Our Team
Making a difference.
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Our diverse team is made up of scientists, clinicians and patient partners with lived experience from across Canada and as far as Ireland.
Sara Abdullah
Mississauga Site Coordinator
Sara is a Researcher Associate and is supporting multiple community based projects geared towards improving outcomes and developing interventions for marginalized and vulnerable communities. She brings with her years of experience implementing small and large-scale health projects in resource-constrained and qualitative analysis. Sara is passionate about developing and implementing programs that improve the wellbeing of communities, particularly women and children.
Dr. Bobert Balshaw
Study Investigator
Dr. Balshaw is a Senior Biostatistician at the George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation at the University of Manitoba. He has been the lead statistician for dozens of industry - led clinical trials, has served on CIHR grant review committee and been consulted on hundreds of RCT's, experiments, and observational studies.
Joel Brandt
Peer Mentor/Patient Partner
Joel has lived with T1D since 2018, and is passionate about living an active lifestyle with a low carbohydrate, high protein focused diet. The combination helps in maintaining normalized blood sugar levels, allowing him to focus less time on diabetes management, and more time into the things he loves. He has been working with Dr. Jonathan McGavock as a patient co-researcher since the spring of 2020. He has helped design and carry out a discrete choice experiment, and a qualitative study to inform future exercise and type 1 diabetes interventions. He participated in a Hackathon style planning session where scientists and patient partners came together to co-design the study in this application.
Taelyr Dewarle
Peer Mentor
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Taelyr is a peer mentor for teens and young people living with Type 1 diabetes as part of the Type 1 Diabetes Exercise And Mentorship (TEAM) Trial. Diagnosed at 16, she understands the
challenges of managing T1D during major life transitions. She’s passionate about offering
support, sharing her experience, and creating a space where others feel seen and understood.
Taelyr is eager to learn more about the experiences of others and expand her knowledge to
better support those navigating life with T1D.
Sylvie Dostie
Patient Partner
Sylvie, now retired, was an administrative assistant at the Research Center of the CHU de Québec. She has lived with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for 55 years. She joined the Diabetes Action Canada team in 2020 and is participating in Dr. Jonathan McGavock's patient engagement project with the goal of developing several studies in the area of exercise and T1D. She contributed to the design of the current study and also participates as a patient partner with the Circle of Francophone and Immigrant Patients as president. She practices on average 5 hours of physical activity per week, which plays an important role in maintaining her health, well-being and quality of life.
Jess Farracce
Peer Mentor
Jess is a high energy individual and has been living with type 1 diabetes for 22 years. As a diabetes sales consultant with Medtronic, she combines personal experience with professional expertise to empower others. With a Bachelor of Science and a postgraduate certificate in Wellness Coaching and Exercise Science, along with a certification as a health and wellness coach, Jess is equipped to guide others toward well-being. Jess's committment to an active lifestyle naturally encourages those in her circle to prioritize their health.
Mia Gray
Peer Mentor
Mia has lived with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) for over a decade and is a recent graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Interdisciplinary Health Program with a major in Health Sciences and a minor in psychology. Mia believes this background has provided her a holistic view of health and the opportunity to pursue an educational focus the social and psychological aspects of health. She has a special interest in how these aspects affect the health of individuals diagnosed with T1D and has even written her capstone project entitled ‘The Impact of Diabetes Distress on Self-Management and Health Outcomes in Adults Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes’.
Mia is an active member of the diabetes community who spent childhood summers at Manitoba’s Diabetes Camp Briardale and later returned to work with children diagnosed with T1D as a counsellor with Diabetes Canada at all across Western Canada. She is thrilled to further advocate and contribute to the well-being of adolescents with T1D as part of the TEAM trial!
Dana Greenberg
Patient Partnert
Dana Greenberg was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in 1972 when she was 7 years old. Her youngest of 3 children was also diagnosed with T1D 15 years ago at the age of 8. After her daughter’s diagnosis, Dana came to realize that she was in a unique position to help others because she knows both what it means to be a person living with T1D as well as what it means to be a parent of a child with T1D. Since then, Dana has been volunteering her time mentoring other T1D families. Dana also works as a patient partner with Diabetes Action Canada (DAC) where she chairs DAC’s Collective Patient Circle, sits on DAC's steering committee, co-leads several research projects, and helps to direct research into areas that matter most to those living with T1D.
Natasha Gregoire
Patient Partner
Natasha was diagnosed with T1D when she was 5 years old and has lived with T1D for 18 years. Exercise has played a key role in her life as she enjoyed playing sports growing up such as basketball, volleyball, softball, and has recently taken up running. Natasha is now working as an athletic therapist, working in clinical and team settings. She has been a patient partner with the DREAM TEAM for 5 years.
Marley Greenberg
Patient Partner
Marley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of eight. Since her diagnosis, she has been an advocate for people living with T1D, through organizations such as JDRF and I Challenge Diabetes. At the start of her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, Marley co-founded the first Canadian chapter of The Diabetes Link (formerly known as the College Diabetes Network) which is a peer support group for young adults with diabetes. Since 2018, Marley has worked as a patient partner for Diabetes Action Canada where she has collaborated on numerous research projects. Marley is also passionate about ethical questions related to health and disability, and recently completed her MA in philosophy with a specialization in bioethics at the University of Toronto.
