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 and online, a dialogue on making the clinical trials field more collaborative, effective, and inclusive – so we are all better prepared in future.

BETTER PREPARED
BETTER CARE
TOGETHER

News and Stories

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
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.
Bangdiwala
Shrikant I. Bangdiwala ACT Consortium Training Committee
Co-Chair Director of Statistics at the Population Health Research Institute, with over 45 years of extensive experience in the design, monitoring, and analysis of multicenter randomized controlled trials, in multilevel analysis, and in the analysis of concordance.
deb baranec
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
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
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).
Jacqui Brinkman
Jaqui Brinkman UBC, Director of Graduate Student Professional Development
With experience managing student educational programs within the UBC Faculty of Medicine, Ms. Brinkman’s current work focuses on improving the graduate student experience through professional development programs, orientation, and the Three Minute Thesis.
Angela Cheung
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
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 Davidson
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.
PJ Devereaux
Phillip James Devereaux ACT Consortium, Nominated Principal Applicant
Dr. Devereaux is the Director of the Division of Perioperative Care at McMaster University, and CEO and Scientific Director of the World Health Research Trust, an academic research organization focused on large international randomized clinical trials.
Maria Dutarte (2)
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
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
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
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.
carolinejose
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?”
KHAN-Nadia
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
Susan Marlin CanReview, Nominated Principal Applicant
President and CEO of Clinical Trials Ontario, and former Associate Vice-Principal of Research at Queen’s University, Ms. Marlin led the development and implementation of the Ethics and Regulatory Office at the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group.
Alison Orth
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
Kimberley Rawes UBC, Manager, Career and Professional Development
A career development professional for over 15 years in Higher Education. Ms. Rawes leads a team of talented Career Educators who design programs and learning which helps students explore future possibilities and take strategic next steps.
Brooke
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.

Location

IN PERSON
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

900 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6C 2W6

ON STREAM
To register and get the link to attend virtually:

Contact Us

Head Office

annualconference2025@wecantrain.ca

Support

ITsupport@wecantrain.ca

BETTER PREPARED.
BETTER CARE.
TOGETHER.