Keynote Speaker

Dr. Craig Simmons

Professor of Mechanobiology in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto

Craig Simmons is the University of Toronto (UofT) Distinguished Professor of Mechanobiology in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. His research group innovates in the areas of cardiovascular disease and regeneration, with a focus on clinical and commercial translation. Craig also serves as the Scientific Director of the UofT Translational Biology and Engineering Program and as co-lead of TRANSFORM HF, a UofT Strategic Initiative. With partners in the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, these bold initiatives aim to dramatically improve heart health for all through discovery science, regenerative medicine, and digital health.

Panel 1: BioTEC and Regenerative Pathways

Dr. Alison Stewart

Senior Director, Scientific Research & Platform Development, Allarta Life Science

Alison is the Senior Director of Scientific Research & Platform Development at Allarta Life Science, a preclinical biotech company based in Hamilton, Ontario, developing next-generation biomaterials for immune-privileged delivery of cells, stem cells, and biologics. As the company’s first employee, she has played a pivotal role in shaping Allarta’s research strategy, advancing its core technology, and building a high-performing research team. She also leads external partnerships to drive innovation and accelerate translational development.

Alison holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry with a minor in Economics from McMaster University and earned her Ph.D. in 2018 under the supervision of Professor Harald Stöver. Her doctoral research focused on developing novel biomaterials for immune-privileged cell delivery, laying the foundation for her work in regenerative medicine.

Passionate about bridging scientific discovery with real-world applications, Alison is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of biomaterials research to enable transformative cell-based therapies.

Evelyn Yim received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University before undergoing her post-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. Evelyn started her academic career in Singapore, where she held a joint appointment from the National University of Singapore, as faculty in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Surgery, and the Mechanobiology Institute Singapore as a principal investigator, and she received her tenure appointment in NUS in 2014. Her group has been studying how chemical and biomechanical cues influence stem cell behavior.

Evelyn joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo in 2016, and she has been appointed as University Research Chair in 2022. Experienced with nanofabrication technologies and stem cell culture, Evelyn and her group are interested to apply the knowledge biomaterial-cell interaction to direct cellular responses and tissue regeneration for vascular and corneal regeneration applications.

Dr. Evelyn Yim

University Research Chair & Professor, University of Waterloo

Dr. Craig Simmons

Professor of Mechanobiology in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto

Dr. Esther Chin is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Assistant Professor, and Global Health Lead of the Department of Ob/Gyn at McMaster University. She completed medical school and residency at McMaster and holds a Master’s in Global Surgical Care from UBC. She is Adjunct Professor in UBC’s Branch for Global Surgical Care and visiting faculty at the University of Global Health Equity (Rwanda).

She co-founded STITCH Surgical Models Inc with a team of Biomedical Engineers (Yong Hui Chan, Tara Kemper, Vincent Levandier, Noah Stewart, Yiting Wu). STITCH is a portable, reusable, low-cost intermediate fidelity simulator for surgeries to manage postpartum hemorrhage. STITCH has been presented at academic conferences in Canada and Rwanda, has been used by rural/remote Canadian Family Doctors, and has been in DRC, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Preliminary procurement conversations are underway with interdisciplinary end-users in rural/urban Canada and globally.

She is also leading the new Graduate Diploma in Global Surgery at McMaster University which aims to address the immense gap in surgical care worldwide (low- and middle-income and high-income countries) by bringing together an interdisciplinary cohort to understand issues in surgical care access and devise innovative solutions. She has previously worked clinically in Angola, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Guatemala. Her areas of interest and research are in surgical care systems, maternal morbidity/mortality, medical & surgical education, capacity building, obstetric fistula, and health equity.

Ivy Parks is the President of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) Canada. Ivy leads the Canadian organization of approximately 400 associates working towards advancing the world of health™. In her leadership role, Ivy partners with stakeholders to positively impact healthcare delivery while continuing to transform the organization to better serve the needs of the evolving healthcare marketplace and ultimately impacting positive patient outcomes. Ivy brings extensive market experience to this position. Having been with BD in Canada since 2000 in different roles with growing responsibilities, Ivy has a deep understanding of acute care, alternate care, laboratory areas, as well as key industry stakeholders and medical technology associations. Before assuming the President role in 2021, Ivy led BD-Canada Integrated Diagnostics Solutions (IDS) business. In this role, she collaborated with federal and provincial governments and orchestrated efforts for successfully delivering millions of PCR and point-of-care tests to Canadians in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ivy holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Western University.

Ivy Parks

President of BD Canada

Dr. Esther Chin

Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Assistant Professor, and Global Health Lead of the Department of Ob/Gyn, McMaster University

Panel 2: Women in BioTEC

Tanya Lindsay

Founder and CEO of Aranexx

Dr. Stephanie Ferguson is a clinician, educator and women’s health advocate from Guelph, Ontario. She is the chief of obstetrics and gynecology at the Guelph General Hospital and is an assistant clinical professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She also works as a freelance journalist writing about women’s health issues including everything from postpartum care to pelvic organ prolapse. She has published in Healthy Debate, the British Medical Journal, Chatelaine and more. She is passionate

about the evolution of technology in women’s health and has both written on the topic and worked as a medical advisor and consultant for start-up companies in the women’s health space.

