2025
CLINICAL TRIALS
TRAINING SUMMIT
Four Clinical Trials Training Programs unite to address key challenges in the clinical trials ecosystem.
FEBRUARY
24, 25 & 26
In Vancouver, BC, a diverse, cutting-edge dialogue on advancing quality in clinical trials in Canada and worldwide.
BETTER PREPARED
BETTER CARE
TOGETHER
The AGENDA at a glance
Strengthening the Clinical Trial Ecosystem
A wide range of stakeholders from the clinical trials world come together to discuss current issues and challenges. Sessions focus on career development for graduate and postdoctoral trainees, best practices in patient engagement and education, and diversity, inclusion, and mentorship in clinical trials training.
Day 1
6.00 PM - 8.00 PM
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- Registration and Welcoming Reception
- Indigenous Welcome
- Presentation of the 3 Main Conference Subject : Patient and Community Partners, Clinical Trials Training by CTTPs’ Student Award
Day 2
7.30 AM - 6.00 PM
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Plenary Session: Strengthening the Clinical Trial Ecosystem
- 2023-2024 Awardees Presentations and Moderated Poster Session Viewing
- World Café: Best Practices with Iindignenous Groups as Research Partners and Participants
- Plenary Session: Exploring Career Opportunities – Strategies for Graduate Success and Insights for Navigating the Clinical Trials Ecosystem
- Focussed Conversations and Interactive Workshops
Day 3
7.30 AM - 6.00 PM
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
- Focussed Conversations
- Plenary Session: Zooming in on Patient Engagement & Education
- 2024-2025 Poster Awards
- Plenary Session: Mentorship in Clinical Trials Training
- CANTRAIN
- Farewell Reception
Our Speakers
Simon L. Bacon
CBITN, Lead
CBITN (Canadian Behavioural Interventions and Trials Network) is a specialised pan-Canadian training platform to support the development, testing and delivery of behavioural interventions using innovative approaches and trial designs.
Shrikant I. Bangdiwala
Deb Baranec
CIHR-IMHA, Patient Engagement Research Ambassador
A retired auditor with lived experience of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and obesity, Ms. Baranec is Patient Engagement Research Ambassador (PERA) with CIHR-IMHA, and provides advice to Clinical Trial Training Programs with CANTRAIN.
Emily Bell
Desjardins Centre for Advanced Training, Associate Director
Dr. Bell blends her experience in higher education and in health research to develop structured career development and mentorship programs for trainees at RI-MUHC.
Jean Bourbeau
CANTRAIN, Principal Investigator
Dr. Bourbeau is a clinician scientist and professor at McGill University, and chair of the Chronic Airway Disease Clinical Trial Network as part of the Accelerating Controlled Trials (ACT).
Jaqui Brinkman
Angela Cheung
CAN-TAP-TALENT, National Director
CAN-TAP-TALENT (Canadian Training Platform for Trials Leveraging Existing Networks) aims to build training and mentorship capacity for the next generation of clinical trialists and produce Canadian-led clinical trials that have global impact.
Janis Cole
CANTRAIN, Clinical Research Educator (CRE)
Ms. Cole holds a BSc from the University of Alberta, worked in the non-profit sector, and after informally training and supporting colleagues and students over the years, looks forward to standardizing institutional training.
Eileen Davison
Patient Advocate
Ms. Davison, also known as Chronic Eileen, is a disability and chronic illness advocate, writer, and speaker, living with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and an active member of the Arthritis Research Canada patient advisory board.
Phillip James Devereaux
Maria Dutarte
EUPATI, Executive Director
The European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) enhances patient involvement by providing information, education, and opportunities for collaboration for patients and researchers throughout all aspects of the health innovation ecosystem.
Andrea Furlan
Institute for Work & Health (IWH), Scientist
Dr. Andrea Furlan is a physician and senior scientist at the KITE Research Institute (UHN).
She is author of the book 8 Steps to Conquer Chronic Pain. A Doctor's Guide to Lifelong Relief.
Erin Holve
Chief Officer, PCORI
Dr. Holve serves as Chief Officer, Research Infrastructure and Innovation at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), executing strategies to advance patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) methods and study design.
Munaza Jamil
CANTRAIN Mentor
Dr. Munaza teaches at McMaster University, and has over 24 years of experience in clinical trials. Her Summit session “EDI: Navigating Real World Challenges in Clinical Trials” includes role-playing scenarios to overcome barriers for diverse participants.
Caroline Jose
CANTRAIN Mentor
Dr. Jose is Health Researcher at Vitalité Health Network, and teaches at Université de Sherbrooke and Université de Moncton. Her Summit Session is titled “Sharing Leadership with Patient Partners in Clinical Trials: Why, Why Not, and How?”
Nadia Khan
UBC, Head of General Internal Medicine
Dr. Khan is a clinician-scientist in health services research and epidemiology at the Center for Advancing Health Outcomes in Vancouver, Canada. Her research involves marginalized groups including ethnic and gender impacts of cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Susan Marlin
Alison Orth
Michael Smith Health Research BC, Portfolio Director
Ms. Orth provides leadership for the Clinical Trials BC, Research Ethics BC and REACH BC teams, along with provincial system change initiatives, and recently led the development of “A Vision for Clinical Trials in British Columbia.
Kimberley Rawes
Brooke Turkalj
CANTRAIN, Clinical Research Educator (CRE)
Ms. Turkalj holds a M.E. in Biological and Biomedical Engineering from McGill, has served as student advisor for the CANTRAIN Graduate and Postdoctoral Trainees (GPT) stream, and supports professional transitions by delivering accessible training material.
News and Announcements
Location
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
900 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6C 2W6
Contact Us
Head Office
annualconference2025@wecantrain.ca
Support
ITsupport@wecantrain.ca