Keynote Speaker
Dr J.A. (Jaap) Wagenaar, Chair in Clinical Infectious Diseases at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Jaap Wagenaar was trained as veterinarian and completed his PhD study at Utrecht University and the USDA-National Animal Diseases Center, Ames, IA, US. He worked at the reference institute of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture in Lelystad, with WHO (Geneva, Switzerland), CDC (Atlanta, US) and USDA (Albany, Ca, US). In 2006 he was appointed as chair in Clinical Infectious Diseases at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, the Netherlands. The main topics of his research are on antimicrobial resistance and on Campylobacter. He is member of the WHO-Global Foodborne Infections Network, a global capacity building network. As member of the scientific panel of the Netherlands Veterinary Medicines Institute he was involved in the major reduction of antimicrobial use in livestock. He is member of the Technical Advisory Group of the Fleming Fund. He is director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Campylobacter and Antimicrobial Resistance from a One Health perspective, and the WOAH-Reference Laboratory for Campylobacteriosis, and is acting frequently as expert for WHO, FAO and WOAH. Jaap is Co-Chair of the Quadripartite Technical Group on Integrated Surveillance for Antimicrobial Resistance and Use (QTG-AIS). This group, installed by the Quadripartite members (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)) provides strategic and technical advice to the Quadripartite and the Global Leaders Group on AMR. Jaap is member of the European Commission Expert Group 'Antimicrobial Resistance One Health Network'. This group assists the European Commission in relation to the implementation of existing Union legislation, programmes and policies. Jaap is member of the Technical Advisory Forum of ICARS (International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions).
Jaap is Diplomate and Founding Member of the European College of Veterinary Microbiology.
In March 2023 Jaap received an Honorary Doctorate of Ghent University (Laudatio by Promotor Prof. Jeroen Dewulf )
Gwendolyn Blue, Professor, University of Calgary
Gwendolyn Blue is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Calgary. Her research examines the public involvement and debates about issues that involve science and technology, including climate change and genomics. Current research examines public assessments of emerging bio-digital technologies, with a focus on calls for responsible research and innovation for animal and plant genomics.
Jeremie Bouffard, eTick Project Manager, Bishop's University
After obtaining my master’s degree in biology at the University of Ottawa in 2021, I was hired as project coordinator for eTick, a community science image-based tick identification platform for Canadians. This position allows me to work alongside researchers and policy makers to ensure eTick provides a high-quality service for Canadians, whilst also contributing to Canada’s ongoing tick surveillance and research efforts. After overseeing over 63,000 tick identifications, training dozens of assistants (including future researchers and veterinary/medical professionals) in image-based tick identification, and assisting countless Canadians with the ticks they encountered and questions they have, I am truly grateful for what this unique position allows me to accomplish.
Matthew Croxen, Associate Professor, University of Alberta
Dr. Matthew Croxen finished both his undergraduate degree and doctoral degrees at Dalhousie University. His doctoral work looked at the pathogenesis of the gastric-ulcer-causing bacteria, Helicobacter pylori. After his doctoral studies, he moved to Vancouver, where he did a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Brett Finlay at The University of British Columbia (UBC), focusing on molecular mechanisms of host-to-host transmission of Escherichia coli. The genomics experience he gained as a Research Associate at UBC led to a senior scientist position at the BC Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory where he focused on the genomic epidemiology of healthcare-acquired antimicrobial resistance infections. In 2017, Dr. Croxen moved to Edmonton Alberta where he now works as the Program Lead for Public Health Genomics and Bioinformatics at the Alberta Precision Laboratories Public Health Laboratory. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta, a member of the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute and the Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute. Despite his broad infectious disease portfolio, his main interests are around the diversity of emerging bacterial pathogens, including carbapenemase-producers, hypervirulent strains, and the convergence of both hypervirulence and carbapenem resistance.
