Our Team

Team Members from Research Institutions

Justin Presseau, PhD – Research team lead & Principal Investigator (PI) 

Justin is a Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, and the School of Psychology. His research expertise is in implementation science, health psychology, knowledge translation, health behaviour change, and altruistic behaviours.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Proud dad,   movie buff

Elisabeth Vesnaver, PhD – Postdoctoral fellow & Co-Investigator

Elisabeth is an applied health researcher who is passionate about community-based research and the use of personal stories in research. She brings expertise in qualitative methods, quantitative methods and integrated knowledge translation in health care.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Food nerd, unabashed whistler, mom of two boys

Emily Gibson, MSW, RSW – Research Coordinator

Emily is a research coordinator working on this project. She has a background in social work, and has worked previously with LGBTTIQQ2S+ communities.  She is passionate about making research accessible to everyone. Despite the disaster on her desk, Emily loves to be organized.

Pronouns: she/her

Candy aficionado, TV enthusiast; mom of two humans and two cats

Gisell Castillo

Placeholder text for Gisell’s bio

Pronouns:

3 fun facts

Paul MacPherson, MD – Co-Investigator

Dr. MacPherson is a specialist in infectious diseases at the Ottawa Hospital with a strong focus on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. He is also a scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute where he leads a number of studies aimed at improving healthcare delivery to gay, bisexual and other MSM. He brings vast experience in research and providing clinical care to individuals in the MSM community.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Loves to travel to faraway places, enjoys history

Amelia Palumbo, BSc – Research Assistant

Amelia is a research assistant at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute with Dr. Presseau. She got her bachelor’s degree in health psychology at Carleton University.

Amelia joined this project because she is interested in advocating for mental health and well-being, especially as it pertains to stigmatized groups.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Unsuccessful plant mama, Disney lover, yoga newbie

Collaborators from Canadian Blood Services

Mindy Goldman, MD — Co-Principal Investigator

Mindy is a Hematologist and Transfusion Medicine Specialist and the Medical Director for Donation Policy and Studies, Medical Affairs & Innovation, Canadian Blood Services. Mindy brings expertise in regulatory requirements and international policies for blood and plasma donation.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Gardener and mystery novel reader, appreciates art and crafts, formidable laugher

Terrie Foster, MScN(c) – Collaborator & Co-Investigator

Terrie is a nurse at the London Plasma Clinic and a part-time graduate student at UWO. In addition to bringing extensive clinical expertise, Terrie is passionate about the development of sensitive and inclusive processes for trans and other gender diverse donors.

Pronouns: she/they

Loves to assemble IKEA furniture, sings loudly while driving, loves hammocks

Sheila O’Brien, PhD – Co-Investigator

Sheila is the Associate Director for Epidemiology and Surveillance at Canadian Blood Services.  Sheila brings extensive experience in designing and executing donor eligibility studies for MSM and infectious disease monitoring of blood donors.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Mom and grandma, loves growing a perennial flower garden and indoor gardening in winter

Joanne Otis, PhD – Co-Investigator

Joanne is a sexology professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal. For more than 30 years, she has been involved in several research projects regarding HIV, sexual health promotion and access to care for gbMSM. Throughout her career, her community-based research projects also included people living with HIV, youth and Cree communities.

Super grandmother, doesn’t like bananas, fan of Queen [EG5]

Don Lapierre – Collaborator

Don is the manager of the MSM Plasma program at Canadian Blood Services. He brings extensive expertise in engagement and relationship building with stakeholders.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Loves to travel, great sense of humour, prefers birthday pie over birthday cake

Marc Germain, MD, PhD – Co-Investigator

Marc is the Vice-President of Medical Affairs and Innovation at Héma-Québec, and a co-investigator in several grants that are part of the MSM Research Grant Program.  He has many years of experience developing and evaluating policy for blood donors, including MSM, and modelling residual risk with various eligibility criteria.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Likes cross-country skiing, cycling, jogging; but loves wine more!

Dana Devine, PhD – Co-Investigator

Dana is the Chief Scientist at Canadian Blood Services, the Director of the University of British Columbia Centre for Blood Research, and a professor in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She is also a member of numerous advisory committees and boards.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Collector of art, voracious appetite for novels, very well trained by cat

London Local Advisory Group Members

Andrew Rosser

Wil Osbourne-Sorrell

Wil has been a member of the United Way committee and the UW GenNext committee for many years championing youth engagement in charities. He worked with the Regional HIV / AIDS connection on the Are You Doing It? campaign to raise awareness regarding STI testing and has run as an MPP for the Green Party of Ontario, championing environmental & fiscal policies that make sense.

Pronouns: he/him/his

 Father to a kitty named Marie Antoinette, Husband to Collyn-Bryce Osbourne-Sorrell, Local Champion for underdogs

Kyle Rubini

Kyle is working toward his PhD in Communication and Culture at Ryerson University. His previous work in both the HIV and mental health sectors informs his approach to this work. He is keenly interested in supporting a change to policy that directly affects queer men and their place in the healthcare system.

