Stephen K. L. Chia, MD, FRCPC
Co-chair, Cdn Breast Cancer Conference 2024

Professor of Medicine,
Head of Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine
University of British Columbia,
Medical Oncologist,
BC Cancer, Vancouver Clinic

Head of Department of Clinical Research and Distinguished Scientist, BC Cancer and BC Cancer Research Institute
Chair British Columbia Breast Tumour Group
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Dr. Chia is a Full Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology, Head of the Division of Medical Oncology, UBC and a staff medical oncologist with the BC Cancer, Vancouver Cancer Centre. He has a full-time clinical practice focusing on breast cancer and in new drug development. He is the Chair of the BC Cancer Breast Tumour Group and Head of the Department of Clinical Research. He is also the Co-Chair of the Breast Disease Site for Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG).

Dr. Chia is recognized both nationally and internationally for his research work on breast cancer. His focus is on clinical trials and translational research. He has published over 190 peer-reviewed papers. Dr. Chia has been a Subject Editor for British Journal of Cancer and The Oncologist, and is the current section author for UpToDate™ in the Prognostic/ Predictive Markers Section. He holds numerous peer reviewed grants.

Wendy Lam, B Sc. (Pharm), MD, FRCPC
Co-chair, Cdn Breast Cancer Conference 2024

Hematologist and Medical Oncologist
Burnaby Hospital Regional Cancer Centre
Director, BC Community Oncology Trialists
Burnaby, BC

Dr. Wendy Lam is a hematologist and medical oncologist at the Burnaby Hospital Regional Cancer Centre.

She received her B.Sc (Pharmacy) at Dalhousie University and her MD from University of British Columbia. She then completed her Internal Medicine residency at UBC and Hematology fellowship at McMaster University.

She is the Founding Director of the British Columbia Community Oncology Trialists (BC Cot), which is a collaborative group of oncologists and hematologists involved in clinical research.

Her other interests include education of patients through meeting with patient groups. She has also been instrumental in organizing meetings for continued medical education.

She is Director of the Society of Hematology and Oncology of BC at British Columbia Medical Association

Vanessa Bernstein, BA, MSc, MD, FRCPC

Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
University of British Columbia,
Medical Oncologist
BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Island Centre
Victoria, BC

Dr. Vanessa Bernstein is a medical oncologist at the Vancouver Island Cancer Centre who specializes in breast cancer and melanoma. She graduated magnum cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. She completed her MD, Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology training at the University of British Columbia. She was the 2000 Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation BC/Yukon Chapter Research Fellow. She used this opportunity to complete a Master’s of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Bernstein is the medical director of the Systemic Therapy Clinical Trials Unit at the Vancouver Island Cancer Centre. She has been a local and provincial principal investigator for many phase I, II and III clinical trials. She chaired the BC Cancer Agency Breast Cancer Systemic Policy Group from 2013-2015. She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and has taught many medical students and residents.

Debjani Grenier B.Sc., MD, FRCPC

Medical Oncologist, CancerCare Manitoba
Associate Professor, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Grenier is an Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba and a medical oncologist at CancerCare Manitoba in Winnipeg, with a specific expertise in breast and skin cancers. She is originally from the UK and completed her medical oncology training at the University of Manitoba, followed by a Breast Cancer Fellowship at Women’s College Hospital, University of Toronto. She was the previous chair of the provincial Breast Cancer Disease Site Group and has multiple research interests, including toxicities from cancer therapies, breast cancer prevention and promoting the field of oncology to medical trainees. Dr. Grenier has a particular interest in medical education and was the previous director of the undergraduate oncology program at the Max Rady College of Medicine, as well as program director of the medical oncology residency training program. She is currently a member of the residency program committee and chair of the competence subcommittee. Dr. Grenier also served as chair of the medical oncology examination board of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and as a member of the Specialty Committee in medical oncology at the Royal College. She is appointed to the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) Breast Cancer Clinical Guidance Panel and is a member of the Canadian National Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Consortium.

