CEO, LuminUltra Technologies

Pat Whalen serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors.  Pat is also the CEO and Chair of LuminUltra, the global leader in applied molecular diagnostics products and services headquartered in Fredericton, NB with operations in 6 countries.

Having been with the company since its inception in 1995, Pat brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience in strategy formation and operational execution in all facets of the business but in particular the fields of research, innovation and business development. Pat is a proudly born, raised and educated New Brunswicker, practicing as a Professional Engineer and having received a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick.  He currently resides in Fredericton with his wife Jill and their two young children, Jackson and Amelia.

Director of Quality Solutions, Populus Global Solutions

Jeff Beairsto serves as our board treasurer, bringing with him over two decades of experience at Populus Global Solutions, a distinguished Fredericton firm specializing in health informatics. Throughout his career, Jeff has focused on designing and implementing health informatics systems that efficiently capture clinical, operational, and logistical data. Notably, he played a significant role in the development and nationwide deployment of an electronic health record system in four CARICOM countries.

Jeff is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and currently resides in Fredericton with his wife and two young children. When he’s not immersed in his professional endeavours, Jeff indulges in his passions for alpine skiing, sailing, photography, and astrophotography. He finds joy in spending quality time with friends and family, whether it’s hitting the slopes, sailing the open waters, or stargazing under the night sky.

CEO, Gramko Group Inc.

We own a diverse group of companies in pharmacy real estate healthcare and technology space. Social entrepreneurship is part of what drives me - I am passionate about solving problems that improve our lives. Recent graduate of the Wallace McCain Institute - Entrepreneurship program and Order membership.  Fredericton Playhouse past president - securing funding for the new performing arts center 2022. Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal 2022. 

Married to Anna- my business partner: three children in university, Emilia (pharmacy) Alex (accounting) Sofia (Science- Climate change).

Scientific Director, Atlantic Cancer Research Institute

Coming soon...

Vice-présidente principale - Performance, mission universitaire et stratégie - Réseau de santé Vitalité

Coming soon...

CEO, New Brunswick Heart & Stroke Foundation

Known as a passionate leader in the non-profit sector, Kurtis Sisk has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick since 2014. Since obtaining the role of CEO, he has grown his team from 20 employees to 35, and revenues from $2 million to over $5 million.  Kurtis was proud to have been named Top 50 CEO in Atlantic Canada (2022, 2023 & 2024) and to have Heart & Stroke NB named one of the Best Places to Work in Atlantic Canada (2022, 2023, & 2024), by Atlantic Business Magazine.

Kurtis has a strong record of creating sustained growth and a history of building high-performing teams. He is an innovative thinker who takes measured risks in the pursuit of cutting-edge health promotion, research, and fund development programming.  Mr. Sisk has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Fredericton and a Public Relations Diploma from Durham College. In 2024, he also obtained the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D) from the Rotman School of Management – University of Toronto. Kurtis has been a part of many provincial and national committees and Boards including; serving as Vice-Chair of the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation, Member at Large on the NBCC Board of Governors, Ex officio on the Heart & Stroke NB Board of Directors, co-chair of the national Relay for Life committee, chairperson of the national Heart and Stroke Foundation Fund Development committee, Chairperson of the Provincial HealthPartners committee and member of the national Heart Healthy Children and Youth Working Group. 

Kurtis is a dedicated community volunteer, a passionate leader, and a family man.

Vice-President (Research), University of New Brunswick

A native New Brunswicker, received his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from UNB in 1987. Following a two-year NSERC post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Rochester, began his tenure at UNB as an Assistant in the department of Chemistry. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1995 and to full professor in 2000. While at UNB, his administrative service has included Chair of the Department of Chemistry (1999-2007), Dean of Science(2008-2017) and Vice–President Research  (2017-present). Currently as Vice-President Research, he provides leadership and vision in shaping UNB’s strategic research direction and agenda. As Vice-President (Research) he serves on numerous Boards, both regionally and nationally, including but not limited to, Digital Research Alliance of Canada, Springboard Atlantic, Net Zero Atlantic, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, SGIN, Knowledge Park, Canadian Consortium of Ocean Research Universities, and Huntsman Marine Centre.

