Who We Are

Board of Directors – GI Society

Our voluntary Board of Directors’ are made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds including business, health, and financial sectors. They dedicate their time and expertise towards developing strategic goals and collaborating with staff for furthering our mission.

Ron Goetz

Ron Goetz

Chair

Ron has been involved in the entertainment business since 1974. He started his career at CFTK-TV in Terrace, British Columbia. He then moved to Regina, Saskatchewan to be a senior producer and eventually the Creative and Promotions manager at CKCK-TV from 1979 to 1997. He left the broadcast world to become an independent producer and the senior business partner at Partners in Motion in Regina in 1997. Finally, the company was moved to Vancouver in 2012. He won an Emmy in 2001 for The Day the War Came Home and a Centennial Medal from the Province of Saskatchewan in 2005 recognizing his commitment to the province. He was a special consultant and producer for the Saskatchewan Pavilion at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. He also guided the company to an Abex Award as the company of the year in 2007.

He has sat on numerous boards including being the President of the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Industry, a board member of the Lieutenant Governor’s Celebration of the Arts, and of the Yorkton Short Film Festival.  He is also the President of Ronlin Holdings, a private investment company, and sits on the board of Gloo Studios in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Andrew Gray

Andrew Gray
LLB
Secretary

Andrew practices law in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Operating as a sole practice, Andrew accepts clients in various areas, including in family, criminal, youth criminal, immigration, and tribunals. Andrew was called to the British Columbia Bar in 2011 and is a 2010 graduate of University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Law. From 2010 until 2013 he articled and worked as an associate of a three-lawyer law firm in Courtenay, Vancouver Island. In 2014 and 2015 he worked as an associate of Dr. Gary Botting, Barrister, in Coquitlam.

Andrew plays the bass trombone and has an undergraduate degree in Classics (Ancient Greek and Latin). He speaks French. In his youth, Andrew was an office volunteer for the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research.

Alain Madgin

Treasurer

Alain has nearly 30 years of experience in government relations and public affairs in Quebec and Eastern Canada. He has been representing the interests of various companies and associations for several years in the fields of life sciences and health technologies, environmental issues and on behalf of major industrial groups.

He has practiced as a corporate and association lobbyist within the pharmaceutical industry and as President and General Manager of the Brewers Association of Quebec as well as with the large pharmaceutical distributor McKesson. In particular, he has developed an expertise in drug reimbursement with the Government of Quebec.

Alain holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Laval University and has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1991.

Rohan D’Souza

Director

Rohan is a chef by training who began his career working in the Vancouver food scene. He subsequently returned to school to finish his operations and business management degree. He has worked for Purdy’s, a Vancouver-based chocolatier, leading the chocolate operations in their central manufacturing facility.

Inspired by sustainable food production, he moved on to a local start-up, Cubic Farms, which specializes in vertical farming and produces machines with small physical footprints, consistent year-round production, reduced freshwater consumption, and that do not use pesticides.

Currently, he is leading the national operations and distribution centre for BZAM, a licenced producer of cannabis. Recognizing the many scientifically-demonstrated benefits and effects of cannabis, he hopes these will have lasting changes to the Canadian food industry and help the population suffering from chronic pain and gastrointestinal issues.

Rohan believes that food is an important aspect of everyone’s culture and that the knowledge and traditions are important to the health of Canada. He is a strong proponent of local, sustainable, and minimally-processed foods. Canadians are increasingly understanding the connection between the foods we eat and the health of our environment, our communities, and ourselves.

Laurene Redding
BSc, MBA
Director

Laurene Redding is currently working as a consultant to the healthcare industry, at large. Just prior to consulting, Laurene was a senior executive in the insurance industry and before that, Laurene spent more than two decades working in increasing levels of management, within the pharmaceutical industry. In her various roles, Laurene has worked with patient groups, government, payers, patients, and physicians to work towards creating a supportive ecosystem in terms of access to innovative and life changing medicines. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Laurene worked for a decade in the hospital sector. Laurene received both her undergraduate degree in biology and pharmacology and her master’s degree in business administration from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Karishma Shelat

Karishma Shelat
BScN, RN
Director

Karishma graduated from University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Bachelor’s degree of Sciences in Nursing – after pursuing a double major in Health Science and Psychology at Western University in London, Ontario. Currently she works as an Emergency Registered Nurse at the Urgent Care Centre at UBC Hospital. Prior to this, she also worked as a community nurse in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver working at Insite Supervised Injection Site and as a cardiac nurse at Vancouver General Hospital.

Throughout her life, Karishma has been involved in various charities, non-profit organizations and events, such as, Western Psychology Association, UBC School of Medicine Health Mentor Program, UBC Nursing Undergraduate Society, and Children’s Mental Health Ontario. She has been a keynote speaker on several occasions for the Children’s Mental Health Ontario talking about the stigma of mental  illness. Karishma is a keen learner and strongly believes in public education and sharing of evidenced-based information. She is eager to commence her new role as a Board Member for the GI Society where she aspires to bring her creative ideas, out-of-the-box style of thinking, and networking skills.

