Executive and Board of Directors

Andrew MacIsaac CEO

Andrew MacIsaac

CEO

Throughout the past two decades Andrew has successfully led  partnerships between industry, academia, government, and donors, and developed catalysts for economic investment totalling more than $600 million. With a background in economics and public sector management, Andrew has worked with UBC, and the University of Alberta, most recently as Assistant Dean for the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Andrew sits on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Life Sciences Council, the Edmonton Health City Steering Committee, the Alberta Research Commercialization Working Group, the Calgary Life Science Innovation Hub Steering Committee, and a number of private company boards.

Launa Aspeslet

Board Chair

Dr. Launa J. Aspeslet is COO of Hepion Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with offices in Edmonton, AB, and New Jersey, USA working on a drug treatment for liver and other fibrotic diseases. Dr. Aspeslet has over 25 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry overseeing large operating budgets and dozens of multiple-phase clinical trials. Prior to Hepion, Dr. Aspeslet was the CEO of TRIO, a global clinical research organization headquartered in Edmonton that runs oncology trials around the globe, a biotechnology consultant working primarily with early stage companies through their product development strategy, and Chief Operating Officer for Isotechnika Pharma Inc., a former Edmonton biotechnology company.
Greg Klak Vice President and General Manager GIlead

Greg Klak

Director

Greg Klak is the Vice President of Operations and General Manager for the Gilead Alberta manufacturing facility. Prior to the acquisition by Gilead in 2006, he spent 16 years with Raylo Chemicals providing custom manufacturing services to the pharmaceutical industry, including Gilead Sciences. Mr. Klak received both his B. Comm. and MBA degrees from the University of Alberta, and currently serves as a Board Member for BioAlberta.

DynaLIFE Jason2019 3536 2

Jason Pincock

Director

Jason is currently the Chief Executive Officer of DynaLIFE Medical Labs, one of Alberta’s largest private healthcare organizations. At over 1100 employees DynaLIFE is Canada’s most regarded multidisciplinary clinical laboratory organization and is recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. Jason is a Certified Management Accountant, a graduate of the Queens Executive Program and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. Jason works with an ownership board, including OMERS and Laboratory Corporation of America (publicly traded) as well as a board of senior policy advisors.

unnamed

Mauro Chies

AHS Representative

Mauro is the Vice President of Cancer Control Alberta & Clinical Support Services, and member of the AHS Executive Leadership Team. Mauro has previously held the positions of Vice President (Acting), Clinical Support Services and Province-wide Services, as well as Senior Operating Officer, Diagnostic Imaging Services. He started his career with the former Capital Health region in 1988 as a medical laboratory technologist. 

Advisory Committee Members (leads)

Brian Corrigan 1

Brian Corrigan

Global Head, Clinical Pharmacology, Pfizer

michael houghton square

Sir Michael Houghton

Nobel Laureate & Director, Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute

Salma Jutt

Vice President, Sales, Johnson & Johnson

Sailaja Bhaskar

VP, Clinical R&D, Imbrium

Majid Vakilynejad

Global Head, Quantitative Solutions, Takeda

Jamie Lucien

Biotech Patent Agent

Zain Kassam 1046x1200 1

Zain Kassam, MD, MPH

Co-Founder Finch Therapeutics; Co-Founder OpenBiome

Senior Leadership Team

Allan Aginsky

Allan Aginski

Vice President, Special Projects

Allan is a life sciences supply chain and manufacturing specialist with nearly 40 years of experience. He has established and run commercial life sciences company production facilities around the world, including for companies such as Abbott, Merck, and Genpharm. He has been responsible for the establishment of dozens of products in over 24 countries. 

Brooke Matter

Brooke Matter

Controller

Brooke is a CPA with over 15 years experience working in the not-for profit sector. Prior to joining API, Brooke was the Director of Finance and Administration for Volunteer Alberta.

Hana Marinkovic

Hana Marinkovic

Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Hana is a relationship builder and strategist with over 15 years of experience. Hana has worked extensively in roles supporting government, stakeholders, and economic development priorities. Over her career Hana has served as Chief of Staff for a Provincial Premier, a city councilor, and more. 

Micheal

Micheal Guirguis

Director, Clinical Pharmacology & Data

Micheal has over 20 years of experience as a pharmacokineticist and pharmacovigalence expert. During his career Micheal has worked for Alberta Health Services, Covance, Abbott, and Alberta Blue Cross and is a sought-after consultant for Health Canada and industry alike. 

Richard Roy

Vice President, Product Development & Scale-up

Richard is a life sciences product development specialist with over 20 years of experience. Richard was head of quality services at ICON, the world’s second largest clinical CRO, as well as roles at Sanofi Pasteur, Takeda, PriMED, and AmerisourceBergen. Richard has seen many medical devices and pharmaceuticals through regulatory development.

