2025 CERAH Conference | Plenary Speakers & Presenters

ANDRÉ PICARD

Award-Winning National Health Writer and Author

André Picard is one of Canada’s top health and public policy observers and commentators. He  has been a part of The Globe and Mail team since 1987, where he is a health reporter and  columnist. He is also the author of six bestselling books.

André is an eight-time nominee for the National Newspaper Awards, Canada’s top journalism  prize, where he has twice been named the country’s top newspaper columnist. He is past  winner of the prestigious Michener Award for Meritorious Public Service Journalism, and the  Centennial Prize of the Pan-American Health Organization, awarded to the top health reporter in  the 17 countries of the Americas.

André’s work has been recognized by a number of health advocacy groups. He was named  Canada’s first “Public Health Hero” by the Canadian Public Health Association and a  “Champion of Mental Health” by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health.  He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his dedication to improving  healthcare. 

In 2023, André was appointed to the Order of Canada for his lifelong dedication to advancing  public health understanding and practices within the nation. 

A graduate of the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, André has received honorary doctorates from eight universities, including UBC and the University of Toronto. 

He is a seasoned communicator who employs a conversational style to reach his audience. Additionally, he enlivens his research and commentary with personal stories to provide context for his audience. Fluently bilingual, André will enlighten and pique a sense of curiosity of audience members from all educational backgrounds. Behind the placid exterior lies an inquisitive, perceptive and industrious scribe for whom the work only begins with the official story.

LAURA TAMBLYN WATTS

President & CEO

As the CEO of CanAge, Laura Tamblyn Watts embodies a commitment to the betterment of elder care and seniors’ rights. Her multifaceted career spans law, academia, and policy development, reflecting a dedication to impactful advocacy and education.

With a legal background as a member of the BC Bar since 1999, Laura has leveraged her expertise to advance the interests of seniors, serving as National Director of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law and as Chief Public Policy Officer at CARP. Her academic role as an Assistant Professor (status) at the University of Toronto’s Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work underscores her commitment to shaping future professionals in the field.

Recognized for her leadership with a Community Leadership in Justice Fellowship by the Law Foundation of Ontario, Laura’s influence is felt both nationally and internationally through her affiliations with global universities. Her governance experience is extensive, including positions as a Board Director with the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), and past roles with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC).

Laura’s compassionate service is evident through her board memberships with Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario, PACE Independent Living, and the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO). Her consumer advocacy is further demonstrated in her role as Chair of the Consumer Advisory Panel of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) and membership on the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) Consumer Advisory Panel.

Her instrumental role in the Canadian Standards Association’s development of National Standards for Long Term Care, and ongoing work for Home and Community Care standards, showcases her commitment to systemic improvement.

As an in-demand speaker, Laura has shared her insights at numerous global forums and has been a prominent media figure, participating in over 4000 interviews since 2020. Her forthcoming book, “Let’s Talk About Aging Parents,” anticipated for release in April 2024, reflects her engaging approach to discussing the complexities of aging.

Laura Tamblyn Watts’ professional journey is not just defined by her achievements but by her unwavering dedication to enhancing the lives of seniors across Canada and beyond.

DR. CHRISTOPHER MUSHQUASH

HBSc., M.A., Ph.D., C.Psych.

Dr. Mushquash is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, and Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Division of Human Sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. He is also Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Chief Scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.

He is the Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Lakehead University. In addition to his academic appointments, Dr. Mushquash is a registered clinical psychologist providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for First Nations children, adolescents, and adults at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care.

In 2017, Dr. Mushquash was inducted in the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Dr. Mushquash previously served as a board member for the Ontario Psychological Association, and is currently on the boards of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the George Jeffrey Children’s Centre.

Dr. Mushquash is Anishinawbe (Ojibway) and a member of Pawgwasheeng (Pays Plat First Nation).

DR. PAMELA WILLIAMSON

Chair, National Seniors Council; Owner, Biish Management and Consulting

Dr. Pamela Williamson is a member of Moose Deer Point First Nation and the Sturgeon (N’Me) clan. She was raised and currently lives on Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island), Ontario, where she resides with her husband of 43 years. She has three adult children, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. 

Dr. Williamson’s doctorate degree is from the Ontario Institute of Education – University of Toronto in Administration-Higher Education. Her master’s degree also focused on Higher Education and was acquired from Central Michigan University. For over twenty plus years, Pamela worked in a senior administration capacity in both post-secondary (at the college level) and in primary health care. She is a published author and has maintained a keen interest in participating and supporting Indigenous community based health research, including a culturally relevant dementia assessment, community-based ethics reviews, hypertension, etc. 