Dayna Goldsmith, Associate Instructor, University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Kalina Kamenova is a bioethicist and health science policy scholar specializing in the governance of emerging biomedical technologies, including artificial intelligence, precision medicine, and genomics. She is the Founder and Research Director of the Canadian Institute for Genomics and Society, where she leads interdisciplinary research on ethical AI, public trust, and participatory governance in the health and life sciences. Her work examines how automated systems shape knowledge production, communication, and decision-making in clinical research, public health, and One Health contexts. She has published widely on public engagement and biomedical governance and is a frequently invited speaker at national and international conferences.
Jennifer L. Guthrie, Canada Research Chair in Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of Western Ontario
Dr. Jennifer Guthrie is a Canada Research Chair in Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics and an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Western University; she also serves as an Adjunct Scientist at Public Health Ontario. A genomic epidemiologist by training, Dr. Guthrie uses interdisciplinary, One
Health–informed approaches that integrate genomics and bioinformatics with epidemiology and microbiology to examine pathogen transmission dynamics, antimicrobial resistance, and epidemiological characteristics across human, animal, and environmental interfaces. Her research focuses on pathogens of public health importance, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Jessalyn Holodinsky, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary
Dr. Jessalyn Holodinsky is an Assistant Professor (Data Science) in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Calgary, with cross-appointments in Community Health Sciences and Clinical Neurosciences. Her research applies advanced analytics, statistical modeling, and machine learning to optimize emergency care delivery and improve patient outcomes. She specializes in leveraging administrative databases and electronic health records to uncover patterns that translate into actionable insights for clinicians and policymakers.
Dr. Holodinsky is also Director of AI & Data Education and Ethics in the Office of Faculty Development at the Cumming School of Medicine, where she focuses on increasing AI literacy across faculty and students. She hosts AI Rounds, a podcast where she uses accessible metaphors to explain AI concepts and explores thoughtful questions about incorporating AI into academic work.
Her research benefits from cross-disciplinary collaborations through the Centre for Health Informatics, O'Brien Institute for Public Health, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute. Whether tackling emergency department challenges or teaching about AI, her work is grounded in a core belief: Data Saves Lives.
Kalina Kamenova, Founder & Research Director, Canadian Institute of Genomics and Society
Dr. Kalina Kamenova is a bioethicist and health science policy scholar specializing in the governance of emerging biomedical technologies, including artificial intelligence, precision medicine, and genomics. She is the Founder and Research Director of the Canadian Institute for Genomics and Society, where she leads interdisciplinary research on ethical AI, public trust, and participatory governance in the health and life sciences. Her work examines how automated systems shape knowledge production, communication, and decision-making in clinical research, public health, and One Health contexts. She has published widely on public engagement and biomedical governance and is a frequently invited speaker at national and international conferences.
Patrick Leighton, Professor, Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal
Patrick Leighton is Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, and an active member of the Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Group (GREZOSP) and the Centre for Public Health Research (CReSP). His research focuses on the ecology of wildlife diseases that are transmissible to humans, and in particular the impact of ecological change on the epidemiology of these diseases and the risk they pose to public health. He is director of the Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network (CLyDRN) and co-directs U. Montreal’s Master’s Programs in One Health and Veterinary Public Health.
Roy Lewis, Co-Owner, Lewis Farms
Dr. Roy Lewis Graduated from WCVM (Western College of Veterinary Medicine) in 1981 and was a partner at the Westlock Veterinary Clinic until Dec 2012. He has been a large animal practitioner for 45 years mainly in beef cattle (both commercial cattle and purebred herds) and some bison work. His interests are preventative medicine, fertility and genetics both bulls and cows as well as animal welfare. He has written and continues to write numerous producer veterinary health articles in magazines such as the Western Producer, Alberta Farmer Express, Grain news and several cattle breed magazines such as
Simmental Country, Charolais Banner and Limousin Voice to name a few . Roy joined Merck Animal Health 2012 as a technical services veterinarian part time until June 2020. He has two children a daughter Cali (A veterinarian graduated 2015 from UCVM) and son Colton a medical doctor (Graduated 2019 U of A). Roy spends some time examining and lecturing the veterinary students at the University of Calgary. Roy is also part of a family owned purebred Simmental & Angus cattle (1000 cows) grain and 500 acres of potatoes mixed farming operation near Spruce Grove Alberta “Lewis Farms”.
