Dr. Michael Baar

President

Michael Baar graduated from the University of Montreal and spent 22 years in small animal practice in Nova Scotia, where he also was involved in the animal care and use program at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish as their consulting veterinarian.

He joined the CCAC in 2002 as an assessment director and retired in 2022 as director of assessment and certification. 

Michael enjoys spending as much time as he can on the water in boats of different sizes.

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Michele Martin

President - Elect

Michele is the Veterinary Director at the University of Victoria, where she provides leadership in all aspects of animal health and welfare within a dynamic research environment. With a strong focus on advancing best practices in laboratory animal care, she has led the development and refinement of standardized disease management protocols that support evolving research models and ensure the highest standards of care. Dr. Martin is also a dedicated advocate for mental health in the workplace. She has championed the creation of a Compassion Fatigue Committee and an Emotional Support Dog program to foster staff resilience and well-being in the face of economic pressures, resource limitations, and emotionally demanding work. Beyond her administrative and clinical roles, she is committed to mentorship and cultivating a supportive, collaborative culture across teams. In her spare time, she enjoys fiber art and herding sheep with her border collies.

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Lucie Côté

Past-President

CVMA AWC Representative, 2026-2029

Dr. Lucie Côté is the director of the Animal Resources Division at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), the largest research institute in Québec and the third most highly recognized in Canada. In this role, she is professionally responsible for the compliance with regulatory requirements and oversees all animal care operations and associated finance, budget, personnel, space, assets and facilities planning.

A committed professional, she multiplies her involvement with various organizations, including the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ) as veterinary expert, the Canadian Association of Laboratory Animal Medicine (CALAM) as President and the CCAC as Board member.

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Madeleine Stephens

Secretary

Madeleine is the Post Approval Monitoring Veterinarian at the University of British Columbia, where she enjoys working collaboratively with researchers to promote best practices, regulatory compliance, and high standards of animal care in science.

After completing a B.Sc.(Agr.) at UBC and graduating from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, Madeleine spent nine years in small animal practice before transitioning to laboratory animal medicine in 2002. She later earned a Post-Graduate Certificate in Laboratory Animal Medicine from the University of Guelph. Over the past 20 years, she has held a variety of roles in academia and industry, including animal care management, veterinary oversight, teaching, and post-approval monitoring.

Beyond her role at UBC and service on the CALAM Board, Madeleine contributes to the laboratory animal science community through participation on CCAC subcommittees and assessments, as well as Animal Care Committees. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

Term 2025-2028

Dr. Richard Hodges

Treasurer

Dr. Richard Hodges obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in 1986.  The year following, he completed an Internship in the Large Animal Clinic Ambulatory Medicine at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University. He returned to Manitoba and spent 13 years of mixed animal rural practice with 11 of those as a practice owner.  He also spent three years in bovine reproductive/embryo transfer specialty practice.  In 2003, Richard joined the University of Manitoba as their first Clinical Veterinarian. He obtained a Certificate in Laboratory Animal Medicine in 2006.  In 2009, Richard became the Director, Animal Care and Use Program, with regulatory oversight of all animal care at the University of Manitoba and he continues in that position. 

Term 2022-2027

Dr. Kerri Nielsen

Director, Interface Editor

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Nitin Bhardwaj

Director, Outreach 

Dr. Nitin Bhardwaj is the Head of Laboratory Animal Services and Attending Veterinarian at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto where he leads the Institutional Animal Care and Use Program at the largest medical institute dedicated to children’s health in Canada. In this key leadership role, Dr. Bhardwaj is responsible for managing all resources required for efficient conduct of animal-based research and overseeing compliance with the regulatory requirements. After finishing vet school, Dr. Bhardwaj completed MVSc in Avian Diseases followed by a Phd in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. Over the years, Dr. Bhardwaj wore different hats in various capacities working as a scientific researcher, veterinarian, administrator in the healthcare, academic as well as industrial sectors and has authored several scientific publications. He serves on the Board for the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) as well as the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine (CALAM) and provide his expertise as an ad-hoc consultant for AAALAC International.  

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Chereen Collymore

Director (Awards)

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Timothy Ryan

Director (Sponsorship)

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Ashok Jadhav

CCAC Liaison

Dr. Ashok Jadhav is working as a Veterinarian at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario. He oversites the Institutional Animal Care and Use Program and facility compliance required for the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) program. He has over 20 years of experience working at various fields including pre-clinical pharmaceutical industry, academic teaching and administration of various animal research programs. He authored several scientific publication in the field of Veterinary Pathology, Toxicology, Cardiovascular and Diabetes research. 

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Amanda Healy

Webmaster 

Dr. Amanda Healy is the Compliance Veterinarian at The Centre for Phenogenomics in Toronto, Ontario with 9 years’ experience in laboratory animal medicine and over 15 years as a veterinarian. Amanda has experience with companion animals and a variety of research animal species. Her interests include animal welfare and low stress handling and procedures.

