Board of Directors (Interim)

Mr. Rotman is Chairman of Roy-L Capital Corporation, a privately-held family investment company. He launched his business career in 1962 following receiving his B.A. from the University of Western Ontario in 1957 and his M. Comm. from the University of Toronto in 1960. During 1960-61, he studied at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business in the Ph.D. program. He has been involved in establishing a number of private and public companies in many different industries. Mr. Rotman has applied his business experience to advancing Canadian life sciences research, the development of Canada’s innovation and commercialization capacity, and related public policy at the federal and provincial levels. He led the creation of the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care affiliated with the University of Toronto, and served two three-year terms on the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) from June 2000 to June 2006. He has served as a Director on numerous corporate boards including the Bank of Montreal, Barrick Gold Corporation, Canada Northwest Energy Ltd., Masonite International, and TrizecHahn Corp. As well, he served as Chair of the Board as Founder of Tarragon Oil and Gas, Geocrude Energy, and PanCana Resources, amongst others. As the Founder, he remains a Director of Clairvest Group Inc., which provides merchant banking for emerging companies and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Mr. Rotman was awarded an honorary LLD from the University of Toronto in 1994. In 1995, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in August 2008 Mr. Rotman was appointed Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Donald T. Stuss, Ph.D., C. Psych., ABPP-CN, Order of Ontario, FRSC, FCAHS, is the President and Scientific Director (2011- present) of the Ontario Brain Institute. He is an adjunct (on leave of absence)  Senior Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest Centre; University of Toronto Professor of Medicine (Neurology and Rehabilitation Science) and Psychology; founding Director of the Rotman Research Institute, from 1989 to 2008, Reva James Leeds Chair in Neuroscience and Research Leadership 2001-2009, and Vice-President Research, at Baycrest, 1991-2004, 2006-2009; Vice-President Academic Education at Baycrest 2006-2008; interim Director and CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery 2008-2009. Honors: Fellow of CPA, APA (Divisions 3, 6, 20, 40), APS, American Heart and Stroke Association, AAAS; University of Toronto Faculty Award (2004); University Professor status, University of Toronto (2004); APA/APF FJ McGuigan Lecture on Understanding the Human Mind (2007); Michener Institute Honorary Diploma (2008); Dr. Gonzalo Rodriquez Lafora Lecture, Spanish Neurological Society. National Academy of Neurosciences 2011 Lifetime Contributions to Neuropsychology Award: 3rd Annual Charles Branch BrainHealth Award, University of Texas at Dallas (2012).  His research focuses on understanding and treating the cognitive functions and personality changes associated with the frontal lobes as they occur after stroke, normal elderly, and in those with traumatic brain injury or dementia. He has one co-authored book, and four co-edited books; over 190 publications and 48 chapters; and presented over 270 invited scientific lectures and workshops. His publications have been cited over 14,000 times.

Meredith Saunderson is an active volunteer based in Toronto. She is a graduate of University College, University of Toronto, where she was a recipient of the Students' Administrative Council Honour Award. After a year at OCE, she taught for two years at Northern Secondary School before retiring to raise a family of three children with her husband Bill. Meredith has spent thirty years as a volunteer at the Art Gallery of Ontario as an education docent, and as a travel coordinator. During this time, she spent four years as a member of the Ontario Liquor License Board and ten years on the National Board of Parkinson Society Canada culminating in a two-year term as Chair. This latter role provided her with an insight into health care for neurological diseases. In 1988, the Saundersons' youngest daughter was struck by a car and underwent intensive brain surgery. This lead to the founding of The Saunderson Chair in Acquired Brain Injury at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Meredith is a recipient of the Queen's Jubilee medal and the University of Toronto's Arbor Award.

Valerie Pringle is a journalist and broadcaster. A graduate of Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson, she has hosted daily news and current affairs programs on CFRB Radio in Toronto, CBC-TV’s MIDDAY and CTV’s Canada AM from 1980-2001. She has hosted and produced documentaries and series for CBC, CTV, Discovery and Vision. As well, she is actively involved in many not-for-profit Boards including The Trans Canada Trail, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health. She was awarded the Order of Canada for her contributions to Communications and public service in 2006.

Susan Fitzpatrick is Vice President of the James S. McDonnell Foundation, one of a limited number of international grant makers supporting university-based research in the biological and behavioural sciences through foundation-initiated programs via competitive, peer-review proposal processes. Susan received her PhD in Biochemistry and Neurology from Cornell University Medical College (1984). After five years pursuing in vivo NMR spectroscopic studies of brain metabolism in the Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics at Yale University, her career shifted to non-profit administration. Susan was the Associate Executive Director of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis (1989-1992), a comprehensive basic science and applied science research center focused on restoring neurological function to persons with spinal cord injury. Her responsibilities included all public outreach and educational efforts and she served as the scientific liaison to the development, fundraising, and public relations staff. As Executive Director of the Brain Trauma Foundation (1992-1993), she guided the Foundation through a re-organization to become a leader in advancing the acute care of patients with traumatic brain injury. Joining the James S. McDonnell Foundation in 1993 as the Foundation’s first Program Officer, she was later promoted to Program Director in 1997 and to Vice President in 2000. Susan is an adjunct associate professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis), teaching neuroscience. As well, she lectures and writes on issues concerning the role of private philanthropy in the support of scientific research and on issues related to the public understanding of science.

Dr. Raichle, a neurologist, is a Professor of Radiology, Neurology, Neurobiology and Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St Louis. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, The Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He and his colleagues have made outstanding contributions to the study of human brain function through the development and use of positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Their landmark study (Nature, 1988) described the first integrated strategy for the design, execution and interpretation of functional brain images. Another seminal study led to the discovery that blood flow and glucose utilization change more than oxygen consumption in the active brain (Science, 1988) causing tissue oxygen to vary with brain activity. This discovery provided the physiological basis for subsequent development fMRI and caused researchers to reconsider the dogma that brain uses oxidative phosphorylation exclusively to fuel its functional activities. Finally seeking to explain task-induced activity decreases in functional brain images they employed an innovative strategy to define a physiological baseline (PNAS, 2001; Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2001). This has led to the concept of a default mode of brain function and invigorated studies of intrinsic functional activity, an issue largely dormant for more than a century. An important facet of this work was the discovery of a unique fronto-parietal network in the brain that has come to be known as the default mode network (DMN). This network is now the focus of work on brain function in health and disease worldwide. Dr. Raichle and his group has consistently led in defining the frontiers of cognitive neuroscience through the development and use of functional brain imaging techniques.

Todd Vienneau is a proven pharmaceutical industry leader with 20 years of experience across multiple disciplines.  He currently holds the position Director, Business Development responsible for New Growth Opportunities at GlaxoSmithKline Canada. He joined GlaxoSmithKline (then GlaxoWellcome) in 1999 and has held multiple senior management positions across many functions including Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs and Pharmaceutical Development.  In 2006, Todd received GSK's Spirit Award for Leadership. Prior to joining GlaxoSmithKline, Todd was with Proctor & Gamble in both their Canadian and Global operations working in OTC Health Care Product Development and Pharmaceutical New Product Development teams. During his career Todd has been involved in the development and commercialization of many products across multiple disease areas.  His broad functional and therapeutic area experience provides a solid foundation for leading efforts across a wide spectrum of disciplines.  Todd holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Waterloo, has excellent people management and communication skills along with a commercial-oriented strategic focus.