Pronouns: He/him/his

Movie nerd, scared of the dark, likes cats and dogs equally

Richard MacDonagh

Richard works as a Program Coordinator at the Options Clinic, an anonymous HIV testing program at London InterCommunity Health Centre. He brings over a decade of experience in social services, and has worked directly with people living with and at-risk for HIV, as a case worker for people on social assistance, as well as a systems navigator for those who face barriers to health care. He brings a strong knowledge of working with marginalized communities, community development, and advocacy to bring about change.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Occasional drag performer, trained singer with background in musical theatre, proud dad of two maine coon cats named Doug and Tina and proud husband of Craig, an amazing, supportive, and patient partner.

Taylor Randall

Taylor works as a staffing coordinator and enjoys considering issues from multiple perspectives and viewpoints. He is looking forward to the development of more equitable pre-screening processes. He brings experience working with youth services, social services, and at-risk youth within the LGBTQ community.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Compulsive jokester, avid video gamer, I will drop absolutely anything I’m doing to pet a dog (this is not limited to dogs but people rarely take cats out for a walk)

Taim Al-Bakri

Taim has a background in medicine. He has completed his degree with an honours specialization in environmental science and a minor in political science at University of Western Ontario. He is currently working towards a post-graduate diploma in big data analytics.  He volunteers his time offering resettlement assistance to newcomers, including logistics, accessing health care services, enrolling in school, employment searches and mentoring.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Modern nomad who’s constantly travelling, loves to cook, work hard and party hard

Calgary Local Advisory Group Members

Nolan E. Hill

Nolan is the Gay Men’s Health Specialist at the Centre for Sexuality in Calgary. He works with gbMSM on health promotion and health access, and supports community development initiatives for local gay, bi, trans, Two Spirit and queer men. He brings experience in working with 2S and LGBTQ+ communities in both the health and arts sectors.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Avid curler, obsessed with corgis, craft sorbet maker

Marco Reid

Marco has a BA in Psychology from the University of Calgary, and has a Certificate of Sustainability Studies. He has experience working as a Bodily Injury Analyst and was the President of the Green Party of Alberta. He joined the advisory group to be part of a project that is pushing for equality. He loves research and policy development.

Pronouns: he/him

Hiker/cabin retreater, self-proclaimed nerd, passionate gardener

Max Labrecque

Maximilian is an undergraduate student in biological sciences at the University of Calgary. During the summers he works in medical labs or other science-based jobs. He is a frequent blood donor with Canadian Blood Services. He joined the local advisory group to contribute to scientific research, and to taking steps to affect actual policy change in favour of LGBT rights in Canada.

Pronouns: He/Him/They/Them

Fascinated with prehistoric life, musician on the side, marathons Shark Week every year

Shane Orvis

Shane has concurrent degrees in justice and disaster management. He is a trained counselor specializing in sexualized violence, and owner of the only body safe adult toys retailer based in accessibility and activism. Shane’s full-time job is in the tech industry, and contracts for site development for large companies, and is a cocktail bartender. Shane joined the local advisory group because he is interested in how plasma donation can be augmented in our society, coupled with destabilizing homophobic structures.

Pronouns: he/him

Power lifter, Makeup artist, bulldog rescuer and foster

William Bridel

William is the Associate Dean (Academic) and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary.  His teaching and research focus on sociocultural aspects of sport, physical activity, and the body with a particular interest in LGBTQI2S+ inclusion in sport as well as safe sport policy. He is a qualitative researcher and draws largely on the tenets of publicly engaged sociology in his work. He teaches three undergraduate courses including a fourth-year seminar entitled “Critical Perspectives on the Body”, in which they discuss the history of blood bans in Canada, amongst other topics. He joined the local advisory to contribute to research that has the potential to make meaningful change in the Canadian context.

Pronouns: He/Him

Dream job as a “Broadway star” (it won’t happen, ever!), can wiggle one ear at a time, has finally achieved “top customer” status at his favourite restaurant

Andrew Clapperton

Andrew has two university degrees, and is a teacher. He worked as a medical researcher in the early 1990s. Andrew experienced the shift from being able to donate to restrictions. He joined the advisory group for personal reasons: his family; his own experience donating blood/plasma and then not being allowed to do; his frustrations with stigma; his desire for fairness; and his wish to help others and the helpless feeling of not being able to.

Pronouns: Mr.

Father of two, partner for over ten years, sings in the halls of his school

Glenndl Miguel

Glenndl has been a primary care paramedic for over six years, working in a variety of settings. Through his work, he has a deep appreciation for blood and plasma products while understanding the chronic shortage our system faces. Glenndl was a frequent whole blood donor, until he came out and entered into a relationship with another man. As a passionate advocate for donation, he has always mourned the fact that the restrictions in place today do not respect men who are in healthy, safe, monogamous relationships with other men. Glenndl joined the advisory group to have a direct impact on achieving the goal of equality in blood and plasma donation in Canada.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Small time photography/painting enthusiast. Big time food science aficionado

Mark Greaves

Mark works for Alberta health services as a telehealth technician. He contracted Covid-19 in March 2020 and donated convalescent plasma from August through February 2021. He has currently made 19 donations. He has partner of 4 years who has accepted this journey. He joined the local advisory because of the donation questions.

Pronouns: he/him

Loves cooking and baking, having dinner parties, Avid curler, volunteer with Big Brothers and Sisters Prism program