Speakers
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Dr. Perrone is a passionate leader of laboratory quality improvement programs and has more than 20 years’ experience strengthening health and laboratory systems internationally. Dr. Perrone’s practice focuses on system- level approaches to ensuring patient access to quality assured diagnostic testing, diagnostic network optimization, laboratory service sustainability, regulation and governance. Dr. Perrone has worked in >35 countries worldwide.
Dr. Perrone holds the Donald B. Rix Professorship in Laboratory Quality, and is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She is the Chair of the ISO 17043:2022 accredited Canadian Microbiology Proficiency Testing Program, and the Director of the Program Office for Laboratory Quality Management where she is the director of the certificate program in laboratory quality management and the micro certificate in antimicrobial susceptibility testing and interpretation. Dr. Perrone is a member of the Canadian Standards Association and the ISO working group TC2-12 which shapes the ISO 15189:2023 standard. |
| Dr. Lucy Perrone | |
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Craig Ivany is a laboratory services strategist with over 38 years of experience influencing healthcare. His depth of practice includes a legacy of leadership across Canada, including VP roles with DynaLIFE Alberta, Dynacare Ontario, CEO Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association, President and CEO Alberta Public Laboratories, and Chief Provincial Diagnostics Officer, Provincial Health Services Authority British Columbia. Craig is a certified health executive, and long-standing member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders, holds an ICD.D with the Institute of Corporate Directors, and is an Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columba.
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| Craig Ivany | |
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Allison is the CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS) and is the mom of 5 children (Emma, Nolan, Paige, Isaac and Quinn). PANS represents over 1500 pharmacists, technicians, pharmacy assistants and students and over 300 community pharmacies throughout Nova Scotia on all matters related to the profession and practice of pharmacy. Allison is passionate about the value that pharmacy professionals can bring to the healthcare system and is proud that Nova Scotia is leading the world in integration of pharmacy practice.
Prior to joining the Association in 2009, Allison worked as a corporate lawyer with Bell Aliant Telecommunications and as VP and General Counsel for the Credit Union Central of Nova Scotia for many years. Before moving to the in-house legal and advocacy role, Allison practiced law with the law firm of Patterson Palmer Hunt Murphy for almost 7 years where she specialized in tax and financing transactions. Allison received her law degree from the University of Toronto and her B.A. from the University of Western Ontario.
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| Allison Bodnar | |
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Christine is a long time lab leader and MLT in the Canadian medical laboratory and diagnostics services industry, and has spent her 25 year career primarily leading laboratory services delivery in both the private and public sector. Currently she serves as the Executive Director for the Laboratory Medicine Program at the University Health Network in Toronto ON, and Northwestern Ontario Lab Regionalization. Additionally she serves the Michener Institute for Education as the Strategic Lead for Medical Laboratory Sciences.
Christine has achieved a variety of career milestones including the introduction of new and novel laboratory diagnostics across Canada, most of which are now a standard of care; she co led the first BD Kiestra Microbiology Automation installation in Canada; implemented the largest Sysmex hematology line in the world, and co led the first hospital go live for COVID-19 PCR testing, supporting up to 25% of Ontario’s testing demand at any given time throughout the pandemic to date. She also hosts the popular MedLab Chats podcast, and most recently created a turnkey pathway for non-regulated lab professionals to become certified MLT’s. An MLT since 1997, Christine also holds a Master’s in Health Administration, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager certification. Christine was recently awarded a 2023 UHN Local Impact Award for Convergence, the 2020 Gaman J. Modi Award of Excellence, and was nominated for the 2021 Premiers Award for trailblazing Ontario college graduates in Health Sciences. This year she hopes to have completed her Doctorate in Business Administration, with her thesis work focused on the levers of employee engagement in lab medicine. |
| Christine Bruce | |
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Born and Raised in Montreal, Dr. Charles has completed a MD-MSc at Université de Montreal. She graduated from the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases program in Edmonton at the University of Alberta. Since 2017, she has moved to British Columbia where she works as a Medical Microbiology and an Infectious diseases specialist. She has been the division head of the division of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention and Control at Vancouver Coastal Health since 2018. Vancouver General Hospital has a centralized laboratory providing bacteriology, mycobacteriology, mycology, virology, parasitology and STI testing for 25% of British Columbia’s population. During the pandemic she has been in charge of testing for COVID-19 for thousands of people a day at VGH. Her current research interest are in Diagnostic access and equity, Women Health, Diagnostic Automation and self-disinfecting surfaces. |
| Dr. Marthe Charles | |
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Dr. Kinloch is a practicing gynecologic pathologist and the Area Department Lead of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in Saskatoon on Treaty 6 territory.
