ABOUT US - LEADERS

Cy brings to the Institute more than three decades of experience and knowledge in the medical practice, research and academic environments.  As Executive Director, he is responsible for leading the Institute team in developing strategic initiatives in bone and joint health care service delivery, research and education.

Cy is also Co-Vice Chair of the Institute’s Board of Directors.  Please refer to our Board of Directors Webpage for details of Cy’s professional interests and activities.

Chris assumed responsibility for Information Technology after having served nine months with the Institute in a consulting capacity to build and launch its computer systems and infrastructure.

In managing the Institute’s IT environment, Chris provides crucial infrastructure for creating and acquiring bone and joint knowledge and for translating and applying this knowledge in a way that will improve health care.

Chris brings to the Institute experience in several industries through his consulting background.  As Senior Consultant with CGI Group, a world-wide provider of IT and business process services, he worked with oil and gas companies, utilities and health care organizations.  He was Director of Software Delivery for a Calgary-based IT consulting start-up prior to joining the Institute.

Len has more than 30 years of experience in communications, the media, and politics. 

He has lived and worked in eastern and western Canada and his communications career has spanned national and regional media relations, speech and news writing, investor-related communications, strategic public affairs, and marketing and employee communications.  During more than a decade in politics, he was involved in social and health services at the community and provincial levels.  He has worked in print and broadcast journalism.

Len retired from a senior communications position with a multi-national company prior to starting a communications consulting practice.  He formalized his relationship with the Institute after briefly providing consulting services on a project basis.  In managing the Institute’s Communications function, he is responsible for providing strategic counsel and support for its initiatives in health service delivery, research and education.  He also provides communications support for the Institute’s efforts to secure financial contributions to sustain and expand its initiatives.  He represents the Institute in communications matters involving partner organizations, including physician groups, the health regions, Alberta’s Health ministry, universities and donor organizations.

Darlene is a registered nurse and accomplished health care researcher whose dedication to improving the quality of health care complements the Institute’s mission as the leading agent for continuous improvement in bone and joint care.

As Senior Advisor, Knowledge Translation, Darlene is responsible for interpreting research information, transforming this information into useful health care knowledge, and applying the knowledge in ways that improve people’s health and health care.

Darlene’s work with the Institute provides the opportunity to join with other health care leaders and professionals in developing world-class health care for Albertans.

She has broad operational, management, clinical and research experience in the health care industry in general, and in nursing in particular.  Darlene has served as President of the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses, been an active member of the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta, and worked with nursing groups in Edmonton, where she is based.

Leslie has been a clinical researcher for more than a decade, and began working with the Institute when doing graduate training in health research.

Prior to developing her interest in clinical research, she was a dentist with a full-time private practice.  She has practiced private dentistry in Winnipeg, in several locations in Ontario, including an under-serviced community, and most recently in Calgary.

After working in private practice in Calgary, Leslie practiced at a special clinic at the Foothills Hospital providing dental care to medically, mentally and physically challenged adults under the public health care system.  It was in this environment that she began developing the keen interest in research and public health care that led to her position with the Institute. 

As Senior Advisor, Knowledge Translation, Leslie interprets the health care knowledge developed by the Institute and flows it through to practitioners, administrators, policy makers, the public and others who can apply it or benefit from it. 

In addition to her work with the Institute, Leslie conducts clinical research in sleep disordered breathing.  She has published several papers and teaches dentists in this area.  She is also a clinical lecturer at the University of Calgary.