Robert Tam
BSc, MHA
Director

Bob Tam is a health economist by training who began his career with Health Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada as an economist and policy analyst in Ottawa. He subsequently has held senior roles in the biopharmaceutical industry focusing on government relations and patient access.  He has worked for large pharmaceutical companies as well as start-up biotech companies in Canada.

He has chaired industry committees focusing on patient access issues and has also spoken extensively on health technology assessment issues at various conferences and symposia. Bob has strong relationships with all levels of government across Canada and has effectively lobbied for access to many therapies across several therapeutic areas.  He strongly believes that patient access to medicines in Canada is paramount and governments and industry need to develop new paradigms to improve the availability and affordability of drugs for Canadians.

Originally from Montreal, Bob holds a Master of Health Administration from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario.  Bob and his wife Susan have two children who are competitive tennis and figure skating enthusiasts.

Jonathan Zaid

Director

Jonathan is a global leader recognized for shaping policy and healthcare access using diverse and innovative tactics. Known as a collaborator, he has advised numerous companies, non-profits, and associations on approaches to advocacy, communications, policy, and stakeholder engagement. Zaid is regularly featured in major media outlets, and has been honoured by multiple awards, including being named one of five “Mavericks and Movers” by the Financial Post.

Board of Directors – CSIR

Our voluntary Board of Directors’ are made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds including business, health, and financial sectors. They dedicate their time and expertise towards developing strategic goals and collaborating with staff for furthering our mission.

Gail Attara

Gail Attara

President

As the Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research since early 1996, Gail has led the Society’s development from a small BC charity into a national presence, accounting for the largest growth period in its history. After co-founding the GI Society she is now in the role of President & CEO.Her motto, “the patient comes first”, directs her resolve for patient-focused healthcare and commitment to increasing awareness about the seriousness of gastrointestinal illnesses.Gail has a solid background in public relations and fundraising and is an active community volunteer in Canada serving on numerous Boards, and overseas, where she has worked with orphans. She is also a published freelance author. Gail has been an invited speaker coast-to-coast on numerous occasions, to wide-ranging audiences, including doctors, patients, pharmacists, and healthcare decision-makers.

With the dynamic support of the Board of Directors, a dedicated group determined to fully realize the GI Society as Canada’s gastrointestinal disease and disorder information source, Gail continues to lead the Societies into a bright future.

James Gray

Dr. James R. Gray, Gastroenterologist
CCFP, ABIM, FRCP(C)
Vice-President

Dr. James Gray is a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and performed his internship at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. After operating a successful family practice, he completed his residency in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UBC and was subsequently awarded a research fellowship at the University of Edinburgh. He is currently Clinical Professor of gastroenterology at the University of British Columbia and is the former president of the BC Society of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Gray is the author of numerous published medical studies in the field of gastroenterology. He is a frequently invited speaker and is an active participant in many of GI Society’s and CSIR’s public education initiatives.

Sophie Dubé

Sophie Dubé
BBA, CPA, CGA
Treasurer

Sophie Dubé holds a BBA from the University of Quebec in Montreal and a professional designation as a Chartered Professional Accountant – Certified General Accountant. Originally from Montreal, she is fluent in both English and French. Sophie acquired her strong accounting background by working within a diverse variety of industries, including aeronautics, government, manufacturing, sports, and mining. Having recently returned from a trip around the world, and now a new mother, Sophie is keen to get involved in her role as a member of CSIR’s Board of Directors and as its new Treasurer.

Ganive Bhinder
BSc, PhD
Director

Dr. Ganive Bhinder holds a PhD in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia where her research focused on the roles of the immune system, gut bacteria, and nutrition in driving inflammation and healing in diseases such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and necrotizing colitis. She has co-authored 15 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and a book chapter and has also been the recipient of several awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, University of British Columbia, and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute.

Ganive has extensive experience in patient and stakeholder outreach, knowledge translation, and mobilizing research findings to impact decision making through previous roles at non-profit organizations, including as past Executive Director of the Better Pharmacare Coalition (whose membership included 30 chronic disease specific non-profit organizations and national health charities). In her current position in public health policy, Ganive continues to have a focus on the development of evidence-based policies to benefit those living with chronic diseases.

Gwen Ellert

Gwen Ellert
BScN, MEd, RN
Director

The president and CEO of Trelle Enterprises, Gwen Ellert, has been an educator in the healthcare industry for more than 15 years. A registered nurse, she also holds a Master of Education degree and a BSc in Nursing, both from the University of British Columbia. Gwen shares her knowledge and experience within numerous profit and non-profit settings, and is a regular lecturer for the CSIR and GI Society’s joint BadGut® Lecture Series focusing on the Aging Digestive Tract.

