Listed below is the lineup of speakers for the 2025 Canadian Women's Heart Health Summit.
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Sandi Azab, MSc, RPh, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine; School of Global Health and Social Medicine, McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario (Linkedin: Sandi Azab)
Dr. Sandi Azab completed her bachelor’s (2006) and master’s (2010) degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Alexandria University, Egypt.
Since 2016, she has been a registered pharmacist with the Ontario College of Pharmacists and has been practicing community pharmacy in Hamilton, with certification in smoking cessation counseling.
Through a fully funded scholarship from the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education, Dr. Azab received her doctoral degree in Chemical Biology and Metabolomics from McMaster University (2020). Her research included developing novel high-throughput methods for fatty acid profiling and PFAS biomonitoring. Her doctorate work also involved metabolomic investigations of peripheral artery disease and dietary biomarkers.
She completed her postdoctoral training in epidemiology and omics at the Chanchlani Research Centre, McMaster University. In 2022, she was the recipient of a VAST (VAScular Cognitive Impairment Training) Scholarship, investigating the effects of air pollution on cardiovascular disease in the Canadian Alliance of Healthy Hearts and Minds cohort.
Dr. Azab is a recipient of the CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award (2023).
She is an Assistant Professor in Metabolomic Epidemiology and Global Health with expertise in metabolomics and biomarker discovery. She works to expand omics measurements in existing and new population-based cohorts using a health equity lens. She leads multidisciplinary research focused on cardiovascular and metabolic disease, as well as child and maternal health, within multiethnic Canadian and global cohorts.
Amber Bean, ACP
Advanced Care Paramedic,
Acting Superintendent of Clinical Training & Development
Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ontario Canada
Amber Bean is an Advanced Care Paramedic with the Ottawa Paramedic Service and has served the Ottawa community for their medical and trauma needs for over fourteen years. Amber is also an Acting Superintendent of Clinical Training & Development for the Ottawa Paramedic Service, where she facilitates and creates educational content that supports frontline Ottawa Paramedics in their biannual recertification and education.
Amber is passionate about the paramedic profession, and she has a positive, professional attitude that has enabled her to carry out her duties effectively and to continue expanding her skills through the learning experiences found in her routine deployment as a first responder on a specialty unit called; Paramedic Response Unit where she responds to 9-1-1 emergencies alone in an SUV prior to an Ambulance.
Amber is a diligent supporter of public relations and education as seen in her volunteer activities within the Paramedic Service as a Diversity Champion Program member where she promotes women-based initiatives, and she is also a Cultural Champion Network Ambassador. She strives to continually promote the profession and the Ottawa Paramedic Service through her external advocacy with the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance.
Amber strongly believes in lifelong learning and has benefitted from educational experiences outside traditional learning institutions, a perspective she has developed as a mature student returning to school while managing competing priorities including a 25-year marriage and raising three young adults. From her personal life experiences, she offers an organized, dedicated, and meticulous approach to any endeavor she may encounter.
Bernice Downey, PhD
Associate Professor, Indigenous Health Learning Lodge
McMaster University
Hamilton, ON
Dr. Bernice Downey is of mixed Saulteaux/Celtic ancestry with kinship ties to Lake St. Martin and Dauphin River First Nations within Treaty 2 boundaries in Manitoba.
She is a medical anthropologist and former Registered Nurse who has invested most of her professional career in working with Indigenous peoples to inform and mobilize self-determining approaches to health and research.
Her long career in nursing led to senior leadership roles with health and research-related, national-level Indigenous non-profit organizations, namely the Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association and the former National Aboriginal Health Organization. She was a CIHR – Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health, Institute Advisory Board Member for two three-year terms.
She holds an early-career, CIHR – Heart and Stroke Foundation-sponsored Research Chair in Indigenous Women’s Heart and Brain Health. She is a former Board Member with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and a member of the national Heart and Stroke Foundation Indigenous Health Council.
She continues to uphold Indigenous self-determining OCAP principles in research through participatory methodologies in partnership with Indigenous communities. She is committed to engagement processes that support anti-Indigenous racism and reconciliation approaches to systemic change in health and research and strives to collaborate and lead in this regard.
Christine Faubert, PhD
Vice-President, Health Equity and Mission Impact
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Toronto, Ontario
Christine is Vice-President, Health Equity and Mission Impact at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. She has been with the Foundation since 2016 and leads the Foundation’s Women’s Heart and Brain Health Strategy.
She holds a PhD in Population Health from the University of Ottawa and has over 25 years of experience in the community and non-profit sector, working at the local, provincial, national, and international levels.
Christine is passionate about population-level health interventions, health equity, organizational strategy, data and impact evaluation, innovation and learning, and partnership approaches to drive collective impact.
Since 2022, she has been acting as the Chair for the Women’s Cardiovascular Health Research Initiative of the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum (GCRFF), a global alliance of 12 major cardiovascular research funders around the world.