Still actively engaged in research, recently his focus has mainly been in the development of new and/or simpler ways to make biologically-interesting and structurally-challenging natural products. Recently this research has relied on number of research collaborations with academic (Dalhousie, Acadia) government (Canadian Forestry Services, Newfoundland Department of Natural Resources) and private (JDI-Ltd, Andermatt, Agrifor, Forest Protection Limited) organizations. During his career he has published 50 peer-reviewed research papers in a number of prestigious national and international journals, and been awarded 5 patents. In addition, over 66 papers at various national and international conferences, and 17 invited speaker presentations have occurred.

Vice President Strategy, Transformation & Chief Innovation Officer, Horizon Health Network

Jennifer Sheils is the Vice-President of Strategy, Transformation and the Chief Innovation Officer for Horizon Health Network. To ensure a focused and coordinated approach to strategy and innovation Jennifer leads this unique portfolio that encompasses the programs of continuous improvement, transformation, change management, and modernization. She is also the executive leader responsible for the oversight of our IT Systems, Technology and e-health strategy for digital transformation. Jennifer joined Horizon in 2017 following a 20-plus-year career in the Information and Communications Technology Industry, with a primary focus on the healthcare sector in New Brunswick.  Jennifer leads with a focus on enabling an integrated healthcare ecosystem that welcomes industry partners to energize improvements while supporting our patients and clinical programs to explore ways to modernize service delivery. 

As an innovation champion, Jennifer will continue to engage our stakeholders and partners to creatively evolve our capacity to support sustainable change and continuous improvement.  In addition to her role on the Board of ResearchNB, Jennifer is the Executive Lead operating the Atlantic Edge of the CAN Health Network, which is the Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network, providing Canadian health technology companies with an integrated and receptive marketplace by removing the most common barriers that prevent businesses from growing and scaling to their full potential.

Jennifer is part of the Executive Leadership team at Horizon, is a Board Director for the Canadian College of Health Leaders, sits on the Advisory Committee for Digital Health Canada Atlantic Chapter, and is a member of the Canadian Health Information Executive Forum (CHIEF). Jennifer is also a member of the CAN Health Network National Board of Directors, an advisory member for the National AI Council in Healthcare, and a Director of the Anglophone South District Education Council (DEC).

Associate Vice-President of Research and Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Université de Moncton (Note: In the French version, instead of ‘Vice-président associé’ please write ‘Vice-recteur adjoint’.

Francis LeBlanc is Associate Vice-President for Research and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the Université de Moncton since 2017. Previously, he was Director of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at the same university.

Mr. LeBlanc holds a doctorate in physics from the Université de Montréal and is an active researcher in astrophysics. His research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) since 1998. He has been an Associate Professor or Visiting Research Associate at four renowned academic institutions (Université Laval, Université de Paris VII, Université de Toulouse and Observatoire de Paris-Meudon). In 2010, he published a book at the prestigious Wiley Publishing house entitled ‘An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics’. This book has been used as a textbook in more than 100 universities including Harvard, Caltech, Berkeley, Stanford and Cambridge.

He is a member of several boards of directors: Research New Brunswick, Atlantic Cancer Research Institute and New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, Springboard Atlantic, and represents the Univeristé de Moncton at several national funding councils and organizations.

Executive Director Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC), CEO, Sustainable Chemistry Alliance

Meaghan Seagrave is a nationally recognized leader in the bioeconomy and has been spearheading bio-based opportunities and industrial transformation across the country for over a decade. Meaghan’s educational and professional backgrounds include a graduate degree in chemistry, extensive experience leading a number of NGOs, and over two decades of experience in early-stage technology companies, making her a knowledgeable support to Canada’s diverse green, clean, and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Meaghan currently provides leadership to Canada’s only green chemistry accelerator – Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC). As a high-impact NGO, BIC is focused on providing critical strategic investment, advice and services to business developers with clean, green and sustainable technology. She is also CEO of Canada’s Sustainable Chemistry Alliance, a green-chemistry-focused venture capital fund focused on early-stage green investments.

Professor, Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick and Horizon Health, Saint John | Assistant Dean, Research, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick

Dr. Paul Atkinson is a Professor in Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University and Horizon Health Network, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. He is also Chief Medical Consultant for WorkSafeNB; Deputy editor of the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine; and is Assistant Dean, Research at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. His international training began at the Queen’s University of Belfast, followed by postgraduate programs in internal medicine in Belfast and emergency medicine in Cambridge, UK. He completed a fellowship at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia.

He has over 160 peer-reviewed publications, as well as being a lead editor on three textbooks, Emergency Medicine an Illustrated Colour Text, 2010; Point of Care Ultrasound in Emergency Medicine and Resuscitation, 2019; and Emergency Ultrasound Made Easy, 2021.