Cameron Keighron
Peer Mentor
​Cameron lives with T1D and is a graduate student in the department of physiology at the University of Galway, Ireland. They are a patient partner with the D1Now Study group in Ireland, where their team has been looking at improving diabetes care for young adults in Ireland. Cameron has contributed to several research papers, conferences, oral presentations, and been featured in The Patient Effect Documentary. Cameron is also a patient partner with Dr. McGavock and helped design the current study.
Dr. Jessica Kichler
Study Investigator
Dr. Jessica Kichler, CDCES, Ph.D., C.Psych, is a Clinical & Health Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Windsor. She specializes in clinical intervention research related to psychosocial adjustment and coping with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in youth and families. She previously worked as a diabetes psychologist and certified diabetes care and education specialist at two academic medical centers (Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center) in the United States for almost 15 years before moving to Windsor, Ontario in 2020. Currently, she also teaches and trains future mental health professionals in clinical and health psychology.
Reid McClure
Patient Partner/graduate studies
Reid lives with T1D and is a former Team Novo Nordisk professional cyclist. He is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta supervised by Dr. Jane Yardley. His research is focused on exercise and technology to support the health and well-being of those living with T1D.
Sarah Luby
Peer Mentor
Sarah is an interdisciplinary award-winning artist and disability advocate located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A graduate of the Desautels Faculty of Music in Vocal Performance, Sarah has appeared on most of Winnipeg’s main stages, as well in many film and television shows. In addition to Sarah’s work as a performer, she has worked behind the camera as an integral member on many production teams; and most recently worked on Snapchat’s first Canadian original show “Reclaim(ed)”. She has shadowed and been mentored by some of Canada’s top producers and directors. Sarah is an advocate for accessibility and inclusion in the arts and centres her practice around kindness and representation on stage and screen. Sarah was a member of the RMTC Inaugural National Mentorship where she co-wrote her first single “INVISIBLE” sharing her experience living with Invisible Disabilities. She also produced and directed the accompanying music video which was featured on Broadwayworld. Sarah believes art is a catalyst for social change and a powerful tool in our modern society. She is extremely passionate about representation of disabled bodies, minds, and souls on screen and stage, and is working hard to create opportunities to amplify those voices.
Andrea MacIntosh
Winnipeg Site Coordinator
Andrea is a research coordinator for Dr. Jonathan McGavock, and in that capacity has led an exercise intervention that was a randomized controlled trial, followed by a series of acute studies to determine the impact of exercise intensity on glycemia in people living with type 1 diabetes. Andrea completed in her master's degree in Kinesiology using data from her latter studies. Andrea and the study team have worked with patient co - researchers since 2020 on quantitative and qualitive projects that informed the design on the TEAM Trial. Andrea has years of research experience in a variety of other research settings, including a basic science nutrition lab, health promotion in an oral health research office, and on two cohort studies in children. Andrea is driven to use her background in kinesiology and her diverse skillset from all these settings to help design and implement studies that have the potential to improve the lives of people living with diabetes.
Dr. Dylan Mackay
Study Investigator
Dylan MacKay is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Chronic Disease in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Internal Medicine Section Endocrinology at the University of Manitoba. He has a background in Human Nutritional Sciences, with training and experience in clinical trials. He is also a person who lives with type 1 diabetes. His work concentrates primarily on type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease and often focuses on the delivery of foods. He also has a strong personal connection with type 1 diabetes research in which he is both a researcher and a person with lived experience partner.
Aislin Mushquash
Study Investigator
Dr. Aislin Mushquash is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University. She is also a Registered Clinical Psychologist practicing at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. Dr. Mushquash’s research program is focused on coping which includes examining predictors and consequences of maladaptive coping and implementing and evaluating innovative interventions to support adaptive coping. Dr. Mushquash is a SickKids Foundation-CIHR New Investigator and Brain Canada Future Leader and she has led the implementation and evaluation of the JoyPopTM mobile mental health app as a tool to support youth.
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Dr. Jonathan McGavock
Principle Investigator and Winnipeg Site Lead
Dr. McGavock is a full professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Manitoba. He has led several clinical trials and population health interventions in the areas of population studies in child health, peer mentoring to prevent obesity in children, peer mentoring for achieving healthy weights in First Nations children, and patient-oriented research in type 1 diabetes.
Laura Nemi
Peer Mentor
Laura is a Peer Mentor and Research Assistant for the Type 1 Diabetes Exercise and Mentorship Trial. She has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Toronto Mississauga. Laura has experience with conducting community - based research at U of T's Centre for Child Development, Mental Health, and Policy (CCDMP), and has conducted qualitative research on social - emotional development for her undergraduate thesis. She also has five years of experience working with children and adolescents instructing sports and arts programs with the City of Mississauga. Laura brings knowledge and practical experience with youth mentroship and well being to the TEAM Trial, as well as lived experience with T1D. She is interested in pursuing a Masters of Social Work degree to continue to explore her research interests and expand her skillset in support and advocacy.