Provincially she sits as co-chairs for Biomarker Development and Quality Assurance Committee and Cervical Cancer Screening task force in Saskatchewan. Nationally she is on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Pathologists and the pathologist representative for Canadian arm of the TransPORTEC RAINBO blue, de-escalation clinical trial. Her research interests include the effects of precision molecular classification of ovarian and endometrial cancer in the variation of oncologic treatment and biomarker equity for the patients in Saskatchewan. |
| Dr. Mary Kinloch | |
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Eileen Davidson, also known as Chronic Eileen, is a disability and chronic illness advocate from Vancouver BC Canada. Living with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, she spends a large focus on volunteering and creating awareness around arthritis. With The International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis (AiArthritis) Eileen is the Educational Media Assistant. Along with AiArthritis, Eileen is a member of the Arthritis Research Canada patient advisory board, and author with over 100 published articles. |
| Eileen Davidson | |
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Dr. Cheryl Lau is the Director of Data Management & Analytics at Alberta Precision Laboratories, where she leads the integration of data management and analytics in delivering value to the healthcare system. With over a decade of research and teaching experience, and 12 years in public healthcare, Cheryl brings a diverse range of perspectives. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Calgary and has authored numerous research papers in esteemed international journals. Cheryl is passionate about mentoring professionals and fostering a culture of creativity and innovation within her community. Outside of her professional life, Cheryl enjoys spending time with her family and has a budding interest in ornithology. |
| Dr. Cheryl Lau | |
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Phillip is a Registered Medical Laboratory Technologist with the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Sciences and a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence with the American Society of Quality with over 4 decades of leadership experience spanning technical, operational and management for a wide range of laboratory disciplines both in the public and private sectors. In his current position as National Director of Quality and Regulatory Affairs for LifeLabs, he has responsibility for maintaining the QMS which holds Certificates of Accreditation to ISO 15189 from Accreditation Canada Diagnostics (ACD) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia Diagnostic Accreditation (DAP). Phillip also has experience with the College of American Pathologist Accreditation. LifeLabs is the largest Canadian Reference Laboratory performing over 110 million tests annually across 13 Medical Laboratories. As an Accreditation Canada Diagnostics Advisory Panel Member since 2024, Phillip has also been appointed to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) Expert Panel on Quality Management Systems starting in Jan 2025. His contributions to CLSI include QMS01: Quality Management Systems: A Model for Laboratory Services, 5th Edition, QMS26: Developing and Managing Laboratory Records, QMS 20: Applying the Cost of Quality in Medical Laboratories and QMS 29 Management Review. Phillip has been an Instructor in the Laboratory Quality Management Course at University of British Columbia for the last 4 years and hopes to impact the Quality of Laboratory Services Globally through continuous learning and improvement. |
| Phillip Morehouse | |
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Robby Chen is an experienced data analytics leader with over a decade of expertise in data visualization, forecast modeling, and data-driven decision support. He currently serves as Manager of PLMS Analytics at the Provincial Health Services Authority, where he leads strategic analytics initiatives to drive operational improvements in laboratory and transfusion medicine in BC. Prior to joining PHSA, Robby supported multiple portfolios at Fraser Health, including Patient Quality and Safety. Robby is known for translating complex data into clear, actionable strategies and was recognized with the Fraser Health’s ‘Above and Beyond’ Innovator Award in 2019 for his work in developing the Patient Safety Priorities dashboard. With a strong foundation in both engineering and analytics – holding a Master’s in Data Analytics from Georgia Tech and a Bachelor’s in Engineering Physics from UBC – Robby has delivered impactful insights in both the energy and healthcare sectors. His work has supported high-stakes decision-making, from optimizing emergency department operations to designing predictive models for long-term care planning and outbreak detection. Prior to his work in healthcare, he led analytics consulting projects in the energy sector, generating multimillion-dollar savings for major clients globally.
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| Dr. Robby Chen | |
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Carolyn Shiau started as an anatomic pathologist and dermatopathologist at Royal Columbian Hospital in 2012 and is currently the Regional Medical Director for Fraser Health Laboratory. She is also a Clinical Associate Professor with the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and an Associate Member of the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science at University of British Columbia, active in the education of medical learners at all levels. Carolyn has completed a Masters of Science in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety through University of Toronto and uses the training to facilitate patient-centered care at the heart of the local laboratory culture.
