A faculty member of McMaster University since 1988, Dr. Norm Buckley has served three term as Chair of the Department of Anesthesia, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. Having held hospital administrative positions as Operating Room Director, Chief of Anesthesia (Chedoke McMaster) and Deputy Chief (Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation), Dr. Buckley’s particular interests are pain, both acute and chronic. His clinical work is focused on chronic pain management at the Michael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic, McMaster University Medical Centre. In 2010, Dr. Buckley established and is the past director of the Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre. He is scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care. In addition to Dr. Buckley is the nominated principal applicant and Scientific Director of the SPOR-funded Chronic Pain Network. With $25 million in funding, the focus of the Network is improved health outcomes for Canadians living with chronic pain.

Manon Choiniere is a professor of anesthesiology at the University of Montreal and a Senior Clinician-Scientist Scholar of the Fonds de la recherche en sante du Quebec. She is regarded by the pain research community as the world's expert in the field of burn pain, as a result of which she was invited to write the chapter on burn pain in the Textbook of Pain (Wall & Melzack 1989, 1994), in the Handbook of Pain . A Clinical Companion to Textbook of Pain (Melzack & Wall, 2003), and in Pain - Clinical Update (2001). Research Interests Dr Choinierees research has documented the characteristics and treatment of pain in hospitalized and non-hospitalized burn patients. Her studies have stressed the importance of reassessing the current analgesic practices in order to provide burn patients with adequate pain control, especially in those who are treated on an outpatient basis. Furthermore, she was the first to demonstrate that a large proportion of burn patients continue to feel pain and paresthesic sensations in their healed wounds even years after the injury took place. Dr Choiniere is also actively involved in several studies on the assessment and management of postoperative pain. For example, she has shown that patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is more costly and does not offer clinical advantages for pain management after hysterectomy compared with regularly administered injections of opioids. These results have created a lot of interest and some controversy as PCA is used in many health care facilities. As a result of her findings, Dr Choiniere has been invited to give several international conferences on the issue of post-operative management. Dr Choiniere is currently involved in several studies aimed at assessing and improving the quality of analgesic practices in various hospital settings.

Directrice de la maîtrise et du doctorat recherche en sciences de la santé, Anaïs Lacasse est professeure à l'UQAT depuis 2009. Elle dirige le Laboratoire de recherche en épidémiologie de la douleur chronique, financé par la Fondation de l'UQAT en partenariat avec la Pharmacie Jean-Coutu de Rouyn-Noranda et Glencore - Fonderie Horne. La professeure Lacasse collabore activement à deux réseaux de recherche provinciaux du FRQS, soit le Réseau québécois de recherche sur la douleur (RQRD) et Réseau québécois de recherche sur les médicaments (RQRM).

Dr. Buchman's program of research explores ethical issues at the intersection of clinical practice and public health. His primary areas of research interest include ethical issues related to chronic pain, substance use, and mental illness. His research draws upon a transdisciplinary toolkit of conceptual and empirical research methods including conceptual bioethics, theory-driven qualitative interviews and focus groups, surveys, and knowledge syntheses.

My research is focused on exploring underserved populations’ access and navigation of health and multi-sectoral services with a particular focus on racialized, migrant and Indigenous populations.

Dr. Craig Dale is an Associate Professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. He is also a CIHR IMHA Embedded Clinician Scientist in Oral Health at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto) and a Scientist at the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain (UTCSP). Dr. Dale’s research focuses on fundamental patient care for acute and chronically critically ill adults including oral hygiene, pain, and communication. He specializes in qualitative, mixed-methods, and patient engagement research approaches.

Dale is the recipient of the 2017 RNAO Leadership Award in Nursing Research and the 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International, Lambda Pi-At-Large Chapter, Dorothy M. Pringle Award for Excellence in Research. Craig teaches in both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Dr. Craig Dale is an Associate Professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. He is also a CIHR IMHA Embedded Clinician Scientist in Oral Health at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto) and a Scientist at the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain (UTCSP). Dr. Dale’s research focuses on fundamental patient care for acute and chronically critically ill adults including oral hygiene, pain, and communication. He specializes in qualitative, mixed-methods, and patient engagement research approaches.