Ethan Parikh
Patient Partner
Ethan is a student at McMaster University and a Research Assistant with the Institute for Better Health at Trillium Health Partners. Since his diagnoses of Type 1 Diabetes at age 12, he has enjoyed opportunities to support, connect with, and advocated for the diabetes community. He is excited to bring his passion for physical activity to the TEAM Trial, learn and grow from other researchers and study participants, and have a positive impact on other youth adolescents with T1D.
Conrad Pow
Patient Partner
Conrad is the father of a child with T1D and apatient partner with Dr. McGavock's research group. He works with Diabetes Action Canada and has extensive experience in data governance and participatory patient oriented research
Dr. Shaelyn Strachan
Study Investigator
Dr. Strachan is a professor at the University of Manitoba. She has expertise in health and exercise psychology with a focus on self-perceptions and how these can influence the self-regulation of health behaviours. She has related experience with experiments and interventions, physical activity counselling, and publications based in self-determination theory and motivational interviewing which ground this proposed research.
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Alexis Remekie
Peer Mentor
Alexis is a Peer Mentor Research Assistant who has been living with T1D since age 5. She is completing her BA in Criminology in 2026 and hopes to obtain an MA and PhD as well. In her free time, Alexis participates in 10k and half marathon races and loves being outside, especially when it's warm!
Bretton Tyler
Peer Mentor
As a former Champion for the Children's Hospital in Manitoba representing Type 1 Diabetes, I have always been a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. I am pivoting from a career path I had been on, to now one of positivity, inspiration, and collaboration. Being the first child in Manitoba on an insulin pump at age 4 in c2000, I am an ongoing advocate and now Peer Mentor for people with T1 diabetes. I immerse myself in research and the effects this challenging disease has on children and young adults living with the mental health and wellness implications.
Nathan Wood
Peer Mentor
Nathan Wood is a Peer Research Assistant at Trillium Health Partners and the Institute for Better Health. He has been living with type 1 diabetes for over seven years, which has inspired his deep interest in health, wellness, and chronic disease management. Nathan is passionate about contributing to research that makes a meaningful impact on people’s lives. Outside of work, he enjoys staying active through hockey, golf, and skiing. He also spends time with Oakley, his energetic one-year-old Bernedoodle puppy.
Dr. Ian Zenlea
Study Investigator and Mississauga Site Lead
Ian Zenlea (he/him) is a paediatric endocrinologist and Division Head & Medical Director of Children’s Health at Trillium Health Partners (THP). At the Institute for Better Health at Trillium Health Partners, he is a Clinician Scientist and Lead of the Family and Child Health Initiative, a community-based participatory research program that co-designs, co-implements, and co-evaluates health and social solutions to improve the health and overall well-being of children and families. As a father of three boys and a clinician working alongside children with chronic disease and their families, Dr. Zenlea appreciates the challenges with our current healthcare system and the impacts of the social and structural determinants of health on the well-being of children and families. His research is focused on understanding the role of peer support in type 1 diabetes management and co-designing community- and family-based type 2 diabetes prevention programming. Dr. Zenlea envisions a community-driven and community-centered learning health system that fosters thriving and flourishing families in their local communities.
Dr. Michael Riddell
Study Investigator
Dr. Riddell has more than 200 original research articles and scholarly reviews, 22 book chapters, and a globally referenced patient guidebook on the metabolic and hormonal responses to exercise and stress in health and diabetes. His research team uses a broad selection of innovative models and tools to discover how regular exercise, stress and diabetes influence metabolism and health.
Dr. Brandy Wicklow
Study Investigator
Brandy Wicklow is a pediatric endocrinologist, head of the section of pediatric endocrinology and metabolism in Winnipeg, Manitoba, associate professor at the University of Manitoba, and clinician researcher at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Her clinical career focuses on healthcare provision to underserviced children and youth, including outreach type 2 diabetes subspeciality care to Indigenous children living on reserve in Northern communities. Her clinical research focuses on the intergenerational and early life determinants of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and renal disease in children and adolescents, with a particular interest in the impacts of the psychological, economic, and social and structural impacts on the wholistic health of all children living with diabetes.
Dr. Jennifer Yamamoto
Study Investigator
Dr. Yamamoto is an endocrinologist and clinician investigator (75% research) at the University of Manitoba. As a diabetes clinician and researcher, she brings expertise in diabetes technology, managing randomized controlled trial data, and analyzing large continuous glucose monitoring datasets.
Dr. Jane Yardley
Study Investigator
Dr. Yardley is an associate professor at the University of Montreal and Director of the Research Unit on Physical Activity and Diabetes at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute. She studies how different types of exercise (i.e., aerobic exercise, weightlifting) affect blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes, including the effects of different exercise timing and intensity. Her lab has recently started examining different aspects of women’s health such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause, in people living with type 1 diabetes and the effects that these might have on hypoglycemia risk during and after exercise.