Stem Cell Network announces new appointments to its Board of Directors and Research Management Committee

December 5, 2019 (Ottawa) – The Stem Cell Network (SCN) is pleased to announce the appointments of Gail Garland and Sharon Louis to its Board of Directors, effective November 5, 2019. SCN’s Board is comprised of 12 Canadian leaders, representing research, industry, healthcare and the not-for-profit sectors.

“Ms. Garland and Dr. Louis will bring valuable business expertise to our Board that will help SCN deliver on its strategic plan and vision to move stem cell and regenerative medicine research to the clinic. Their appointments also marks a milestone for SCN as we now have more than 50 percent representation from women, reflecting our commitment to greater inclusivity and diversity as an organization,” said Dr. Michael Rudnicki, SCN’s CEO & Scientific Director.

As President and CEO of the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization, Ms. Garland brings a wealth of business acumen and additional Board experience from the healthcare sector.  Dr. Louis leverages her scientific expertise in a leading role as Vice President, Research and Development at STEMCELL Technologies, a Canadian biotechnology company with global reach.

“Regenerative medicine holds immense promise as a disruptor in Canada’s future health and innovation sectors. The Stem Cell Network plays a pivotal role in moving these advances forward and I am truly excited by the opportunity to contribute to the organization as it delivers health advances for Canada,” said Ms. Garland.

Dr. Louis commented: “SCN has a longstanding relationship with STEMCELL Technologies and has produced an extremely strong cadre of highly qualified personnel that have benefitted our company and Canada more broadly. I look forward to working with SCN and its Board to provide new opportunities to compete in the global market.”

SCN also appointed four new members to its Research Management Committee (RMC), which advises on the network’s research program development and provides recommendations on grant funding to the SCN Board of Directors. The new RMC members are: Dean Fergusson, Senior Scientist & Director at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Gregory Korbutt, Professor at the University of Alberta, M. Cristina Nostro, Scientist at the University Health Network and Chantale Pambrun, Director at the Canadian Blood Services Centre for Innovation.

A full list of SCN’s Board members and Research Management Committee members, with biographies, can be found here.

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About the Stem Cell Network
Tomorrow’s health is here. The Stem Cell Network (SCN) is a national non-profit that supports stem cell and regenerative medicine research, training the next generation of highly qualified personnel, and delivering outreach activities across Canada. SCN’s goal is to advance science from the lab to the clinic for the benefit of Canadians. SCN has been supported by the Government of Canada since inception in 2001. This strategic funding, valued at $118M has benefitted approximately 170 world-class research groups and 3,000 trainees and has catalyzed 19 clinical trials.