Anjana Puliyanda, Machine Learning Scientist, Drug Discovery, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
Anjana works as a Machine Learning Scientist, Drug Discovery on the
Advanced Technology team to accelerate scientific exploration within biology
using AI for healthcare applications.
Prior to this, Anjana has developed automated
workflows using structure-based generative AI and protein language models for in silico antibody engineering directed towards broadly achieving pandemic preparedness, while at Gandeeva Therapeutics.
Anjana has earned her PhD from the Department of Chemical and Materials
Engineering at the University of Alberta, and has subsequently pursued two
postdoctoral appointments. Her academic research experience has focused on
building applied ML for digital chemistry applications ranging from
cheminformatics for automating reaction networks using spectroscopy; to
materials screening, and adsorption process simulations for carbon capture.
Bryan Tennant, Scientific Director, GSK
My career started at GSK in 2016, and I spent over 5 years as a Medical Science Liaison, first in Vaccines and then Oncology, before assuming the position of Scientific Director for Vaccines. In this role I worked with national organizations, public health and government stakeholders to help shape the immunization ecosystem to improve vaccine access and uptake for patients. I was later appointed to the position of Scientific Director for GSK Canada, where I am responsible for working with academia and biotech companies on potential strategic partnerships and interacting with key external partners and top scientific experts to improve the Canadian healthcare ecosystem and further demonstrate GSK’s scientific leadership.
Prior to joining GSK, I completed my PhD at the University of British Columbia in Cell and Developmental Biology exploring the role of transcriptional regulators in islet development and function. I also received my Master of Science degree from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Further, from 2002-2018, I was a member of the Department of National Defence and received the Canadian Forces Decoration and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for my service.
Cheryl Waldner, Professor/Research Chair, University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Cheryl Waldner is the NSERC/Beef Cattle Research Council Senior Research Chair in Beef Cattle Health in Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Much of her current focus is on the development of tools to aid in managing herd health, as well as antimicrobial use and resistance in cow-calf herds and feedlots. She led the Genomic ASSETS project that wrapped up in 2025 together with Dr. Simon Otto. The group has since published numerous papers examining the potential for long read metagenomics to inform antimicrobial stewardship. She is actively involved in research examining factors affecting the productivity of cow-calf herds as the lead investigator for the Canadian Cow-Calf Health and Productivity Enhancement Network (C3H/PEN). Current and recent projects include infection prevention and control for respiratory disease, calf diarrhea, Johne’s disease, bovine genital campylobacteriosis and trichomoniasis. Cheryl and her husband own and operate a cow-calf herd in west Central Saskatchewan.
Dongyan Xu Niu, Associate Professor, University of Calgary
Dr. Dongyan Xu Niu is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary, an Adjunct Professor at both the Cumming School of Medicine (University of Calgary) and the University of Alberta, and the Director of the Microbiology Laboratory at Advancing Canadian Water Assets (ACWA). Her research bridges veterinary, human, and environmental microbiology, aligning strongly with One Health principles.
Dr. Xu Niu’s expertise centers on bacteriophage genomics and biology, phage therapy, food safety, and the detection and control of zoonotic pathogens. A major focus of her work is the development of phage based strategies as innovative alternatives to antimicrobials, addressing the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Her team investigates phage–host interactions, phage therapy applications in human and animal infectious diseases.
She has served as PI and co-I on more than 20 externally funded grants, with total value of over 8.6 M, supporting projects related to AMR mitigation, coronavirus and foodborne pathogen detection, and novel microbial control technologies. Dr. Xu Niu has authored or co‑authored over 60 peer‑reviewed publications, contributing significantly to advancing AMR research within an integrated One Health framework.
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