The Ontario Leadership Table for Clinical Trials brings together executive leaders from Ontario’s research-intensive hospitals and world-leading pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials in the province. With three key ministries—Colleges and Universities; Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; and Health—participating as observers, the Table reflects a unique, province-wide commitment to collaboration across sectors that shape Ontario’s clinical research ecosystem.
Focused on expanding clinical trial opportunities and accelerating access to innovative therapies, the Ontario Leadership Table has outlined its shared priorities in a position paper designed to drive transformative change in Ontario’s clinical trials environment. This work includes an ambitious 45-day target for new study activations, supported through enhancements to CTO’s QuickSTART program, as well as coordinated efforts to improve trial recruitment, broaden access to health data, and advance therapies and trials for rare diseases. The Table continues to guide and champion strategies that foster the policies, investments, and system-level improvements needed to sustain a world-class clinical trials environment in Ontario.
| AbbVie | Christina Pelizon, Country Medical Director, AbbVie |
| AstraZeneca Canada | Kiersten Combs, President, AstraZeneca Canada |
| Bayer Inc. | Shurjeel Choudhri, Senior Vice President and Head, Medical and Scientific Affairs, Bayer Inc. |
| Bristol Myers Squibb | Elaine Phillips, General Manager, Bristol Myers Squibb |
| Janssen Inc Canada | Ebele Ola, Vice-President, Medical Affairs, Janssen Inc Canada |
| Merck Canada | Marwan Akar, President and Managing Director, Merck Canada |
| Pfizer Canada | Vratislav Hadrava, Vice President & Medical Director, Pfizer Canada |
| Roche Canada | Brigitte Nolet, President and CEO, Roche Canada |
| Sanofi | Stephanie Veyrun-Manetti, General Manager Specialty Care and Canada Country Lead, Sanofi |
| Takeda Canada | Jefferson Tea, Vice President Medical & Scientific Affairs, Takeda Canada |
| Eli Lilly Canada | |
| Novartis | |
| Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario | Jason Berman, CEO and Scientific Director, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, and Vice-President, Research, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario |
| Hamilton Health Sciences | Marc Jeschke, Vice President Research and Chief Scientific Officer, Hamilton Health Sciences |
| Hospital for Sick Children | Padmaja Subbarao, Associate Chief, Clinical Research, Hospital for Sick Children |
| Kingston General Health Research Institute | Steven Smith, President & CEO, Kingston General Health Research Institute, and Vice President, Health Sciences Research, Kingston Health Sciences Centre |
| Lawson Health Research Institute | David Hill, Scientific Director, Lawson Health Research Institute and Integrated Vice President, Research, London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London |
| Ontario Hospital Association | Melissa Prokopy, Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, Ontario Hospital Association |
| Ottawa Hospital | Duncan Stewart, CEO & Scientific Director, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Vice-President, Research, The Ottawa Hospital |
| Sinai Health | Anne-Claude Gingras, Director, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and VP Research, Sinai Health |
| Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre | Kullervo Hynynen, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre |
| Unity Health Toronto | Ori Rotstein, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Unity Health Toronto |
| University Health Network | Brad Wouters (Chair), Executive Vice-President, Science and Research, University Health Network |
Ontario’s Ambition to Accelerate Timely Access to Trials and New Therapies