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| Carolyn Shiau | |
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Devena Steinmann is a strategic and visionary healthcare executive with over 20 years of leadership experience transforming laboratory operations and advancing healthcare delivery systems across British Columbia. As the Senior Director of Laboratory Operations for Fraser Health Authority, she leads one of the largest laboratory networks in Canada, overseeing all Fraser Health laboratories and a workforce of more than 1,200 staff. Devena is widely recognized as a builder of high-performing teams, grounded in a people-first leadership philosophy. She is deeply committed to creating space for dialogue, connection, and support—always making time for the people around her. By fostering collaboration, trust, and accountability at all levels, she creates environments where individuals feel empowered to grow and teams thrive. A champion of cross-functional collaboration, Devena cultivates strong partnerships across clinical, technical, and executive domains to enable seamless care delivery and sustainable system improvements. Her leadership style centers on empowerment, transparency, and continuous professional growth. |
| Devena Steinmann | |
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Dr. Amanda VanSpronsen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology at the University of Alberta. A certified Medical Laboratory Technologist with a PhD in Public Health, she brings a systems-thinking and critical lens to research on laboratory stewardship and professional practice. Dr. VanSpronsen led the creation of the 14 Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations for Medical Laboratory Science and co-leads Lab Wisely, a national initiative with the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science. Her work explores how laboratory professionals can engage more fully in collaborative efforts to improve diagnostic appropriateness. She works to advance a model of practice where medical laboratory professionals are recognized not only as technical experts but as active partners in laboratory stewardship and diagnostic quality. |
| Dr. Amanda VanSpronsen |
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Title: Strategic Lead, Lab Disciplines – Microbiology Organization: Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services (PLMS), Provincial Health Services AuthorityHope Byrne is a seasoned laboratory medicine leader with nearly 30 years of experience in BC’s healthcare system. As Strategic Lead for Microbiology at PLMS, she specializes in strategic planning, and system-wide improvements. She holds an Executive MBA with honors and dual certification as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. Her leadership has spanned director and practice leader roles, including guiding major initiatives like COVID-19 testing infrastructure. Known for her collaborative approach and commitment to quality, Hope champions patient-centered, efficient lab services. |
| Constance Hope Byrne | |
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Katie Monai joined the Provincial Laboratory Medicine Service (PLMS) in 2024 as the Strategic Lead for Medical Biochemistry. Together with her co-chair Dr. Michael Chen, they support the Medical Biochemistry Advisory Committee in identifying and fostering discussions on operational and technical quality improvement, utilization/stewardship, environmental sustainability, optimization, and innovation opportunities to ensure a coordinated provincial delivery approach. Prior to joining PLMS, Katie worked for over 20 years with Interior Health in various roles including MLA, educator, quality and pre-analytics. |
| Katie Monai | |
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Corey Murray has 25 years of experience in front-line diagnostics and clinical laboratory management. After graduating from the Michener Institute with an advanced diploma in Genetics Technology, he worked as a genetic technologist until 2010 before successfully progressing through management roles to the Director of Laboratory Medicine at Eastern Health.
Corey has played an active role in Choosing Wisely NL, working closely with key stakeholders to identify opportunities to integrate the initiative into the Health Transformation agenda within NL Health Services, supporting the delivery of high-quality care in Newfoundland and Labrador. As a member of the laboratory services advisory group, he contributed to the transformation of pathology and laboratory services in NL. Much of this foundational work is in alignment with the Health Accord. Currently, Corey is the Senior Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine for NL Health Services. |
| Corey Murray | |
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David Goldfarb is a Medical Microbiologist and Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist based at BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre where he also serves as the Interim Head of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Goldfarb had completed his training and certification in Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology at the University of Ottawa. Prior to coming to UBC, he had academic appointments at McMaster University and the University of Botswana. Dr. Goldfarb has over 150 publications and his research focuses primarily on novel diagnostic, management and prevention strategies for pediatric infectious diseases, particularly in resource limited settings.
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| David Goldfarb | |
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Following a short career in business & personal finance, Kristin pivoted to Medical Laboratory Sciences. She worked in Transfusion Medicine at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) as well as Canadian Blood Services (CBS), and fell in love with the “rules” as regulated by Health Canada (as someone who likes to colour within the lines!). At VGH, Kristin worked in a quality capacity as the Ig Utilization Management Coordinator, then as a Technical Coordinator with a focus on audits, inspections and accreditations. In 2021, she joined the Provincial Blood Coordinating Office (PBCO) where she currently works as the Strategic Lead for Transfusion Medicine. Kristin leads many collaborative working groups, works closely with neurology experts ensuring appropriateness of use of Ig, develops and maintains a strategic plan, contingency plans and new blood product implementation plans. Kristin volunteers for Canadian Society of Transfusion Medicine (CSTM) where she sits on the committee for Standards for Hospital’s Transfusion Services. |
| Kristin Rosinski | |
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Christine Yamniuk began her laboratory career working as a medical laboratory technologist in 2005 at University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. After working in various laboratories for several years, Christine moved into a Lab Leadership position where she was responsible for laboratory operations at the University of Alberta Hospital. In the subsequent years, Christine served in various provincial leadership roles within APL and is currently the Executive Director for Quality, Performance and Medical & Scientific Affairs. Christine has an interest in data literacy and improving the quality and patient-safety systems that are used by APL. Christine has played an active role in supporting several key projects, including implementation of a provincial document management system, learning management system and quality and performance reporting.
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| Christine Yamniuk |