Awards include the inaugural “Best in Class” undergraduate teaching award from Dalhousie University in 2012, the national Grant Innes Award for Emergency Medicine research in 2014, the Ian Stiell Researcher of the Year Award from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, 2019, and the Dr. Donald Morgan Service Award from the New Brunswick Medical Society in 2024. He has a strong interest in injury prevention and system improvements.

Paul is married to Julie, and together they have three young adult offspring, Jordyn, Lucy and Jack. Paul enjoys cycling and hiking in the wide-open spaces of New Brunswick.

Associate Vice-President (Research), St. Thomas University

Peter Toner holds a PhD in social anthropology from the Australian National University, with research expertise on topics including Indigenous Australian social organization and social identity, musical and performative traditions, relationships to land, and cultural change. He has also conducted extensive research on archives and the repatriation of Indigenous cultural heritage materials back to their communities of origin, as well as on folk music traditions in New Brunswick.

His research has been funded by the Australian Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. He was one of the founders of the Journal of New Brunswick Studies/Revue d’études sur le Nouveau-Brunswick and has served on its editorial board for 15 years. He is also the past president of the Nashwaak Watershed Association.

Co-Founder, Mycodev Group

Coming soon...

Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke and Director of Research at the Centre de Formation Médicale du NB

Since 2021, Said is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke and is affiliated with the Centre de Formation Médical du Nouveau-Brunswick. He is also the director of research at the Centre de Formation Médicale du NB .

In the context of his responsibilities, Said assume multiple roles as a researcher and associate professor, including building health research capacity in New Brunswick, supporting health professionals involved in research and teaching physicians and medical students. His research projects aim to better understand the physiological and metabolic mechanisms by which physical activity can improve the physical and cognitive health of healthy adults and those with chronic diseases. An important component of Pr. Mekari’s work involves the effect of physical training in the laboratory on cognitive performance in older adults and the reinvestment of research findings in the community.

Coming soon...

Director, Opportunities New Brunwick

Hemant Kumar is Director, Strategic Priorities with Opportunities NB, the province’s lead economic development agency. Before joining ONB in 2020, he held various economic development-related roles within the Government of New Brunswick, as well as regional and federal government positions throughout a 15-year period.

He has a wide range of strategy and leadership experience and a passion for identifying and pursuing economic development opportunities, with a focus on policy and capacity development. Hemant is a graduate of Saint Mary’s University and resides in Rothesay, NB with his family.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Health, GNB

A public sector executive with the Government of New Brunswick, Lee Burry has over 15 years of high-level experience in areas including human resources, strategy, organizational performance and change management. He has led multidisciplinary teams across a series of government departments and presently holds the role of Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services with New Brunswick's Department of Health. In this role, Lee is responsible for a variety of ministerial functions including Infrastructure, Analytics, Innovation and eHealth.

Alongside his professional life, Lee has been a steadfast contributor to the non-profit and charitable landscapes throughout his career. Lee is a past National President with Kin Canada and has served a variety of non-profit boards at the regional and national levels.

Lee holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from Memorial University, alongside a public executive diploma from Queens University.

Lee resides in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada with his wife Jennifer, their amazing children Daniel, Joshua and Barbara and their attention-loving golden doodle, Ariel.

CEO, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation

Coming soon...

CEO, Research & Productivity Council

Diane serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Research and Productivity Council (RPC), a leading provincial research and technology organization with locations in Fredericton and Moncton, New Brunswick. She holds a BSc, with a double major in mathematics and chemistry, and a PhD in bioanalytical chemistry. Diane has made contributions to the fields of proteomics and pharmaceutical drug design through numerous publications. Before stepping into her role as CEO, she was the Chief Science Officer at RPC.

In her capacity at RPC, Diane contributes to the complete innovation cycle, from concept to commercialization. She also provides technical guidance to government, academic, and industrial partners. Her leadership at RPC encompasses a wide array of applied research projects, spanning environmental health, climate change, sustainable aquaculture, industrial research, productivity enhancement, food and water safety, green energy, and carbon capture.

Diane's professional affiliations include being a chartered chemist with the Association of the Chemical Profession of Ontario, a registered biosafety officer with the Canadian Association for Biological Safety, an adjunct professor at the University of New Brunswick, and a registered highland dance instructor with the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing.