Dr. Menard practices family medicine in Massett, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. Dr. Menard graduated from McMaster Medical School before completing his residency training in Remote and Rural Practice with the University of British Columbia where he currently is a Clinical Professor.

He has a strong interest in physical medicine and is fascinated by the power of the mind and body to influence one another.  To compliment this he has completed enhanced skills training through McMasters Contemporary Medical Acupuncture Program and employs these skills have as an integral part of his daily practice.

Dr. Jocelyn Black is a newly graduated family medicine physician from a rural and remote focused training program in British Columbia. Dr. Black is passionate about primary care and prevention and also enjoys the other services she provide as a full-service family doctor. In her free time Dr. Black enjoys hiking, surfing, running and biking and also foraging for wild berries and mushrooms and other plant life.  Dr. Black is  excited to help bring CHANGE BC to the community of Masset and excited to see the changes it will bring!

Dr. Brenda Huff is an Associate Professor with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She has published research in the Journal of Family Medicine "Probiotics" might not be what they seem". Dr. Huff is currently leading research on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the northwest BC paediatric population. She is an advocate for lifestyle intervention in primary care and along with her colleagues has won three awards of excellence both provincially and nationally.

Dr. Wouter Morkel is a long standing rural Family Physician who practices in Smithers British Columbia, with a special interest in incorporating innovative primary care lifestyle supports into family practice. Dr. Morkel is an avid proponent and advocate for encouraging local patients to actively exercise through enjoying the stunning local Alpine environment, through activities such as walking, skiing, and other outdoor pursuits in the lovely Bulkley Valley that surrounds Smithers. When Dr. Morkel is not seeing patients in his busy practice, he leads by example as a dedicated outdoor sports enthusiast. Dr. Morkel is a Founding Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice Board Director, and also leads as Treasurer for the organization. Aside from his clinical Family Medicine interests, Dr. Morkel is a leader in BC’s Primary Care Initiative, and has graduated from the GPSC Leadership and Management Program through the Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business.

Dr. Odoh is a Board Director of Pacific Northwest Division of Family Physicians and actively serves as a representative in a number of patients and primary care-focused regional committees including Psychiatric Steering Committee, Information Technology  Initiative for Primary care, Patient Medical Home and Innovation Grant Committee. At a provincial level, he serves through Society of General Practitioners of British Columbia in the Representative Assembly of Doctor of British Columbia.

Dr. Greg Linton is an established and highly skilled Family Physician who has practiced in the beautiful community of Terrace British Columbia for the past 24 years.  

In addition to operating a busy, full scope Family Practice, Dr. Linton is Site Director for the Rural Northwest Terrace Family Medicine Residency program.  Dr. Linton is a founding Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice Board Director, and also leads as Vice-Chair for the organization. 

An exemplary leader in BC’s Primary Care evolution, Dr. Linton has graduated from the GPSC Leadership and Management Program through the Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business.

As a pragmatic patient advocate for healthy, active lifestyles, Dr. Linton is known as a primary care innovator and trailblazer who leads by example.   Dr. Linton exemplifies an outdoor enthusiast lifestyle through skiing, hiking, biking.  His other hobbies include the gastronomic fine art of smoking fish, turkeys, and cheeses, in addition to generating exceptional music as a band member of the popular west coast band, Dr. Fishy. 

Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy is a Gastroenterologist, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Director of Nutrition Support for St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and leader of the CHANGE pilot project. Dr. Jeejeebhoy has achieved an international reputation for his research in the fields of gastroenterology and nutrition and has published over 500 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts and book chapters. He sits on the editorial boards of nutritional journals and over the course of his career has been recognized with over 20 awards from Canada, USA and the UK. In 2001 he was elected as a senior member of the Canadian Medical Association. His principal areas of focus are: assessment of nutritional status, particular nutritional requirements in the patient, the interaction between nutrition and disease, inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorption, and colon cancer. Dr Jeejeebhoy was chosen to receive the “Cuthbertson Lecture Award” by the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, for his ground-breaking work in Total Parenteral Nutrition.

Dr. Doug Klein is an Associate Professor with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta. His research experience has included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. He has strong connections to primary care physicians through his work with Primary Care Networks in Alberta. Dr. Klein has expertise in behaviour change including the Theory of Planned Behaviour, often used in lifestyle interventions. He has been recruited for his experience in primary care research by provincial and national committees. Dr. Klein is a recognized expert on lifestyle intervention in primary care and has several ongoing research and health promotion projects based in primary care in Alberta. He gave a keynote address on lifestyle modification at the Alberta College of Family Physicians Annual Meeting in February 2013.

Dr. Paula Brauer is on the faculty in the Applied Human Nutrition program of the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, with adjunct status in the Dept Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph. Her research focuses on development and testing of new strategies to improve effectiveness of clinical nutrition services for treatment of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and dyslipidemia, with a current focus on primary health care. Dr. Brauer is the Chair (2000-present) of a dietitian advocacy group focused on primary health care and serves on a provincial advisory committee for Family Health Teams, a multi-disciplinary primary care model. She has been active in the national association, serving on the Board of Dietitians of Canada, the national registration examination committee and as editor of the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. She was recognized in 2003 by Dietitians of Canada with their highest award for leadership and innovation. Dr. Bauer is working with Dr. Lorian Taylor, a dietitian working with Alberta Health Services, to train and support the dietitians involved in the CHANGE study.

Matthew Kallio is the lead Exercise Specialist for CHANGE Cancer Alberta and is a consultant for Metabolic Syndrome Canada. A graduate of the University of Alberta with his Bachelor of Physical Education, Matthew has been involved with promoting Kinesiology within a primary care setting in Alberta. He worked actively with the CHANGE study as Kinesiologist, promoting progressive exercise and lifestyle change for the participants. Matthew is a strong advocate for Kinesiology in healthcare and sees the need to grow the profession. Away from work, Matthew is passionate about basketball and the outdoors.

Rupinder Dhaliwal is Director of Operations of Metabolic Syndrome Canada, a federally incorporated non profit organization aimed at improving the health of Canadians at risk of metabolic syndrome through lifestyle interventions. She has been responsible for the coordination and overall conduct of the CHANGE study, a diet and exercise intervention in primary care clinics.

As Manager of Research & Networking at the Clinical Evaluation Research Unit at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario, she played a key role in the development and implementation of several multicentre randomized trials funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, US National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Defense. In this role she also led knowledge translation activities such as the development of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nutrition Support in the Mechanically, Ventilated, Critically ill Adult Critical care, International Nutrition Surveys and the PEP UP Collaborative.

As Executive Director for the Nutrition and Rehabilitation Investigators Consortium, she was responsible for bringing together researchers and stakeholders to improve the health and care of patients through optimal nutrition and exercise by fostering the development of multicentre clinical trials. She is a Registered Dietitian, has written numerous publications and presented at many national and international conferences.

In June 2016, Rupinder was awarded “Fellow of Dietitians of Canada” for her professional growth, excellence and achievements throughout her career.