The Canadian Stem Cell Foundation was established in 2008 to champion the importance of stem cell science for the health of all humanity. It’s about building coalitions and marshalling assets. It’s about providing education. All in order to accelerate the speed at which research can be translated into clinical applications and therapeutic products for people everywhere.

As a Canadian organization, we are also intent on building Canada’s role as a leader and innovator in stem cell science. Stem cells were first discovered in Canada. Dozens of the brightest minds in the field have made dramatic and groundbreaking contributions here. Together they’ve moved the world closer to treatments and cures never imagined. By continuing to support their important work, and to attract gifted scientists from around the world, we will continue to move even closer — and build an entirely new industry of international scope to serve humanity.

Board of Directors

The Canadian Stem Cell Foundation is expanding its Board of Directors.  Current members include:

Dr. Alan Bernstein (Chair) — Dr. Alan Bernstein is an internationally renowned scientist and research leader.  Dr. Bernstein is the former executive director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise in New York, an alliance of independent organizations around the world dedicated to accelerating the development of a preventive HIV vaccine. Prior to leading the Enterprise, Dr. Bernstein served as the founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) from 2000 – 2007. During that time, he helped build the organization into one of the world’s leading research agencies, supporting more than 11,000 health researchers with an annual budget of US $1 billion. Dr. Bernstein received his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. Following postdoctoral work in London where he first began working on retroviruses, he returned to Canada in 1974 to join the faculty of the Ontario Cancer Institute. In 1985, he joined the new Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital as Head of the Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, and then served as its Director of Research from 1994 – 2000.

The Honourable Anne McLellan — The Honourable A. Anne McLellan, P.C., O.C. is with the national law firm Bennett Jones LLP and is Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the University of Alberta in the Alberta Institute for American Studies.  Previously, she served as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre from 1993 to 2006.  Between 2003 and 2006, she served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.  Before that, she served as Minister of Health, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of Natural Resources and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians.  Prior to entering politics, Ms. McLellan taught law at the University of New Brunswick and the University of Alberta, serving as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta from 1985 to 1987 and as Acting Dean from July 1991 to June 1992.  She currently sits on the Boards of Nexen, Cameco and Agrium, as well as Habitat for Humanity, Edmonton TELUS Community Board and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation.

Dr. Martha Piper — Dr. Piper is a Corporate Director of the Bank of Montreal, was President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of British Columbia from 1997 to June 2006. Prior to this, she was Vice-President Research and External Affairs at The University of Alberta. She has served on the Board of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology, the British Columbia Progress Board and the National University of Singapore Council. In 2001, she served as Campaign Chair of the United Way of the Lower Mainland. Dr. Piper is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Order of British Columbia. She was named Educator of the Year by the Learning Partnership in 2004 and is a member of the Trilateral Commission.

Dr. Sam Weiss — Dr. Samuel Weiss is the director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine and a a professor in the Departments of Cell Biology & Anatomy and Pharmacology & Therapeutics at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine. An Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Scientist, Dr. Weiss received his BSc in biochemistry from McGill University in Montreal and his PhD in neurobiology from the University of Calgary.  In addition to his role as director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Dr. Weiss sits on numerous national and international peer review committees, has authored many publications, holds several patents in the neural stem cell field and has founded three biotechnology companies in this area.  In 2008 Dr. Weiss was the recipient of the Gairdner International Award for his pioneering work in neural stem cell research.

Dr. Allen Eaves — Dr. Allen Eaves is the Founder, President and CEO of STEMCELL Technologies Inc., and its spin-off companies, Malachite Management Inc, and StemSoft Software Inc.  Dr. Eaves founded the Terry Fox Laboratory for Hematology/Oncology Research (TFL) at the BC Cancer Agency and served as the lab’s first Director. Dr. Allen Eaves completed his BSc in Biology and Mathematics at Acadia University, and then went to Dalhousie University where he did his MSc in cell physiology, and his MD and internship.  He completed his PhD in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, and his clinical specialist training in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology at Toronto and Vancouver, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (FRCPC), and a fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP). He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS), and a member of the Board of Directors of Metro-McNair Clinical Laboratories Ltd, and on the Scientific Advisory Board of Protox Therapeutics Inc.

Mr. David Hughes — Mr. Hughes has served as President & CEO of Pathways to Education Canada since January 2009.  From 2002 to 2008, he was President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada.  Prior to joining Habitat for Humanity Canada, he worked for the international headquarters of the SOS Children’s Villages where he served as senior advisor to the International President & Secretary General, as Regional Director for North America, and as senior representative while on foreign postings in Europe, Africa, Asia, the United States and at the United Nations.  Mr. Hughes was also the founder of The Impact Group, a management consulting firm dedicated to bringing a bottom-line results-oriented approach to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of non-profit organizations.

Mr. Drew Lyall — Mr. Lyall joined the Stem Cell Network as Executive Director shortly after it was funded in 2001.  In addition to his management and oversight responsibilities, he has played an active role in the development and implementation of the Network’s commercialization and clinical translation strategies. He chairs the Steering Committee of the International Consortium of Stem Cell Networks, is a member of the ISSCR Task Force on Unproven Stem Cell Therapies, and sits on the Board of the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium. He holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford; he is a Chartered Accountant (UK), and a Certified Management Consultant (Canada).

President’s Advisory Council

Mr. Peter Bentley — Retired Chair & CEO of Canfor, Former Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia

Mr. Charlie Fischer — Retired President & CEO of Nexen, Former Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Calgary

Mr. Richard W. Ivey — Chair of Ivest Properties, Director of the Ivey Foundation

Mr. Eric Newell — Retired Chair & CEO of Syncrude, Former Chancellor of the University of Alberta

Mr. Allan Taylor — Former Chair & CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada

Mr. Milton Wong — Former Chair of HSBC Asset Management, Former Chancellor of Simon Fraser University

Science Leadership Council

Dr. Sam Weiss (Chair) — Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary

Dr. Tim Caulfield — Director of the Health Law Institute, University of Alberta

Dr. Connie Eaves — Director of the Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Agency

Dr. Gordon Keller — Director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network

Dr. Janet Rossant — Chief of Research at the Hospital for Sick Children

Dr. Michael Rudnicki — Director of the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Dr. Guy Sauvageau — Director of the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal

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Contact the Foundation

Canadian Stem Cell Foundation
501 Smyth Road, Suite CCW-6189
Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L6
613-739-6671 (phone)
613-739-6680 (fax)

The Canadian Stem Cell Foundation is an independent, registered charitable organization: Charitable Registration Number: 82826 9128 RR0001