Prior to retiring from full-time work, she was the Executive Director of a progressive Indigenous primary health care organization, Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of specialized professionals including medical, mental health and addictions, health promotion, and traditional services. During that time, she participated with local and provincial partners in successfully advocating for new programs and services based on health and wellness needs of the area First Nation communities. A key focus was ensuring quality care and extending the time Elders could remain with appropriate care within their own homes. 

Dr. Williamson is currently an entrepreneur and the sole owner of Biish Management and Consulting, working primarily with Indigenous health and First Nation organizations.  

She continues to advocate and promote awareness of the needs and priorities of First Nation, Indigenous and rural communities through voluntary participation on national, provincial, and regional boards and councils. Pamela currently is the chair of the National Seniors Council (reporting to the Minister of Seniors, Joanne Thompson). Selected as an expert panel, the National Seniors Council recently published a report on aging at home and have also written reports on a number of issues and priorities facing older Canadians. The Council is currently providing input into the National Caregiving Strategy focussing on caregiving as it relates to older adults. 

Dr. Williamson also participates on the Skhaabe Makwa Council (Centre for Addictions and Mental Health – CAMH), the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB), and Health Sciences North (board and committee member – Governance and Nominating and Long-term Planning committees). 

As a participant in the inaugural conference of the Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health (CERAH), Pamela is both humbled and looking forward to being part of an opportunity to share knowledge and ideas that can improve the health and wellbeing, and quality of life of our community members. 

DR. KELLI STAJDUHAR

RN, Ph.D.

Kelli Stajduhar, RN, PhD is a Professor in the School of Nursing and a Research Fellow with the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria. Dr. Stajduhar has worked in oncology, palliative care, and gerontology as a nurse, educator, and researcher. Her practice and research focuses on end-of-life, caregiving, and marginalized populations. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Canadian Academy of Nursing. In 2021, Dr. Stajduhar received the Tier 1 CRC in Palliative Approaches to Care in Aging and Community Health.

NANCY ANGUS

Founder, Age BIG

Nancy Angus is based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lakehead University and certificates from Toronto Metropolitan University (Gerontology) and the University of Victoria (Adult and Continuing Education).  

After 35 years in the full-time workforce, with roles in recreation, volunteer management and freelance writing & broadcasting, she launched Age BIG.   As a speaker, storyteller, community connector and workshop facilitator, Nancy engages individuals and audiences to age BIG – Boldly, Inquisitively and Gratefully.   Age BIG promotes social health through creativity, community and connection.

She has been recognized as an Influential Woman of Northern Ontario in 2015 and a Superior Northerner in 2017.  This year she is honoured to be named an Ontario Community Changemaker by 8 80 Cities and The Balsam Foundation.

A believer in life-long learning through recreation, she learned to swim at age 55.  And, as a true recreationist, she threw herself a party at a municipal outdoor pool to celebrate this accomplishment!   

DR. HOLLY PRINCE

Ph.D., MSW

Holly Prince is an Anishinaabekwe and a member of Opwaaganisiniing in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. She has a Master’s in Social Work and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies.

Holly’s research focuses on decolonial and Indigenist education, Indigenous health equity, the resurgence and re-activation of Indigenous Knowledges, and community-based research. 

She has devoted the last 20 years to advancing the right of Indigenous peoples’ access to culturally appropriate and equitable palliative care and has mobilized her efforts as a national champion of human rights and dignity for people preparing to journey back to the spirit world. More recently, Holly was awarded the King Charles II Coronation Medal for her unwavering dedication and contributions to hospice palliative care in Canada.

DR. MARK LACHMANN

Medical Director, Geriatric Psychiatry

Dr. Lachmann is the Vice President, Medical Affairs, Sinai Health. He is a geriatric psychiatrist with working with patients in acute, rehabilitation, long-term care, and community settings. He is the Geriatric Psychiatry Director for the Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Office in Ontario and sits on the Geriatric and Long Term Care Death Review Committee of the Coroner’s Office. Prior to geriatric psychiatry, Dr. Lachmann worked as a family physician for 10 years on James Bay and Baffin Island. Primary clinical and research interests are in cross-cultural community based seniors mental care in urban and rural settings and trauma informed care.