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Interested in exploring careers in clinical research, data science, consulting, entrepreneurship within the cannabis industry?Ìý Learn more about the range of opportunities within this emerging market.

MODERATOR:

Rony Chamoun, PhD, Academic Coordinator and Industry Liaison Manager, Commercial Cannabis Diploma, McGill

PANELISTS:

Carolyn J. Baglole, PhD
Director- McGill Research Centre for Cannabis
Director- Histopathology Technology Platform
Co-Director- Experimental Pathology Unit
Associate Professor
Departments of Medicine, Pathology & Pharmacology & Therapeutics
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Dr. Carolyn Baglole received her BSc and MSc from the University of Prince Edward Island, and her PhD from the University of Calgary. She then did postdoctoral research in the fields of lung biology/toxicology in the Department of Environment Medicine at the University of Rochester (Rochester NY). She is currently an Associate Professor in the Departments of Pathology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Experimental Medicine at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. She is the Director of the McGill Research Centre for Cannabis, Co-Director of the Experimental Pathology Unit at McGill and Co-Director of the Environment/Genetics/Cancer Axis of the Reseau en Sante Respiratoire du Quebec.

Dr. Baglole’s translational research program is designed to identify novel cellular and molecular pathways that control the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases. Her main research focus is to understand how these environmental exposures contribute to pathogenic mechanisms such as chronic inflammation and cell death (apoptosis) that drive the development of diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. One of the current focuses in her lab is to understand how various forms of inhaled cannabis and/or cannabinoids affects lung and immune function. Using preclinical models of exposure, her team will investigate activation of cellular signaling pathways by cannabis/cannabinoids, how cannabis affect immune cell numbers and function, whether newer forms of inhaled cannabis impact lung function and the efficacy of cannabis on disease.

Antonio Vigano, MD, MSc
Attending Physician, Supportive and Palliative Care Division, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre (MUHC)
Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
Director, Cancer Rehabilitation Program (CAREPRO), MUHC
Director, McGill Nutrition and Performance Laboratory, MUHC
Expert on Medical Cannabis appointed by the Court of Quebec
Research Director, Sante' Cannabis (santecannabis.ca)

In 2002, Dr. Vigano joined the Supportive and Palliative Care Division at McGill as Assistant Professor. He is now Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. He has been practicing palliative care medicine for over 30 years both in Europe and in Canada. In 2005, he received both the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator and Fonds de la Recherche en Sante (FRSQ) Chercheur-Boursier Clinicien Career Awards. Through a Canadian Foundation for Innovation award, he founded the McGill Nutrition and Performance Laboratory (). His research and clinical activities at MNUPAL were developed in partnership with the Department of Exercise Science at Concordia University (Dr. Robert Kilgour), the Division of Geriatric Medicine (Dr. Jose Morais), and the Lymphedema Program (Dr. Anna Towers) at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre. Dr. Vigano has either first or senior authorship on over 55 publications in peer reviewed journals, 40 invited lectures, 115 peer-reviewed published abstracts and four book chapters. These reflect his clinical interests and expertise and include: the organization of the first palliative care unit in Italy within a public hospital, prognostication in terminal cancer patients, age-related changes in opioid consumption, cancer cachexia assessment and management, prevalence and role of hypogonadism in male cancer patients, cancer pre-habilitation and rehabilitation and more recently the role of medicinal cannabis in pain and symptom management, supportive and palliative care. Dr. Vigano was appointed Expert on Medical Cannabis by the Court of Quebec, created the first world-wide post-doctoral research fellowship in medicinal cannabis and cancer supportive care within McGill’s Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, developed the first cannabis clinic within a quaternary oncology centre, is co-lead of Biomedical Axis of the newly created McGill Research Centre for Cannabis and is Principal Investigator in several cannabis clinical trials including the first large scale, province wide, prospective, multicenter cohort study, the Quebec Cannabis Registry with over 3000 patients enrolled to date.

Cynthia El Hage, PhD.
Director of Research & Innovation, Santé Cannabis

I hold a Ph.D in Neurosciences with a specialty in Mental Health and Drug Addiction from the University of Lyon-France. I moved to Montréal in 2012 for my postdoctoral fellowship training during which my work focused mainly on studying medical cannabis in patients suffering from psychostimulant drug abuse and co-morbid mental health disorders.Ìý I have more than 10 years’ experience in research (among which 4 years experience in clinical trials and in medical cannabis). I have several publications in peer review journals, conferences and several award winning prices related to research projects. I recently contributed to writing a book on Cannabis and its medical use.Ìý I am currently the Director of Research & Innovation at Santé Cannabis clinic in Montréal where I lead the research department and direct projects for the advancement of cannabis-related Research.

Caroline Lavoie, Cannabis Consultant, M.Sc.

As a consultant in the cannabis industry, Caroline Lavoie advises Canadian and international companies from that sector in their government relations, public relations and business development. As one of Quebec’s first cannabis analyst and consultant, Caroline launched the public relations campaign that led to the creation of the Société Québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) and later led the formation of the Quebec Cannabis Industry Association (QCIA).Ìý Prior to discovering her passion for helping build the cannabis industry, Caroline worked in international relations and public affairs in Canada, the U.S., Latin America and Europe.Ìý Caroline holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and a Master’s in public policy from the Paris Institute for Political Studies (Sciences Po). A longtime volunteer with disadvantaged youth and cultural institutions in Montreal, she also has a keen interest in governance and now acts as a Trustee for the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax.

Guillaume Desparois, MSc.
Data Coordinator, Sante Cannabis

I completed my Masters degree in 2014 at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) in molecular biology, testing the effect of maternal obesity on the human placenta and materno-foetal transfer of cholesterol.Ìý I started my 4-year career in research working as a Research Assistant (and later as a Research Associate) in the R&D department of a private fertility clinic where I got experience on clinical trials, recruitment of patients and Quality Control systems.Ìý Starting to work at Santé Cannabis in late 2017, it was not long before I got promoted as Data Coordinator of the research department, managing clinical trials’ build-up in the Clinical Data Management System (i.e. design of the study workflow and forms/questionnaires, data surveillance, database validation, extraction, etc.).

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