Paula Harvey, BMBS, PhD, FRACP
Department Head, Department of Medicine
F.M. Hill Chair in Women’s Academic Medicine
Associate Professor, University of Toronto
Women’s College Hospital
Toronto, ON
Dr. Harvey is an Australian Medical Graduate. After completing her specialty training and subsequent PhD in 1999, she relocated to Canada as an NH&MRC Scholar to complete post-doctoral training in Cardiovascular Physiology at the University of Toronto.
In 2002, Dr. Harvey was appointed to faculty in the Division of Cardiology, University Health Network.
In 2010, she joined Women's College Hospital (WCH) as Director of Cardiovascular Research and subsequently also as Medical Director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Health Initiative.
In December 2013, Dr. Harvey was appointed Division Head of Cardiology at WCH.
In 2017, she was appointed Physician-in-Chief of the Department of Medicine at WCH and the F.M. Hill Chair in Women’s Academic Medicine.
Dr. Harvey’s clinical and research focus is on cardiovascular disease in women across the lifespan, with a special interest in hypertension and complex blood pressure disorders, autonomic disorders such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), cardiovascular disease prevention through lifestyle interventions such as exercise, and cardiovascular disease in autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatological disorders (cardio-rheumatology).
Gabriela Lima de Melo Ghisi, BSc PT, MSc, PhD, CRFC, FAACVPR
Scientist and Assistant Professor
KITE - Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Canada
Chair, International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (ICCPR)
Toronto, Canada
Twitter: https://x.com/gabrielamghisi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielameloghisi/
Dr. Gabriela Ghisi is an Affiliate Scientist at the KITE Research Institute, University Health Network (Canada). Her research centers on patient education in chronic disease management and global access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR).
She has supported the development and implementation of an evidence-based patient education curriculum in collaboration with CR programs in 10 countries and has led its evaluation. She has published over 160 papers, authored clinical practice guidelines, and developed 17 cardiac rehabilitation-related scales that are used for both clinical and research purposes.
Her global recognition in CR research is underscored by her ranking as one of the top three researchers globally in CR (SciVal/Scopus 2019-2024).
Dr. Ghisi is also Chair of the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (ICCPR).
M. Patrice Lindsay RN, M.Ed., PhD, FWSO
Health Systems Researcher and Consultant
MarcLind Systems and Engagement Consulting
Toronto, Ontario
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricelindsay
Dr. Patrice Lindsay is a distinguished leader in stroke, brain, and heart health, celebrated for her transformative work in improving stroke systems across Canada. As a clinical leader, advocate, and researcher, she has pioneered efforts to enhance stroke care delivery, focusing on systems of care, prevention, and recovery.
Dr. Lindsay has played a key role in developing strategic frameworks for heart failure and congenital heart disease. A passionate advocate for the active involvement of individuals with lived experience in healthcare, she champions their engagement in research, clinical care, education, and advocacy. She is especially dedicated to advancing women’s heart and brain health.
Her work at the Heart and Stroke Foundation and her research on stroke care protocols, patient outcomes, and health system optimization have been widely published. She regularly speaks at national and international conferences, sharing insights with healthcare professionals and policymakers.
She has been senior editor of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice guidelines since their inception and is just completing their seventh edition.
Dr. Lindsay has received numerous accolades for her contributions to stroke care and health system improvement, shaping a more patient-centered and efficient stroke care model in Canada and globally. She is a recipient of the World Stroke Organization 2024 Award for Stroke Services and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Dr. Lindsay holds a degree in nursing from the University of Western Ontario and a PhD from the University of Toronto, focused on health systems performance. She is a Fellow of the World Stroke Organization.
Kerri-Anne Mullen, BSc, MSc, PhD
Director, Canadian Women's Heart Health Centre & Prevention and Wellness Centre
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, ON | @mullenkerri
Biography
Dr. Mullen is a Scientist with the Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation. Kerri-Anne has been with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute since 2006 where, until 2019, she managed the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation. Since 2019, she has been Director of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre and Prevention and Wellness Centre.
She received her BSc (Hon.) at the University of Ottawa, her MSc at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her PhD in Population Health at the University of Ottawa. She trained as a Student Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES uOttawa) between 2010 and 2015 within the Primary Care & Population Health Research Program.
Dr. Mullen’s work in nicotine addiction, women’s cardiovascular health, and CVD prevention has been funded by the Canadian Institute’s of Health Research (CIHR), the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. She was recipient of the Cardiac Health Foundation of Canada’s Graduate Research Award in 2012 and received a two-year CIHR fellowship in Population Intervention for Chronic Disease Prevention between 2009 and 2011. She and the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation team were the Heather Crowe Smoke-Free Ontario Award in 2016.
