Laurette was trained in South Africa, has master’s degrees in Anatomical Pathology and Medical Education, and is a Professor at Dalhousie University in Nephropathology. She is a former Division Head of Anatomical Pathology at Nova Scotia Health and is a Past President of the Canadian Association of Pathologists (CAP-ACP), Chair of the CAP-ACP National Specialty Network on the Environment, Secretary of the Doctors NS Section on Planetary Health, Chair of the Nova Scotian Regional Committee of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE NS), and member of the Lab Green Team, the Board of CAPE, the Board of the Ecology Action Centre, and St. Matthew’s United Church Earth Spirit Action Team. She is interested in the greening of health care, the health effects of the climate emergency, and the beneficial health effects of spending time in nature. Her three lovely daughters, her two adorable grandsons, and her love of nature inspire her in her planetary health advocacy.

Program Lead & Jr Faculty, Atlantic Institute for Resilience

Martha is a passionate advocate for mental health and resilience, leveraging her background in therapeutic recreation and current studies in social work. As a program lead and Junior Faculty member at the Atlantic Institute for Resilience (AIR), Martha is committed to delivering evidence-based programs that empower individuals and communities to thrive despite life's challenges. With a wealth of experience working with multidisciplinary teams, and supporting health professionals and service users amidst challenging times, Martha brings valuable insights to this year’s conference theme. Most recently, Martha played a pivotal role in supporting the rollout of the STAR (Stress, Trauma, and Resilience) outpatient program to hospitals in Australia, underscoring her dedication to resilience as a fundamental aspect of well-being. Eager to foster connections and collaboration within the healthcare community, she looks forward to engaging with fellow clinicians at the Conference of Atlantic Medical Students (CoAMS). Martha firmly believes that by sharing experiences, knowledge, and innovative strategies, clinicians can collectively contribute to building a more resilient healthcare system that prioritizes the well-being of both patients and providers.

Julie is a passionate public health professional with ten years of experience in the field, centering on the Commercial Determinants of Health (CDOH). She completed an MSc at the University of Edinburgh in Global Health and Public Policy and has worked in provincial government, health authority, research, and volunteer advocacy capacities. Through her work, she builds policy advocacy strategies that strive to counter unhealthy commodity industry (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, fossil fuel) business and political tactics that are intended to create conditions of regulatory inaction to the benefit of industry interests, yet to the detriment of population and planetary health. She sees an opportunity, and need, for greater public health action in the area of climate change, particularly through bringing forward and expanding the critical concept of CDOH.

Timothy K.S. Christie, BA (UNB), MA (UNB), MHSc (UBC), PhD (Ottawa)

Dr. Timothy Christie is the Regional Director of Ethics Services for Horizon Health Network in New Brunswick. Prior to returning to New Brunswick in 2006 he was the Health Care Ethicist for the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.

Dr. Christie is a philosopher and an epidemiologist specializing in medical ethics. He earned a BA (first class honours) and MA from the University of New Brunswick, a PhD from the University of Ottawa, and a Master of Health Science degree in Epidemiology from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.

In addition to his position as the Director of Ethics Services, he is an Adjunct Professor of Bioethics at Dalhousie University and an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the University of New Brunswick (Saint John campus). Dr. Christie has acted as an ethics consultant for many organizations including: the NB College of Physicians and Surgeons, the NB Nurses Association, and the NB College of Pharmacists. He is also one of the only people in Canada to qualify as an expert witness on informed consent and works with clients across the country.

His research interests are the role of Ethics in Public Policy and Evidence Based Decision Making. In addition to writing numerous technical documents he has recently published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, the International Journal of Drug Policy, Developing World Bioethics, Healthcare Policy, and the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases & Medical Microbiology. In 2022, he was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for his work in addressing systemic racism in Canada.

Andrew Travers, BSc MD MSc FRCPC CCPE

Andrew Travers is a native of Nova Scotia having completed his undergraduate BSc and Medical degrees at Dalhousie University. He pursued postgraduate training in Epidemiology at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Public Health and received his fellowship training in Emergency Medicine with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1999. Currently he is professor and attending medical staff in the Dalhousie Department of Emergency Medicine, with cross-appointments in Community Health & Epidemiology, and is the Provincial Medical Director for Emergency Health Services Nova Scotia. In 2017, he was awarded the credential Canadian Certified Physician Executive from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders.