Health Research Symposium 2024
Heather MacDermid

Controller

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Patti Ryan
Chief Operating Officer

Patti is responsible for overseeing the implementation of ResearchNB’s operational plan to ensure we are accountable to our stakeholders in meeting our strategic goals and objectives.

Patti holds a master’s in public administration and a degree in Community Studies as well as several diplomas and certificates.  Her experience spans over 2 decades working in the health sector including roles in government, non-government, and private sector organizations.

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Chris Dickie
Director of Strategic Priorities

Chris Dickie holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick and launched his career as a forestry contractor and consultant, managing operations and forest plans in Ontario and New Brunswick. In 2004, he joined INFOR Inc., serving 40,000+ private woodlot owners and Christmas tree producers.

Over the next decade, Chris collaborated with various stakeholders on programs and research projects. In 2014, he joined the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries, contributing to the 2016 economic development plan.

In 2018, Chris co-founded 1812 Hemp, focusing on CBD production. He also worked as a consultant, assisting companies in establishing operations in New Brunswick. In 2020, he embarked on constructing a multi- million-dollar COVID-19 test production facility.

In 2023, Chris became the Director of Strategic Priorities at ResearchNB, leveraging over a decade of experience in the bioeconomy sector.

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Candice Pollack
Director, External Affairs

On parental leave until Feb 2025

Candice Ashley Pollack is the Director, External Affairs with ResearchNB. Candice enjoys tackling complex challenges and believes that there is always a way to move the needle forward. With her education and background in law, as well as years of professional experience leading health and social systems improvement initiatives, she brings creativity, resourcefulness, critical thinking, and drive to every role she takes on.

 

Candice is also deeply passionate about public policy and human rights’ discourses. She has contributed to published works on youth participation rights, children’s rights in a globalized economy, and knowledge translation for policy decision-making.

 

Candice values the various communities she is a part of and has been actively volunteering with local and national non-profits for over 15 years. Currently, Candice is the Public Member of the New Brunswick Association of Social Workers’ Board of Directors, the Past-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section, and the Second Vice-Chair of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick.

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Maha Imazitene
Director of Research

Maha is our Director of research. She leads the research officers team managing all our funding programs and ensuring funds are used equitably and in full alignment with the government guidelines and our research institutions needs.

Maha has more than 15 years of experience in business management. She has been working in the research and innovation space for the last 5 years supporting innovative ideas and projects.

Fluent in both official languages, Maha welcomes discussions around new concepts implementation, research impacts and innovation and technology implantation.

Maha lives in Moncton where she volunteers on several boards of directors and is engaged in community work.

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Alyssa Margeson
Senior Manager, Programs

On parental leave until June 2025

Alyssa (she/her) is responsible for overseeing research funding programs and grant competitions offered through ResearchNB.

Alyssa has worked with research and community-health programs for 10+ years in various capacities including roles with clinical research teams, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations. She is passionate about health equity and health systems research.

Alyssa holds a B.Sc. in Biology and Psychology from Dalhousie University and a M.Sc. in Public Health from the University of the West of England. Born and raised in NB, she is based out of the Saint John area.

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Alec Manley
Research Development Officer

Alec joins ResearchNB with over 5 years experience in the field of research administration and had also previously worked for a number of years in the provincial government in various research and analysis roles. His academic training saw him complete the Renaissance College program at UNB before heading to Ottawa to pursue a Masters degree in public policy and he has since completed a certificate program from Mohawk College in research administration. Outside of working hours, he can be found in the garden, greenhouse, climbing wall or just generally outside tinkering at his rural property outside Fredericton.

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Brandon Schlichter
Systems Analyst

As ResearchNB’s Systems Analyst, Brandon manages the lifecycle of our data, including data analysis, database management, reporting and process improvements. Brandon ensures the integrity, security, and accessibility of critical data assets instilling a culture of informed decisions and operational excellence. Based in Moncton, Brandon holds a BBA in Finance from UNB and a post-graduate certificate in Business Analysis from NBCC.

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Vy Cung
Junior Research Development Officer

Vy is a recent graduate from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. With numerous internship experiences across the academic, public, and private sectors under her belt, she brings a versatile set of skills and a comprehensive understanding of different organizational environments. In her free time, Vy enjoys practicing her new hobby, tennis or whipping up new recipes in the kitchen.

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Wendy Yerxa
Executive Assistant

Wendy is responsible for all office administration duties at ResearchNB including records management, financial claims and travel arrangement for international guests. Wendy also assists with the quarterly meetings of ResearchNB’s Board of Directors. Prior to joining the team, Wendy held administrative positions with the Government of New Brunswick and NB Power.

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Sebastien Soucy
Senior Manager, Marketing & Stakeholder Engagement

Sebastien is responsible for overseeing the marketing & stakeholder engagement operations at ResearchNB.

He brings a creative mindset and a modern approach to the marketing strategy, with over 7 years of marketing experience in various sectors including post-secondary, government and industrial.

Sebastien holds a B.B.A. in Marketing from Université of Moncton. Born and raised in NB, he is based out of the Moncton area.

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Emilio Reyes
Marketing & Technical Support

We welcomed Emilio to our team as our new Marketing & Communications Coordinator! Emilio is also providing marketing communications and technical support at BioNB as well. Emilio is a recent graduate of Memorial University and moved to Canada from Ecuador in 2017.

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Meaghan Seagrave
Strategic Advisor

Meaghan is responsible for implementing ResearchNB’s strategy, as set out by the board of directors, and providing leadership, and direction to the team.

Meaghan holds an MSc and several diplomas and certificates in Management Development and Communications. She helps connect research and innovation across the province and the region through her role as a director on various provincial, regional and national boards.

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Hazel Howland
Bookkeeper

Hazel is responsible for providing accounting/bookkeeping services to the team at ResearchNB.

Her most memorable work assignment was travelling to Cameroon, Africa to provide financial management on a CIDA project. She volunteers her time on the Board of Directors of the Progressive Credit Union.

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