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Craig Bihun

Director at Large

Craig is relatively recent DVM grad (OVC ’88) and also has a DVSc (OVC ’93) in lab animal pathology. He has worked as a full-time laboratory animal veterinary basically his entire career. During this short time he has been employed in government (Health Canada and National Research Council), academia (Brock University, Carleton University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa Institute for Mental Health Research, Algonquin College, and Vanier College) and the private sector (Coley Pharmaceutical and Pfizer Ottawa). He has served on several Boards including CALAM, CALAS, and the CCAC. As well he has been a member of 16 ACCs! He is currently working part-time at the NRC and still volunteering at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

Term 2024-2027

Dr. Deborah Pakes

Director at Large

Dr. Pakes is a laboratory animal Veterinarian with 18 years of experience working in industry, academic research, hospital and teaching institutions.

In another life before Veterinary school she worked as a marine biologist and has a masters degree in Zoology. In her spare time she is passionate about camping, swimming, yoga and puzzles.

She has been on the CALAM board for several years and was the editor of the interface newsletter. 

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Lise Phaneuf

Director at Large

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Jenny Rudell

Director at Large

A 1987 graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, Dr. Rudell brings a wealth of experience to her role as Consulting Veterinarian for Trent University in Peterborough and for Fleming College in Lindsay. Dr. Rudell obtained certification in Lab Animal Medicine in 2006 and continues to explore new fields of knowledge through continuing education. She has attained Fear-Free Certification in small animal practice and continues to provide locum services in small animal surgery and dentistry in the Peterborough area.

When she’s not at work, Dr. Rudell enjoys music and plays flute in a community concert band. Her favourite season is summer.

Term 2024-2027

Dr. Janet Sunohara-Neilson

Director at Large

Janet Sunohara-Neilson is a Laboratory animal Veterinarian with experience in research hospitals and academic institutes. Skilled in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Models, and Pathology. She loves working with the researchers and animal care teams to produce quality research while providing excellent care for the animals.

Term 2024-2027

Dr. David Hanwell

Director at Large

Dave has worked as a laboratory animal veterinarian in various capacities within the industry, hospital, and academic sectors. He is currently the University of Toronto's University Veterinarian. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the animal care program at the University, ensuring its research activities remains in compliance which range from biomedical research to basic biology and fieldwork.

He also focuses on helping improve the structure and function of the program in close collaboration with the operations leads within the program. 

Dr. Hanwell also enjoys hosting/meeting/mentoring new trainees in the lab animal field and has a keen interest in helping to create evidence-based policies and standards (both internal and external to UofT) such that animal welfare and scientific integrity is improved while minimizing regulatory burden and program inefficiencies.  

In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and being active outdoors.

Term 2024-2027

Dr. Emily Truscott

Director at Large

Dr. Emily Truscott, DVM, MSc, BSc

Dr. Emily Truscott began her career in laboratory animal medicine at Western University in 2016, following several years in private veterinary practice. Over the past decade, she has become a trusted leader in the clinical, research support, and operational programs that underpin one of Canada's diverse biomedical research environments. Her work combines animal welfare advocacy, regulatory compliance, research collaboration, and veterinary leadership to advance ethical, high-quality animal-based research while supporting both scientific excellence and responsible animal care.

In addition to her role as Clinical Veterinarian at Western University, Dr. Truscott serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, where she contributes to education focused on the ethics and responsible conduct of animal research. She is also Director of Thames Valley Veterinary Services, a specialty referral practice in London, Ontario.

Dr. Truscott holds a BSc in Genetics and an MSc in Physiology from Western University, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Laboratory Animal Medicine from the University of Guelph. She remains actively engaged in advancing the profession through service on Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) subcommittees and other national laboratory animal medicine initiatives.

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Jennifer Ogeer

Director at Large

Dr. Jennifer Ogeer is a dedicated advocate for the human–animal bond, animal welfare, and inclusive community building. A graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, she went on to complete a residency in emergency and critical care at Tufts University/Angell Memorial Animal Hospital and earned a Master of Science in Critical Care from OVC.

Her career spans more than three decades across academic teaching, research, clinical practice, and senior administration, including faculty roles at Texas A&M University and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. With a strong interest in organizational leadership, she also holds an Executive MBA and a Master of Arts in Organizational Behavior and Leadership.

Dr. Ogeer is deeply committed to service and governance. She has completed two terms as Chair of Veterinarians Without Borders Canada and currently serves as Chair of Veterinarians Without Borders USA and Chair of the OVC Pet Trust Advisory Board. She is a champion for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in veterinary medicine, having served as Vice-Chair of the Diversity Veterinary Medicine Coalition and as a Board Director for the Black Veterinary Professionals Association of Canada.

Her professional interests include artificial intelligence and machine learning in clinical practice, kidney and gastrointestinal disease, infectious diseases, and molecular diagnostics. Outside of work, Dr. Ogeer enjoys time with her rescued pets, along with yoga, pilates, cycling, CrossFit, and travel.

Term 2026-2029

Dr. Judith Farley

Director at Large

Term 2026 - 2029