Anil Abraham Joy, BSc, MD, FRCPC

Department of Oncology, Division of Medical Oncology,
University of Alberta
Medical Oncologist, Cross Cancer Institute
Edmonton, AB

Dr. Anil Abraham Joy is a Professor in the Department of Oncology, Division of Medical Oncology in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta and has been a staff medical oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute since 2003.

Dr. Joy’s primary clinical and translational research areas of interest include breast and thoracic malignancies. He has ongoing interest in medical education, guideline development, cardio-oncology, exercise, dietary and lifestyle interventional research, global oncology, regional disparity issues, as well as promoting physician wellness.

His past appointments include being Chair for the Northern Alberta Breast Cancer Program, Provincial Chair for the Alberta Breast Cancer Program and has also served as a member of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) – on the Expert Review Committee (pERC).

He is the current Research Lead for the Breast Cancer Program at the Cross Cancer Institute and serves as the Thoracic Oncology Coordinator for the University of Alberta, Medical Oncology Residency Training Program.

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC

Clinical Professor Radiation Oncology
Division of Surgery, University of British Columbia
BC Cancer, Vancouver, Cancer Centre
Vancouver, BC

Dr. Keyes is a Clinical Professor in Radiation Oncology, University of British Columbia (UBC), a Fellow (FABS) of American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), vice-president ABS, recipient of ABS President Award, Vice-Chair of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and UBC program director AFC (Area of Focused Competence) Diploma in Brachytherapy. She is a former UBC Radiation Oncology Residency Training Program director and recipient of several teaching and mentorship awards.  Dr. Keyes is a keynote speaker at international conferences an author of over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts. She holds CIHR and Michael Smith Foundation grant for translational research in prostate cancer

Nathalie LeVasseur MD, BSc, FRCPC

Medical Oncologist, BC Cancer
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, UBC
Vancouver, BC

Nathalie LeVasseur is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver since October 2019. She received her medical degree in 2013 and completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Ottawa. She subsequently pursued a residency in medical oncology at the University of British Columbia and served as chief resident before completing a breast cancer clinical and research fellowship at the BC Cancer Agency.

Dr. LeVasseur is the current chair of Breast Systemic Policy in BC, the co-lead of the Breast Cancer Clinical Trials Unit in Vancouver and serves on the CCTG IND Executive Committee. Her research focus is in the development of personalized oncology with informative tools, genomics and transcriptomics. Additionally, the improvement of patient outcomes and survivorship is an area of ongoing research interest.

Dr. LeVasseur is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She holds professional memberships with the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Canadian Association of Medical Oncology, among others. She has received academic achievement awards including a Conquer Cancer ASCO Merit Award, NOYCIA Award and a Coltman Scholars Award.

Mita Manna, MD, FRCPC

Medical Oncologist, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK

Dr. Mita Manna is a dual trained Hematologist and Medical Oncologist. Currently, she is a Medical Oncologist at the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency in Saskatoon as well as Assistant Professor within the Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. Manna’s main areas of clinical focus include breast and thoracic malignancies. She is the Provincial Disease Site Group Chair for Breast Malignancies and is the Multidisciplinary Tumor Board Chair for Breast Malignancies. She is an HR committee member for the Canadian Association of Medical Oncology and is the Saskatoon Site Lead for the Canadian Cooperative Trials Group. Other areas of interest include medical education and patient education.

Elaine McKevitt, BSc, MED, MD, FRCS(C), FACS

Clinical Professor, University of British Columbia
Director of Surgical Education, Mount St Joseph Hospital
Vancouver, BC

Dr. Elaine McKevitt is a general and breast surgeon working at Providence Health Care in Vancouver. She completed her General Surgery at UBC in 2002 and went on to complete a Masters of Education at UBC. She works primarily at Mt St Joseph Hospital where she has been involved in the development of the Providence Breast Center which aims to bring navigated multidisciplinary cancer care to breast cancer patients. Her educational, administrative, and research interests have focussed on optimizing breast cancer surgery. She is a Clinical Professor at UBC and is currently the chair for the BC Cancer Surgical Breast Tumor Group.