to facilitate the daily life of teams.
As a Specialist in Quality Systems and Training at CATALIS Quebec, Xavier wants to concretize his ideal of transposing best practices to the world of research, now at a provincial level, while privileging simplicity to the service of human potential. He is convinced that sharing ideas, tools and knowledge will help to promote the many strengths of Quebec’s clinical research ecosystem well beyond the province’s borders.
Alexandra Verreault
Program Manager
Alexandra Verreault, B. Sc.
As Program Manager, Alexandra is responsible, in collaboration with the CEO, for the coordination of the various advisory committees of the CATALIS Network and participates in the development of common provincial tools aimed at optimizing the clinical research environment in Quebec.
Communications
Thomas de Brouwer
Communications Manager
Thomas de Brouwer, M.A.
After moving to Quebec to explore the creative industries, such as visual effects and video games, Thomas has continued to hone his communication skills. His commitment to excellence and attention to detail have enabled him to successfully complete large-scale projects.
As a Communications Manager, he will contribute to the success of the organization and to the promotion of scientific innovation in Quebec. He will be responsible for a variety of communication, marketing and promotional projects for CATALIS and Clinical Trials Quebec.
Orosca-Maria Houmey
Communications Advisor
Orosca-Maria Houmey, M.A.
Passionate about her field of expertise, communication, she acquired multiple professional experiences in journalism, writing, digital marketing, and even scientific research when she took part in the project “Pawòl Famn”: Intersectionality and Francophone Journalism in Quebec.
Lately, she developed her leadership skills by being involved in various organizations such as AIESEC. To positively impact the community, she wants to give meaning to her career. Orosca-Maria intends to make every effort to promote CATALIS’s mission in order to achieve strategic objectives and help position Quebec as a leading figure in clinical research.
Finances
Line Darbelli
Accounting and Administration Technician
Line Darbelli
Line also has expertise in payables, receivables, sales, physical inventory counts, bank reconciliation, accrued and prepaid expenses, and amortization.
As an Accounting and Administration Technician, Line will put her skills to work for the CATALIS mission and will contribute to position Quebec as a global leader in clinical research