Dale is the recipient of the 2017 RNAO Leadership Award in Nursing Research and the 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International, Lambda Pi-At-Large Chapter, Dorothy M. Pringle Award for Excellence in Research. Craig teaches in both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Dr. Craig Dale is an Associate Professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. He is also a CIHR IMHA Embedded Clinician Scientist in Oral Health at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto) and a Scientist at the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain (UTCSP). Dr. Dale’s research focuses on fundamental patient care for acute and chronically critically ill adults including oral hygiene, pain, and communication. He specializes in qualitative, mixed-methods, and patient engagement research approaches.

Dale is the recipient of the 2017 RNAO Leadership Award in Nursing Research and the 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International, Lambda Pi-At-Large Chapter, Dorothy M. Pringle Award for Excellence in Research. Craig teaches in both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Dr. Ford-Gilboe has been faculty member in School of Nursing since 1988. Over this time, her teaching contributions have been in the areas of family nursing (undergraduate program) and knowledge development and critical/feminist theory and research (graduate program).She obtained a BscN degree from the University of Windsor (1984), MscN degree from the University of Toronto (1987) and PhD from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan (1994). Her research program, focussed of understanding health promotion processes of single-parent families, is a key aspect of the Family Health Promotion Research Program in the School of Nursing. Since 1996, her work has been supported by a fellowship provided by the MRC/NHRDP Joint Program for the Development of Research in Nursing and operating grants from several agencies (eg. MRC, NHRDP, Canadian Nurses Foundation). Her research is feminist in its orientation and much of this work is grounded in the perspective of the Developmental Health Model, an empowerment-oriented family nursing theory that is a theoretical extension of the McGill Model of Nursing.

Dr. Joel Katz is a professor of psychology and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in health psychology at York University in Toronto. He is the research director of the pain research unit in the Department of Anesthesia and pain management at the Toronto General Hospital in addition to serving as a professor in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Toronto. Dr. Katz received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from McGill University. He has held fellowship, scholarship, and scientist awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and has been funded as a principal investigator by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and CIHR. He is a former psychologist-in-chief of the University Health Network in Toronto. Dr. Katz is a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Pain Coalition (CPC) and serves as the chair of the CPC Research Committee. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Pain and Pain Research and Management. Dr. Katz’s has published more than 220 articles and book chapters and has been invited to present his work at professional and scientific meetings in North America, Europe and Asia.

Dr. Moosa-Mitha is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Work, University of Victoria, BC. Her research interests include Citizenship Studies, Community Engaged Research Methodologies, Transnational Feminist Theory and Refugee/Newcomer Studies. She has published widely in all of the above areas of research. Having completed a research project on Pain and Marginalized Communities (SSHRC and CHIR Funded) as part of a research team, she is presently engaged in undertaking research on three projects: The Role of Private Sponsors of Refugees/Newcomers within a Canadian (Neo)Liberal State (SSHRC funded), Community-Based Participatory Action Research for School-Based Trauma Interventions to support Refugee/Newcomer Youth living in Victoria (SSHRC funded) and Decolonial Analysis of Trauma with refugee newcomer populations: a literature review (RCYO funded).

Dr. Andrew Pinto is a family physician, director of the Upstream Lab at MAP, and CIHR Applied Public Health Chair in Upstream Prevention in Primary Healthcare.

He is the founder and director of the Upstream Lab at MAP, a space to co-design and rigorously evaluate interventions that tackle the complex social factors that impact our health. Interventions are focused at multiple levels, including individual patients and families, health organizations, neighbourhoods and at the policy process.

Dr. Pinto is a scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and a St. Michael’s Hospital staff physician. He is an assistant professor in the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine, as well as the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. He serves as the Associate Director for Clinical Research of the University of Toronto Practice-Based Research Network (UTOPIAN). He was a Commonwealth Scholar, and a winner of an Early Research Award from the Ontario Government as well as a Clinician-Scientist Award from the University of Toronto. In 2019, he was awarded the PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship.

Dr. Anna Zajacova is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Western Ontario. Drawing on interdisciplinary sociology, demography, and social epidemiology scholarship, Zajacova studies population health over the adult life course. In particular, she examines social causes and consequences of chronic pain; she also explores how differentiation in higher education is reflected in health disparities among adults in the United States and Canada. Her work, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, has appeared in outlets such as Demography, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, and The Journal of Pain.

