Dr. Lucie Côté

President, 2023-2025

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.

Dr. Michael Baar

President-Elect, 2023-2025

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.

Dr. Kerri Nielsen

Past President, 2021 - 2024

Dr. Andrew Winterborn

Secretary, 2017 - 2024

Dr. Richard Hodges

Treasurer, 2022-2027

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. 

Director, Outreach 2023 - 2026

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.  

Dr. Chereen Collymore

Director (Awards), 2024 - 2026

Dr. Timothy Ryan

Director (Sponsorship), 2023 - 2026

 Dr. Ashok Jadhav

CCAC Liaison, 2023-2026

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. 

Dr. Deborah Pakes

Interface Editor, 2019 - 2025

Dr. Marilyn Keaney

CVMA AWC Representative, 2017 - 2026

Webmaster 2023-2026

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.

Dr. Craig Bihun

Director at Large, 2024 - 2027

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.

Dr. Julie Chevrette

Director at Large, 2023 - 2026

Julie Chevrette has been working in the field of laboratory animal medicine since her graduation from University of Montreal in 2004. After several years of experience working at improving animal care and use programs, she is now pursuing her mandate as a consulting veterinarian at various institutions. Passionate about animal welfare and scientific advancement, Julie enjoys bringing people together to collaborate with others and truly make a difference.

Julie Chevrette pratique dans le domaine de la médecine des animaux de laboratoire depuis sa graduation de l’Université de Montréal en 2004. Après plusieurs années d’expérience à contribuer à l’amélioration de programmes de soins aux animaux, Julie poursuit aujourd’hui son mandat en tant que consultante auprès de différentes institutions. Passionnée par le bien-être animal et l’avancement de la science, Julie aime rassembler les gens et collaborer pour faire une véritable différence.

Dr. Shawn Davis

Director at Large, 2023 - 2026

Dr. Lise Phaneuf

Director at Large, 2023 - 2026

Dr. Jenny Rudell

Director at Large, 2024 - 2027

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.