Pre-Conference Virtual Short Talks – Tuesday

BioCanRx accelerates the development of cancer immunotherapies by funding and supporting translational research — the stage that bridges lab discoveries and real-world patient treatments.

With a model tailor-made for Canada’s health research system, we ensure our public funded research delivers true patient benefit and strengthens the life sciences economy.

I officially joined BioCanRx in 2026 after 20 years of federal public service in eight departments and agencies where I contributed to health, research, innovation, economic, administrative, and strategic policy, regulation and legislation. At BioCanRx I create and support connections among the BioCanRx Network and the broader health, research, and innovation community, including holding relationships with many people with lived and living experience, patient support organizations, caregivers, and people who are interested in immunotherapy and the future of health.

I have contributed to my local community as a Board Member with the local school and school board, and with YouTurn Youth Support Services that provides services to youth and their families who are in conflict with the law or at risk of becoming involved in the justice system.

My post-secondary education in the late 90’s and early 2000’s resulted in a Human Biology HBCs from the University of Toronto, and MSc in Neuroscience from the University of Ottawa.  I am a trained facilitator and contributed to the development and deployment of anti-racism courses at the Canada School of Public Service.

Deanna Burgart is a Cree Dene engineer, educator, and Associate Professor (Teaching) at the University of Calgary, where she serves as Associate Dean of Indigenous Inclusivity and Reconciliation. With over two decades of experience in the oil and gas industry spanning operations, regulatory affairs, and risk management, her work now focuses on transforming engineering education through Indigenous methodologies. She is the creator of Indigeneering, a framework that integrates Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into professional formation. Through teaching, scholarship, and leadership, she advances relational, ethical, and inclusive approaches to engineering in both academic and policy contexts.

Mr. Gustavo Henrique de Andrade is a Research Analyst in bibliometrics at Elsevier Canada. After building his professional career as a public servant, he relocated to Canada, where he completed a master’s degree in Political Science at Concordia University. His combined experience in public policy, project management, stakeholder engagement, and evaluation provide a vital complement to the skill set of the broader Analytics and Data Services team. Mr. de Andrade demonstrates a commitment to the scientific method and its capacity to utilize data in the formulation of evidence-based public policies. In his current role, he contributes to bibliometric reports and analyses, performing diverse activities from data preparation and computation of indicators to reporting and statistical analysis.

David Campbell is Head of Research Analytics with Elsevier’s Analytical and Data Services team. He was formerly Chief Scientist of Science-Metrix, the Montréal-based firm he joined in 2004. In over 20 years he has contributed to more than 150 bibliometric assessments and evaluation studies. In Canada, he has performed work for the three federal granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and for most federal science-based departments and agencies. Internationally, his clients include the European Commission, UKRI, Research England, Wellcome Trust and the Moore Foundation. For the Commission, he led a four-year study that produces the bibliometric, patent and other intellectual property indicators used to inform EU research and innovation policy. Results from that study are featured in the Commission’s Science, Research and Innovation Performance of the EU 2026 (SRIP) report. His work on indicator development has produced several indicators now used routinely in Elsevier/Science-Metrix studies, notably on cross-disciplinary research and on how science is taken up in social media and policy documents. He is a lifetime member of ISSI and presents and publishes regularly in the research evaluation community.

Located within the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine at McGill University, the Centre of Genomics and Policy (CGP) advances research on the legal, ethical, and policy dimensions of genomics and health data. A core focus of its work is the development of data governance frameworks, tools, and standards to support responsible, equitable, and interoperable data sharing across jurisdictions. Through research, education, and international collaboration, CGP contributes to major global initiatives and capacity-building efforts. Its work is grounded in three human rights: the right to science, the right to non-discrimination, and the right to health, across diverse areas of biomedical innovation.

Encieh Erfani is an Iranian physicist in exile and a science-policy professional based in Canada. Her work bridges scientific research, public policy, international collaboration, and science diplomacy, informed by her lived experience of threats to academic freedom and the displacement of scholars. She is developing Frontier Physics, Policy & Diplomacy, an initiative examining how governments and international institutions can engage with frontier science early enough to anticipate its societal and geopolitical implications. Drawing on her experience in research, program development, stakeholder engagement, and international academic communities, Encieh works to strengthen connections among scientists, policymakers, and civil society while advancing responsible, inclusive, and internationally cooperative approaches to science and technology.

Jessica Zhang is a recent graduate of the University of California, Irvine, where she studied Political Science and completed an honors thesis on Inuit food insecurity, nutritional colonialism, and Indigenous digital advocacy. Her research focuses on Arctic governance, Indigenous health justice, and digital media. She designed and taught a 10-week undergraduate seminar on climate change and the Arctic. Her work explores how Indigenous knowledge and digital platforms inform policy discussions surrounding Arctic food sovereignty and community well-being.