Dr. Stephanie Ferguson

Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guelph General Hospital; Assistant Clinical Professor, McMaster University; Freelance Journalist

Panel 3: BioTEC Beyond Hospitals

Neil Godara

With over two decades at Baylis Medical Technologies—a leading provider of advanced spine, radiology, and endovascular products—Neil Godara has played a key role in advancing innovation, operational effectiveness, and market growth. As Vice-President & General Manager, he has guided cross-functional teams to launch and manage a broad portfolio of medical devices across multiple specialties, while overseeing full P&L responsibility and driving consistent revenue gains. During his time heading up Baylis Medical’s Cardiology product line, Neil led the development, team expansion, and market release of new offerings, culminating in a $1.7B divestiture to Boston Scientific. He also managed the transfer of key assets—including the OsteoCool RF Ablation System and the Accurian RF Ablation System—to Medtronic Inc. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Neil directed a critical initiative to supply 10,000 ventilators to the Public Health Agency of Canada, reflecting his commitment to public health priorities. An inventor on more than 70 patents, Neil brings both technical expertise and a practical approach to business leadership. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he serves on the boards of several organizations, providing insights on governance and strategic planning. Neil holds a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto’s Department of Engineering Science.

Vice President & General Manager at Baylis Medical

William "Bill" Charnetski

Bill drives the health‐tech ecosystem’s expansion while improving patient outcomes and system productivity. Bill believes in the power of integrated care coordination and digitized ecosystems of care to enhance the patient journey and improve transitions along the continuum.

Prior to joining PointClickCare, Bill served as Chief Health Innovation Strategist for the Government of Ontario, Canada. He drove behavioral change in the provincial health system to improve its innovation receptor capabilities and used the government’s massive health investment as an economic driver to scale Ontario-based health tech companies. Bill also worked with AstraZeneca, one of the world’s largest innovative biopharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, most recently, he led global government affairs and public policy out of London, UK. In Canada for AZ, he led integrated health solutions, pricing, market access, reimbursement, communications, strategic stakeholder engagement, and legal affairs. He was also a corporate and privacy law partner at one of Canada’s leading law firms.

EVP of Health System Solutions and Government Affairs, PointClickCare

Laura Harris, a passionate pediatric nurse and entrepreneur, is dedicated to transforming healthcare through innovation and leadership. As Co-founder and CEO of The Care Company, she drives impactful change, ensuring excellence in healthcare operations. Under her leadership, The Care Company became an RNAO Best Practice organization and was named Canada’s most admired emerging corporate culture.

With over 30 years of experience in healthcare and hospitality, Laura has successfully launched multiple businesses, including Toronto’s largest event staffing company. Returning to healthcare in 2013, she founded The Care Company, a leading provider of in-home senior care. Recognized as one of Toronto’s top “Women on the Move,” she has been featured in Franchise Canada and served on the Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare.

Laura’s expertise in person- and family-centered care is reflected in her contributions to healthcare policy and innovation. She has spoken at industry panels and recently authored Exploring Innovations in Home Healthcare Delivery, published in Home Healthcare Now (Jan/Feb 2024). Committed to enhancing patient care, Laura continues to pioneer solutions that improve lives.

Laura Harris

CEO of The Care Company

Closing Speaker

Dr. Jason Field is President and CEO of Life Sciences Ontario (LSO). LSO collaborates with governments, academia, industry and other life science organizations across Canada to promote and encourage commercial success throughout the diverse sector. Jason obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts and his B.Sc from the University of Waterloo. Jason’s professional experience includes the pharmaceutical industry and the Ontario government before joining LSO as Executive Director in October, 2011. He was appointed as President and CEO in April, 2014. He serves on several boards and advisory committees including UofT’s Translational Research Program, ReMAP, BioTalent Canada, Research Canada and co-chairs the Resilient Healthcare Coalition. Jason is the 2017 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Waterloo and served as the Chair of Ontario’s Life Sciences Council.

Dr. Jason Field

President and CEO of Life Sciences Ontario

2025 SPEAKERS

Tanya Lindsay is the Founder and CEO of Aranexx, a Canadian tech company developing cutting-edge biosensors that integrate nanotechnology and machine learning to address critical gaps in women's health. With a deep passion for innovation, Tanya leads the development of Aranexx’s flagship platform, which includes an AI-driven menopause app, wearable biosensors for real-time hormonal health insights, and advanced data analytics.

With over 25 years of experience as a technology executive, entrepreneur, and innovator, Tanya has led transformative projects across multiple industries, including semiconductor and electronic product development, software engineering, blockchain, ERP systems, and large-scale business transformations. She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from

the University of Toronto and has also served as a Lecturer at her alma mater, teaching project management for engineers.