She has contributed to published medical research and innovation, is a founding member of the BC Men’s Health Foundation, and is co-author of The Osteoporosis Book: Bone Health as well as other books and educational materials endorsed by Canadian and American experts in Arthritis and Osteoporosis.

Gwen has a long history of volunteering with numerous charities and non-profit groups, including the Arthritis Society, Osteoporosis Canada, and the BC Women’s Hospital & Health Center Society. She looks forward to serving in this new role within the CSIR Board of Directors.

Andy Sham
PhD
Director

Dr. Andy Sham holds a PhD in Experimental Medicine at the University of British Columbia and a professional designation of Project Management Professional. His PhD research focused on bacterial pathogens and the interplay between bacteria and host at the gut lining to maintain intestinal health during Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He continued his research training as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he studied how small lipid molecules resolve inflammation in the lungs. After returning to Vancouver from Boston, he worked as a research scientist with a local biotech company where he led their research team in developing new drugs for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. He has co-authored 26 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and two patents. He has also been the recipient of several awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and University of British Columbia. In his current role as the project manager of the Gut4Health Microbiome Core facility and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Andy continues to contribute to improving gastrointestinal health through leading and supporting studies on intestinal microbiome.

Perryn Thiessen

Director

Perryn is currently pursuing a business administration degree with a concentration in human resources and accounting at Capilano University. She currently works in administration and supports various departments with completing projects at Hunter Dickinson Inc. Prior to this, she has worked as an assistant in television and broadcast, coordination support real estate, and as a manager of a spa.

Perryn has a passion for working with people and travelling. She has lived in Zurich, Mexico City, Chile, and South Africa. During this period, Perryn became a global ambassador for Protecting African Lions, known as the P.A.L foundation. During her travels she assisted in various administration duties. In 2021, Perryn became a new volunteer with Kidstart where she mentors children younger than 12.

Staff

Our small but dynamic team works closely with the Board of Directors and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the GI Society, including publication of patient resources and major fundraising.

Gail Attara

Gail Attara
Chief Executive Officer

As the Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research since early 1996, Gail has led the Society’s development from a small BC charity into a national presence, accounting for the largest growth period in its history. After co-founding the GI Society she is now in the role of President & CEO.Her motto, “the patient comes first”, directs her resolve for patient-focused healthcare and commitment to increasing awareness about the seriousness of gastrointestinal illnesses.Gail has a solid background in public relations and fundraising and is an active community volunteer in Canada serving on numerous Boards, and overseas, where she has worked with orphans. She is also a published freelance author. Gail has been an invited speaker coast-to-coast on numerous occasions, to wide-ranging audiences, including doctors, patients, pharmacists, and healthcare decision-makers.

With the dynamic support of the Board of Directors, a dedicated group determined to fully realize the GI Society as Canada’s gastrointestinal disease and disorder information source, Gail continues to lead the Societies into a bright future.

Kwynn Vodnak
Associate Director

Morgan Amber
Communications Director

Jaymee Maaghop
Health Policy and Outreach Manager

Brittany Moretti
Program Coordinator 

Alicia Seidel
Outreach Coordinator

 

Board Advisors

Our advisory committee is comprised of professionals who donate their time for special projects, contribute to our activities and are accessible to assist staff with patient requests.

Dr. Alan Low

Dr. Alan Low
BSc (Pharm), PharmD, RPh, ACPR, FCSHP, CCD

Alan is a registered pharmacist holding positions as Chief Operating Officer of Network Healthcare (www.networkhealthcare.ca), Clinical Associate Professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, and principal of Dr. Alan Low Pharmaceutical Consulting. Alan has held several prominent positions through his career, in addition to presenting at numerous national and international conferences, serving on many medical and pharmacy committees, regionally and nationally, and continuing active participation in several associations and societies. He is also a guest lecturer in the Gerontology Program at the Simon Fraser University.

Alan was conferred Fellow status by the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacy (FCSHP) in 2002, which is a recognition that signifies outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to practice excellence and professional growth.

Specialty areas include pharmacy care for geriatric patients, as well as particular interests in gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis, menopause, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension, and multiple sclerosis. Alan has been involved with the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia in establishing a credentialing program aimed at recognizing advanced practitioners to help in the promotion of pharmacists as effective professionals in healthcare delivery.

Medical Advisory Council

The Medical Advisory Council consists of medical professionals including gastroenterologists, surgeons, and pharmacists, with recognized standing in their field. This body ensures the accuracy and quality of our patient resources, reviews applications for our research grant, and consults with staff on special projects.

Dr. J. R. Gray, Chairperson
Dr. G. Aumais
Dr. D. M. Israel
Dr. H-M. Jung
Dr. W. C. Kwan
Dr. R. Panaccione
Dr. D. C. Pearson
Dr. D. M. Petrunia
Dr. T. D. Picton
Dr. J. Siffledeen
Dr. T. Steiner
Dr. E. Tam
Dr. J. S. Whittaker
Dr. E. M. Yoshida