Site Reviewers

Our Site Reviewers are Canadian researchers and research administrators proﬁcient in the ﬁeld of expertise of the organizations applying for accreditation. They are chosen based on their knowledge, experience, professionalism and objectivity.

Site Reviewers are not members of the management or administration of HRA Canada.

Colleen Cochran is the Research Planning & Facilitation Officer for the College of Arts & Science at the University of Saskatchewan. Colleen holds a BA (Hons.) in Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan with a research focus on the hemispheric lateralization of the human brain. Colleen also completed the Research Administration Certificate program at Mohawk College (sponsored by the Canadian Association of Research Administrators – CARA).

Prior to her current role, Colleen held a number of other positions at the University of Saskatchewan; Human Ethics Administrator, providing support for both the Biomedical and Behavioural REBs, and Research Executive Officer, managing a research office conducting both clinical and basic research.

Colleen is also a Technical Committee member serving on various HRSO Technical Committees developing the National Standards of Canada (NSCs), including CAN/HRSO-200.01-2021 “Research Ethics and Review Oversight”, CAN/HRSO-300.01-2022 “Conduct of Human Research NSC”, and CAN/HRSO-100.02-2022 “Development of a Training Program for Human Research Protection”.

Vincent Lajoie has been a research ethics counsellor in the public healthcare network since 2012. He holds a diploma in nursing and has been part of various clinical research advisory committees commissioned by both the public and private sectors.

Vincent was a member of the MSSS central research ethics board at its inception in 1993. He has held various positions of increasing responsibilities among academic clinical research teams and within the pharmaceutical industry for the past 25 years.

Vincent is well versed in ethical issues impacted by emerging technologies in clinical research practices.

Eric Legault has an MSc (Physiology, Endocrinology) from the Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval. Eric also has an MBA with Dean’s Honors, a graduate diploma in Public Administration, and is a certified Project Management Professional.

Eric has 17 years of experience in clinical research across all study phases. Eric began his career as a Project Manager within the contract clinical pharmacology industry. Since then, Eric has held various positions with increasing managerial functions in clinical and medical operations, and project management.

Eric is well versed in all aspects of clinical research and has directly or indirectly managed over 300 clinical studies of varying complexity, phases and indications. Eric’s knowledge of and experience in the CRO industry are a clear asset in his role as a Site Reviewer for Canadian CROs with the HRA Canada family.

Based in Montreal, Erica Monteferrante is a Project Manager for Clinical Trials for CATALIS Québec, a non-profit organization. She is responsible for both the review and execution of clinical research projects, and the development of research ethics practices.

Erica holds degrees from Université de Montréal (MA, Bioethics) and McGill University (BA, Western Religions). Since 2018, she has immersed herself in the operations of Research Ethics Boards at both the CEGEP and university level as an ethics member.

Alongside her role as a Site Reviewer for HRA Canada, Erica is a current member of the Quality Standards and Research Integrity Management (QSRIM) Technical Committee for the Human Research Standards Organization (HRSO).

Based in Moncton, New Brunswick, Karine Morin is the Regional Contract and Budget Manager for the Office of Research Services at the Horizon Health Network. Karine is responsible for the review and execution of research agreements, including the negotiation of study budgets. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Moncton and received her designation as a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) in 2013.

Regulatory Compliance has been Karine’s expertise and priority since she joined the research team in 2008 in her previous position at the Vitalité Health Network. Her past experiences include Clinical Trials Unit oversight, Policies and Procedures development & updates, Quality Assurance and training. Karine is currently a member of the Human Research Standards Organization (HRSO) Technical Committee “Conduct of Biomedical and Qualitative Research” (CBQR).

Dr. Ann Munro Heesters is the Director of Bioethics and the Director of Academic Affairs and Research Innovation (AARI) at the University Health Network. Ann is also a member of the University of Toronto’s Joint Centre for Bioethics. Ann has practiced in the field for more than 17 years and established the ethics services at Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation (now part of New Brunswick’s Horizon Health Network) and The Ottawa Hospital.

Ann came to Toronto in 2009 to become Director of Ethics and Spiritual Care at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Ann has an abiding interest professionalizing the work of health care ethicists and was a founding member of PHEEP (Practicing Healthcare Ethicists Exploring Professionalization) and an early director of CAPHE-ACCESS (the Canadian Association of Practicing Healthcare Ethicists).

Ann is a former Research Ethics Board chair and a current REB member. Some of her current interests include exploring ethics processes for the evaluation of research and quality improvement initiatives. She is now sitting on her institution’s relationship management committee and is helping that group to establish standards for managing conflict of interest cases.

Anik Nolet is a graduate from McGill University in political sciences (1995), from the University of Montreal in law (L.L.B, 1998), and from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, in clinical ethics (2003). Anik obtained a MA in Health law from Sherbrooke University and a graduate diploma in biomedical ethics from the Paris VI University.

Anik has been a member of the Quebec bar since 2000. Anik was also, for many years, a board member of Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards (CAREB) and a member of many other research ethics committees such as l’Institut Philippe Pinel and the central ethics committee of the health ministry of Quebec.

Anik was appointed by the Health Minister of Quebec as the ethicist expert member of the Quebec Biovigilance committee. Anik is presently the CRIR’s (Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain) establishments research ethics coordinator, since 2002, and the research ethics advisor for the CIUSSS-du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, since 2016. Anik is a member of the Tri-Agency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics (PRE, 2021).

Dimitri Patrinos is a lawyer and an Academic Associate at the Centre of Genomics and Policy (CGP) at McGill University. He is currently pursuing his Master of Laws (LLM) degree at McGill University’s Faculty of Law and is a graduate fellow of the McGill Research Group on Health and Law.

Dimitri is a graduate of the civil law (LLB) and common law (JD) programs at Université de Montréal, Faculty of Law. He also holds a BSc in Biology from Concordia University.

Dimitri was called to the Ontario Bar in 2020 and is a jurist member of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Research Ethics Board.