Alberta Innovates- Health Solutions

Robert A. Seidel, Q.C. (Chair)
National Managing Partner
Davis LLP
Edmonton, Alberta

Mr. Seidel is the national Managing Partner of Davis LLP. He has extensive experience in all aspects of corporate and commercial law, real estate law, energy law, forestry law, commercial lending, and infrastructure and project finance. He works with clients in both the private and public sectors, providing legal and strategic business advice to executives, boards and elected officials. His practice also focuses on establishing board governance and accountability frameworks in the private and public sectors. He regularly provides opinions to elected and senior public officials relating to their obligations as representatives of government. He also provides opinions to all levels of government on other matters, including land assembly, natural resources and environmental matters.

Dr. Raymond Rajotte, O.C. (Vice Chair)
Director, Surgical Medical Research Institute
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta

Dr. Rajotte is currently Professor of Surgery and Medicine, Director of the Surgical-Medical Research Institute, and Director of the Islet Transplantation Group at the University of Alberta among other responsibilities. He was the founding Scientific Director of the Alberta Diabetes Institute at the University of Alberta. He is known as a pioneer in research related to islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes and has over 225 peer-reviewed published papers. Since 1986, he has supervised or co-supervised over 50 graduate students, 25 postdoctoral fellows, and numerous undergraduate students and summer students. He has received numerous honours and awards, including 2006 Alberta Order of Excellence and 2007 Member of the Order of Canada.

Eric D. Agdeppa, PhD, MTM
Executive Director of Innovation
Hill-Rom Company, Inc.
Batesville, Indiana
USA

Dr. Agdeppa leads Hill-Rom’s efforts to develop new, game-changing technologies through internal development efforts and relationships with academic and strategic corporate partners. As part of Hill-Rom R&D leadership, Dr. Agdeppa’s Early Innovation Team accelerates the company’s innovation efforts and drives value-added technologies into future healthcare products. He served most recently as Imaging Solutions Manager for GE Healthcare’s Imaging Solutions business following several successful R&D and business development roles at GE Healthcare and the GE Global Research Center. Dr. Agdeppa received his B.S. in Biochemistry from UCLA, his Masters in Technology Management from Stevens Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Physics with a specialization in Biophysics/Nuclear Medicine also at UCLA.

Lyle Best, C.M.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Quikcard Group of Companies
Edmonton, Alberta

Mr. Best is the Chairman and CEO of Quikcard Group of Companies, a national company serving Canadians from offices in Western and Atlantic Canada, offering health plans, dental plans and medical benefits plans. He serves on numerous boards including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Aaron Moser Spinal Cord Injury Foundation. He is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. He is a Member of the Order of Canada and received the award of Edmonton Small Business Owner of the Year in 2008 from the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.

John Dielwart
Chief Executive Officer and Director
ARC Resources Ltd.
Calgary, AB

Mr. Dielwart is Chief Executive Officer and Director of ARC Resources Ltd., an oil and gas company based in Calgary. He began his career by working for a major oil and natural gas company in Calgary, and later took on the role of senior vice president and director of an oil and natural gas engineering consulting firm. He has extensive technical knowledge of oil and natural gas properties in western Canada. Mr. Dielwart is also a past-chairman of the board of governors for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

Dr. David Dolphin
Professor Emeritus
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia

Dr. Dolphin is Professor Emeritus with the University of British Columbia. He has administrative and research experience in industry, universities and non-governmental organizations. As the Vice-President Technology Development at Quadra Logic Technologies, he was instrumental in the discovery, development and commercialization of Visudyne, which has saved the vision of hundreds of thousands of people afflicted with "wet" age-related macular degeneration. He has served on numerous boards and is currently the Chair of Genome British Columbia. He has received several awards, including the Prix Galien in 2002 (along with Julia Levy). The Prix Galien has been described by the international pharmaceutical industry as the industry's equivalent of the Nobel Prize and the highest accolade for pharmaceutical research. He has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Nancy Mannix
Chair and Patron
Norlien Foundation
Calgary, Alberta

Mrs. Mannix is the Chair and Patron of the Norlien Foundation, a private foundation with offices in Calgary and Edmonton. The Foundation, through the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, is focused on creating alignments between science, policy and practice in the areas of brain development and its connection to addiction in order to bring about effective, comprehensive and integrated services for Alberta families. She has had a long career in the charitable sector and has worked for a number of organizations, including the Calgary Health Trust and the Canada West Foundation. She has also served on numerous boards including the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Diego and a Juris Doctor degree from Seattle University.

Dr. Aubrey Tingle
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Medicine
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia

Dr. Tingle is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia and also Associate Director, Maternal, Infant, Child and Young Research Network. He was the President and CEO of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research from 2001-2008. His research efforts have principally been directed toward establishing a multi-disciplinary team of investigators interested in understanding the role played by persistent or "slow" virus infection in the pathogenesis of human disease. He has authored numerous research papers and presented at many conferences. He has received a number of awards including the BC Health Association Legacy Award (for significant contributions to the development of health policy, health leadership or healthcare governance).

Ralph Young
President and Chief Executive Officer
Melcor Developments Ltd.
Edmonton, Alberta

Mr. Young is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Melcor Developments, a property development company. He has held various positions with the company since 1971. He is a member of a number of boards including the APEGGA Education Foundation, the Urban Development Institute and the Citadel Theatre.

Naresh Bhardwaj
Edmonton-Ellerslie
MLA Liaison for AIHS

Mr. Bhardwaj was elected to his first term as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton-Ellerslie on March 3, 2008. In addition to his duties as MLA, he serves as parliamentary assistant to Health and Wellness.