The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute would like to extend their sincere appreciation for the time, dedication and commitment of Michael Corber who served as Chair for the GCI Advisory Board fromÌý2018-2023. Described as caring, devoted, decidedly compassionate and with a good sense of humour by many, Michael has been a steadfast champion for the GCI and for cancer research, helping to secure major donations both as part o the GCI Gala and many other fundraising events. The GCI has been fortunate to have Michael graciously provide his invaluable advice and unwavering support across numerous domains. As a Partner with Richter, Michael has been providing assurance services, as well as specialized consulting to both public and private companies for over 30 years in Quebec and Ontario. His experience and diverse entrepreneurial client base have been a boon for the GCI as it transitioned from a centre to an Institute. A believer in giving back to his community, Michael has provided advice to a number of not-for-profit organizations. The GCI thanks Michael and his extended family for their ongoing support and look forward to continuing their relationship with Michael in the future.Ìý
Michael has passed the torch to the incoming Advisory Board Chair. The GCI would like to formally announce thatÌýSuzanneÌýFortier, the former principal of Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, has agreed to take up the position of new chair for the Advisory Board. SuzanneÌýwas recently featured in aÌýprofileÌýas she completed her tenure as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Ï㽶ÊÓƵ from 2013 to 2022. Prior to her appointment as Principal, Professor Fortier was President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) from 2006 to 2013, and held the position of Vice-Principal (Academic) from 2000 to 2005 and Vice-Principal (Research) from 1995 to 2000 at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where she was a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and in the School of Computing (1982-2006).
A native of St-Timothée, Québec, Professor Fortier graduated from McGill with a BSc (1972) and a PhD in Crystallography (1976). Her research work has focused in the development of mathematical and artificial intelligence methodologies for protein structure determination. She has also made contributions to the development of novel techniques in crystallographic data mining to gain new insights from the large structural databases.ÌýProfessor Fortier was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2018. She is also an officer of France’s National Order of Merit, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was named a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2015). She holds honorary doctorates from Thompson Rivers University, Carleton University, and the University of Glasgow.
Professor Fortier currently serves as Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders Forum (GULF), as a member of the HEC Paris International Advisory Board, on the Boards of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill and the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre (MUHC), and is an Academic Member of the Board of Governors of the Technion Israel Institute of Technology. She also serves on the Canadian Business-Higher Education Roundtable, the Catalyst Canada Advisory Board, as well as the Boards of Directors of Montreal International, and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. She has previously served as a member of several boards and councils, including the federal government's Council of Science and Technology Advisors (CSTA), the Board of Directors of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Steering Committee of the Networks of Centres of Excellence, the Ontario Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress, Universities Canada, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the Canadian Federal Minister of Finance’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth, the Conference Board of Canada, and served as a member and Vice-Chair of the Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC).
The GCI thrives with the backing of a dedicated Advisory Board helmed by dynamic leaders past and present, passionate about the importance of cancer research in the mission to bring new hope to cancer patients. We thank our outgoing chair Michael Corber, and welcomeÌýSuzanneÌýFortier to the GCI family.