Christine Brezden-Masley, MD PhD FRCPC is a senior practicing Medical Oncologist and the Medical Director of the Cancer Program at Sinai Health System in Toronto, Canada. She is also the Director of the Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre at Sinai Health and holds the Marvelle Koffler Chair in Breast Research.

She obtained her PhD in Medical Biophysics at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and her Medical Degree from the University of Toronto. She is a Professor at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and an Associate Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.

She treats both breast and gastrointestinal (colorectal and gastric cancers) malignancies, which are her major areas of research interest. Her main area of clinical research is cardiotoxicity from cancer therapy and is the Past-President of the Canadian Cardio-Oncology Network (2017-2022). She also serves on the International CardioOncology Society (ICOS) annual summit steering committees and co-chaired the 2022 Global Cardio-Oncology Summit in Toronto.

She co-chairs the Junior Mentoring Program JuMP that fosters mentorship/sponsorship of junior medical oncology faculty across Canada and serves on the executive of WinC (Women in Cancer/All in Cancer). She is an advocate for patients and serves as a board member of ReThink Breast Cancer and MyGutFeeling and also serves on the scientific committee for the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network.

Dr. Lauren Capozzi, MD, PhD, FRCPC, CSEP-CEP
Cancer Physiatrist | Provincial Medical Director of Cancer Rehabilitation, BC Cancer
Assistant Professor (Partner Track), Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of British Columbia

Dr. Lauren Capozzi is a Cancer Physiatrist (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation specialist) and the Provincial Medical Director of Cancer Rehabilitation at BC Cancer. She is a clinician-scientist and Clinical Exercise Physiologist whose work focuses on integrating rehabilitation and exercise into oncology care to improve function, manage symptoms and pain, and enhance recovery and quality of life for people living with and beyond cancer.

Her research focuses on the early identification of physical impairments and the development, evaluation, and implementation of scalable rehabilitation models and targeted interventions across the cancer care continuum. She collaborates on provincial, national, and international initiatives to advance the integration of rehabilitation and exercise into cancer care.

Clinically, Dr. Capozzi cares for patients experiencing pain, physical impairments, and functional limitations related to cancer and its treatments, with a focus on supporting recovery, independence, participation, and long-term well-being. She has published widely, delivered more than 100 research and educational presentations, and has been recognized for her leadership with honours including Avenue Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 and a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award.

Timothy Caulfield
Professor of Health Law and Science Policy | Bestselling Author

Professor Timothy Caulfield is an unrivalled science communicator who debunks myths and misconceptions about innovation in the health sector. A four-time bestselling author and an award-winning documentary host and producer, he specializes in exposing misinformation and pseudoscience. For over 20 years, Caulfield was the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy and is currently a professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health and the Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta.

Caulfield has been involved in a variety of interdisciplinary research endeavours that have led him to publish more than 400 academic articles. His research focuses on topics like health and science policy, health misinformation, and public representations of science. He has won numerous academic, science communication, and writing awards, and is a Member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

Caulfield also writes frequently for the popular press and is the author of four bestselling books: The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness, and Happiness; Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash; Relax, Dammit!: A User’s Guide to the Age of Anxiety; and his most recent, The Certainty Illusion, a #1 national bestseller.

In addition, Caulfield is the co-founder of the science engagement initiative, #ScienceUpFirst. He has also written, hosted, and produced several documentaries, including the award-winning television show, A User’s Guide to Cheating Death, which aired in over 60 countries and streamed on Netflix in North America.

Dr Dhali Dhaliwal is a medical oncologist, clinical researcher, academic and healthcare leader whose career has helped shape comprehensive and equitable cancer care in Canada.

Born in Punjab, India, and educated in Britain, he graduated in medicine from the University of Birmingham in 1972. After training in internal medicine, he earned a doctorate focusing on the immunology of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. He trained in medical oncology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, and held a research fellowship at the Institute of Cancer Research, London. He then served as a physician and senior lecturer at the Royal London Hospital before moving to Canada in 1987.

Between 1987 and 2003, he held senior positions at the Northwestern Ontario Regional Cancer Centre (NWORCC) ,Thunder Bay and was Vice-President of Cancer Care Ontario. Under his leadership, the centre evolved from a service focused primarily on radiotherapy into a comprehensive cancer centre integrating clinical care, research, clinical trials, psychosocial oncology, palliative care, prevention and screening, housed in a brand new centre. He championed services tailored to rural and remote communities, including mobile breast screening and community oncology clinics bringing cancer care closer to home.

He was a founding member of Ontario’s Aboriginal Cancer Care Committee and supported the establishment of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Dr Dhaliwal served as President and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) from 2003 to 2013. During his tenure, CCMB introduced and expanded major initiatives in access to cancer medicines, treatment at home, patient navigation, surgical oncology networks, colorectal screening, coordinated care, rural cancer services and Indigenous cancer control. He also contributed to national efforts to improve systemic treatment safety and implementing best practices by Provincial Cancer Agencies and advocated for the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. His leadership combined scientific ambition and leading edge care with a commitment to improving access and organising services around patients, families and communities.

He subsequently became Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine and also received multiple community service awards.

In 2016, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Manitoba in recognition of his contributions to cancer prevention, treatment, research and healthcare delivery. In 2025, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his services to cancer treatment and prevention.

Dr. Hawley arrived in Canada in 1990 from England via New Zealand and set up the Pain and Symptom Management/Palliative Care Program for the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Centre in 1997. She was the Provincial Medical Leader until 2024.

Dr. Hawley has research interests in the management of bowel care, management of severe cancer pain, methadone for analgesia, medicinal use of cannabis. She was the designer of the “Bow Tie Model of 21st Century Palliative Care”, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the dual reality of the possibility of survivorship as well as dying at any point in serious illness, aiming to promote acceptance of palliative care interventions earlier in the course of illness.

Dr. Hawley has just completed a multi-centre Canadian clinical trial of medical cannabis for cancer-related symptoms. She was the proud recipient of the 2023 Bruera award from the Canadian Society of Palliative Medicine for clinical excellence and overall contributions to palliative medicine.

Dr. Brian Healy, MD, FRCPC
GI and lung medical oncologist BC Cancer Kelowna
Clinical Assistant Professor UBC Department of Medicine

Dr. Healy is a board-certified medical oncologist at BC Cancer Kelowna with 12 years of experience working in community and academic settings.  He specializes in GI and lung cancers, with a strong interest in physician wellness and teaching medical trainees.

He has developed and implemented a wellness curriculum for medical trainees that focuses on finding work-life balance, compassionate communication with patients and peers, mentorship and transition to practice with the goal of cultivating careers in oncology that are rich with fulfillment and happiness. 

He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Ottawa sandwiched between his undergraduate medical training and medical oncology residency at McMaster University.   He spent his first 5 years of practice in a 2-oncologist community practice in Cambridge Ontario, then spent 5 years in a split community/academic practice in Brantford and Hamilton, and for the last 2 years has fully transitioned to an academic practice in Kelowna.

Dr. Safiya Karim, MD, MSc, is a medical oncologist and RWE researcher who is currently a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology at the University of Calgary. Prior to her recruitment, she completed a successful health outcomes research fellowship under the mentorship of several prolific real-world data scientists at Queen’s University. She serves as the Assistant Director of the Oncology Outcomes (O2) program and is the Chair of the Choosing Wisely Canada Oncology Working Group.  Her research focuses on real world evidence and outcomes, quality improvement and integrative oncology.