Vijay

Vijay Somayaji

Head of QA/QC & Manager, DDIC

Vijay has over 30 years experience in biotech research and development and QA/QC. With a PhD in Chemistry and post-doctoral work under Nobel Laureate Dr. H. C. Brown, Vijay has served in director level roles at Biomira, AltaRex, Novolytic, and Virexx. As an experienced QA, Vijay has supported product development for dozens of clinical programs taking place at sites around the world.

Paramita Chaudhuri Basu Headshot

Paramita Chaudhuri Basu

Director, Programs & Ecosystem Development

Paramita is a life science enthusiast with a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. With a rich background and subject matter expertise in life science, biotech and healthtech, Paramita has worked with several startups supporting them with their business readiness and technology commercialization needs. She is a trained facilitator, mentor and coach.

Business & Operations Staff

Lindsay Jarvis

Lindsay Jarvis

Senior Manager, Operations

Liana Boily 1

Liana Boily

Manager, Executive Office

Dixie Warren

Dixie Warren

Admin Assistant

cXS VF71 400x400

Madison Dubé

Engagement Strategist

marina Barbu Headshot

Marina Barbu

Manager of Programs

Technical & Scientific Staff

Chuanjun Gao

CJ Gao

Chemist (S2)

Rong ling

Rong Ling

Chemist (S2)

Jieyu Zuo

Jieyu Zho

Scientist (S1)

Tyson

Tyson Le

Lab Tech

Helia nejad 1

Helia Nejad

Associate Scientist

Lusine Tonoyan

Lusine Tonoyan

Scientist (S1)

Bhavesh Variya

Bhavesh Variya

Scientist (PD)

Tae Chul

Tae Chul

Scientist (PD)

Leanne Hahn

Leanne Hahn

Senior Lab Tech

colour blob

Marawan Ahmed

Scientist (PD)

colour blob

Maryam Jama

Scientist (PD)

colour blob

Amy Hendrickson

Scientist (PD)

colour blob

Dong Ju Kim

Scientist (PD)

Archana Koul 1

Archana Koul

Scientist (S1)

Shadab Picture

Shadab Alam

Scientist (S2)

Siddhartha Biswas

Siddartha Biswas

Scientist (S2)

Bruna Dutra 1

Bruna Dutra

Lab Tech

Fernanda Talarico

Fernanda Talrico

Research Coordinator

colour blob

Zahra Meshkani

Biostatistician (PD)

colour blob

Maulik Badmalia

Scientist (PD)

Hamdah

Hamdah Al Nebaihi

Scientist (PD)

colour blob

Adibeh Ghazanfari

Scientist (PD)

colour blob

Leili Tapak

Biostatistician (PD)

Rhannanda Copetti Pivetta

Rhannanda Copetti Pivetta

Lab Tech

sahu 1

Kamlesh Kumar Sahu

Computational Chemist

louise tan 1

Louise Tan

QA & RA Specialist

DHA copy

Daniel Hernandez Armada

Project Manager

conor ocroinin headshot copy

Conor O'Croinin

Research Assistant

1612549600610

Morteza Haji Hosseini

Associate Biostatistician

MayankSharma

Mayank Mayank

Mitacs Trainee (PDF)

colour blob

Eric Pringle

Mitacs Trainee (PDF)

colour blob

Orlando Sosa Diaz

Mitacs Trainee (MSc)

DaneSands

Dane Sands

Mitacs Trainee (MSc)

colour blob

Shiqi Su

Mitacs Trainee (MSc)

colour blob

Justine Williams

Mitacs Trainee (PhD)

SarahBarwell

Sarah Barwell

Mitacs Trainee (PhD)

MaeveDufour

Maeve Dufour

Mitacs Trainee (BSc)

colour blob

Madeleine Stolz

Mitacs Trainee (MSc)

TrinityTooley

Trinity Tooley- Macaarandang

Mitacs Trainee (BSc)

colour blob

Nidhi Kaushik

Mitacs Trainee (PDF)

TekeleselassieTekeleWOLDEMARIAM

Tekeleselassie Ayalew Woldemariam

Mitacs Trainee (PDF)

RaelynBrassard

Raelynn Brassard

Mitacs Trainee (PhD)

colour blob

Aaron Frenette

Mitacs Trainee (PDF)

colour blob

Neha Saini

Mitacs Trainee (PDF)

colour blob

Yan Yi Li

Mitacs Trainee (BSc)

CassidyMaplethorpe

Cassidy Maplethorpe

Mitacs Trainee (MSc)