Dr. Mullen is Co-Chair of UOHI’s Women’s Heart Health Team and Vice Chair of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance. She is a member of the CIHR College of Reviewers and has served as an ad hoc reviewer for several high impact academic journals and scientific meetings. Dr. Mullen’s research interests include the health services, economic, and health impacts of prevention interventions.
Professor of Medicine, Dalhousie University
Professor Emeritus, Mayo Clinic
Past-President, Canadian Society of Echocardiography
Co-Director, Women’s Heart Health Clinic
QE II Health Sciences Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia | @HeartDocSharon
Dr. Mulvagh is Professor of Medicine at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Professor Emeritus at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Dr. Mulvagh is a clinical cardiologist, echocardiographer, and clinician investigator for multiple Federal (CIHR-Canadian Institute of Health Research) and Foundation (Heart and Stroke Canada; Dalhousie University) funded collaborative research projects in Canada and USA focused on women and heart disease, contrast echocardiography, and POCUS.
She is Co-Director of the Women’s Heart Health Clinic at the Maritime Heart Center in Halifax, NS, and the Immediate Past Director of Dalhousie University GIM POCUS program.
She is Immediate Past-Chair of the Nova Scotia Provincial Board of Directors for Heart & Stroke Canada, and Immediate Past-Chair of Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance Knowledge Translation and Mobilization Working Group.
She is Immediate Past-President of the Canadian Society of Echocardiography, Past-Chair of ASE Scientific Sessions 2022, past co-director of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) Echo Hawaii, past member of ASE Board of Directors, and current member of the NBE Critical Care Echocardiography and NBE Adult Comprehensive Echocardiography Certification Committees, and National Board of Echocardiography (NBE) Critical Care Echocardiography Exam Writing Committee.
She is also a member of the International Contrast Ultrasound Society Board of Directors. She has chaired numerous echocardiographic guidelines imaging task forces and committees, including the initial consensus statement and subsequent guidelines and updates on Ultrasound Enhancing Agents.
She has over 200 peer-reviewed publications and has served on the editorial boards of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, and Echo Research and Practice.
Dr. Mulvagh received her medical degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Ottawa, Canada, interned at Dalhousie University, then completed her residency at Boston University, and cardiology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
There, she consulted for Universities Space Research Associates (USRA) at NASA, Johnson Space Center, monitoring cardiac responses during spacewalks from Mission Control, training astronauts to do echocardiograms during spaceflight, and developing countermeasures to microgravity.
She then embarked on a 26-year academic career at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, subsequently returning to Canada in 2016 to establish clinical and educational programs in cardiovascular care for women, stress/contrast echocardiography, and point of care ultrasound.
Ryan Perry, PhD
Vice President, Research and Science
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Edmonton, AB
Dr. Ryan Perry joined the Heart & Stroke in February 2024 and is the Vice President, Research and Science. In this role, Ryan provides overall leadership and strategic direction to the Foundation’s research and science enterprise, driving excellence and innovation in the delivery of research programs, training and career development, and strengthening linkages with research partners, volunteers, supporters and stakeholders.
Ryan has a deep understanding of the health research environment in Canada and abroad, and brings extensive experience in partnership development, knowledge mobilization, training and development, and developing and implementing innovative research programs and research impact frameworks.
Ryan is an experienced and trusted medical science professional with a strong background in cardiovascular science and over 15 years of leadership experience in the Canadian health research ecosystem. Prior to his role at Heart & Stroke, Ryan was the Associate Scientific Director at the national Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-IRCH). There he played a pivotal role in advancing the national cardiovascular and respiratory research strategy and enterprise and led national and international initiatives, developed innovative funding models, and fostered critical strategic partnerships with key stakeholders.
Ryan is a champion of health research talent development and mentorship. He has led numerous career development workshops and symposiums, collaborating with national health professional and research organizations. These efforts have directly benefited thousands of research trainees across Canada and contributed to building a strong, diverse and inclusive health research workforce in circulatory and respiratory health.
In his free time, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family (wife and three children), woodworking, and pretty much anything outdoors (e.g., golf, mountain biking, hiking, skiing), preferably in the mountains.
Ryan has a PhD in Biochemistry, an MSc in Experimental Medicine, and a BSc (Honours) in Physiology.
Tara Sedlak, MD, FRCPC, MBA
Director, Leslie Diamond Women's Heart Health Clinic
Cardiologist, Vancouver General Hospital and British Columbia Women's Hospital
Clinical Associate Professor, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC | @Women__Heart
Dr. Tara Sedlak received her Doctor of Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency, and Cardiology Residency from the University of British Columbia.
She also completed a fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, California, focusing on women’s heart health, particularly chest pain syndromes in women with no significant coronary artery disease.
Dr. Sedlak practices General Cardiology at Vancouver General Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital and is the Director of the Leslie Diamond Women’s Heart Health Clinic.
Her research interests include etiologies of myocardial infarction and chest pain in women with non-obstructive coronary artery disease, as well as therapeutic strategies in microvascular coronary dysfunction and coronary vasospasm.