Dr. Helene Berman is a professor at the Arthur Labatt family School of Nursing and the Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Dr. Berman conducts community-based research focused on the subtle and explicit forms of violence experienced by women and children, social and structural inequalities, and health. She is Past President of the Nursing Network on Violence against Women International and lead editor of the ground-breaking report, In the Best Interests of the Girl Child, that has informed the development of numerous programs and policies in Canada.

Dr. Berman’s research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and Status of Women Canada. Her current research incorporates arts-based approaches in a Youth-Centered Participatory Action Research methodology to examine structural violence in the lives of young people in Canada. Dr. Berman was a leading force in the establishment of the Centre for Research on Health Equity and Social Inclusion and serves as its founding Academic Director.

Antoine Boivin, MD PhD is a practicing family physician and the Chairholder of the Canada Research Chair in Partnership with Patients and Communities. Working as a family physician in the community of Center-South Montreal, he completed his MSc and PhD in health services research in the United Kingdom and Netherlands. His research program for the past 15 years has focused on patient and citizen engagement in community care, health services delivery, science and policy. Co-founder and scientific director of the Center of excellence for partnership with patients and the public, he is also co-director of the Quebec SPOR Unit for Learning Health Systems, where he leads national initiatives on patient and public engagement evaluation. In 2020, he was awarded the Donald I. Rice award for vision and leadership by the Canadian College of Family Physicians.

Vanessa Ambtman-Smith is a Cree researcher and Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in Indigenous Studies and Geography and Environment at Western University. She earned her doctorate in Geography at Western University (2025) and is a Vanier Scholar and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Fellow. Her academic journey began with a BA in Indigenous Studies and Psychology from Trent University (2003), and she holds a Graduate Certificate in Leadership with Health Specialization from Royal Roads University (2017).

Vanessa’s research is grounded in Indigenous methodologies and guided by ceremony, employing the Vision Wheel framework adapted from traditional Medicine Wheel teachings. Her work examines how traditional healing spaces within colonial institutions create opportunities for environmental repossession and cultural reclamation. Driven by her lived experience as a Sixties Scoop adoptee and her commitment to Indigenous health sovereignty, her research program aims to transform healthcare environments to better serve Indigenous peoples. Her specific areas of focus include traditional healing practices in hospital contexts, Indigenous health geography, decolonizing research methodologies, and the intersections of place, identity, and healing. Her research has been conducted primarily in urban Indigenous contexts in Ontario, with particular attention to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto.

Prior to her academic career, Vanessa brought over fifteen years of experience as an Indigenous health advocate and system leader, having served as Indigenous Health Lead for both the South West and Toronto Central Local Health Integration Networks. Her work has contributed to the development of Indigenous men’s residential treatment programs and the creation of traditional healing spaces within mainstream healthcare institutions, bridging Indigenous knowledge systems with Western healthcare approaches.

Nathaniel  joined the PEPR team as a research assistant in September 2023. He received his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Sociology in 2022 and spent a year working with marginalized communities in northern Israel. Nathaniel is most interested in qualitative research and brings his academic and community-service knowledge to all aspects of his work at PEPR. In his free time Nathaniel loves cooking, photography, and exploring the world.

Megan is an undergraduate student at Western University. She is currently working towards an Honours Bachelor of Science degree. Her previous experience in studying osteoarthritis and physiology research sparked an interest in research uncovering chronic pain through a critical lens. Having joined PEPR in May 2023, she has since worked primarily on projects surrounding patient engagement in research. Megan looks forward to further developing her research skills through collaborating with the PEPR partnership.

Akim Edwards is pursuing a Phd in nursing PhD at the University of Western Ontario. His research interests passionately focus on migrant farm workers, emphasizing capacity enhancement in vital areas. He serves as a dedicated registered nurse in isolated remote communities, providing essential care to Indigenous populations in Ontario. Additionally, he contributes his expertise in local emergency departments throughout southern Ontario. Mr. Edwards is actively engaged with the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance, where he plays a pivotal role in inspiring and guiding the next generation through a mentorship program for undergraduate nursing students across Canada.

Naya Nour-Eddin is a 4th year Nutrition and Dietetics student at Western University and a 2025 USRI intern with the PEPR Partnership. Her work focuses on a survey exploring barriers to patient engagement among people living with chronic pain, especially those experiencing marginalization. Passionate about health equity and culturally responsive care, Naya brings a community-driven lens to research and is excited to support inclusive, patient-centered initiatives at PEPR.