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Summary of affiliations and Interests: Canadian Pain Task Force

In accordance with the Health Canada Policy on External Advisory Bodies (2011), all members were asked to disclose affiliations and interests relevant to the Canadian Pain Task Force mandate.

Before every meeting, the Co-Chairs and Executive Secretary will review each member’s declarations in light of the various items on the agenda. Based on this review, they will decide, if necessary, to limit a member’s participation in all or part of the meeting agenda. They will inform the member of this decision.

As well, upon receipt of the meeting agenda, members are expected to review their own affiliations and interests against agenda items and advise the Co-Chairs and Secretariat if they see a potential cause for concern regarding the integrity and objectivity of their participation.

Summaries are provided for each of the Task Force members based on the following questions.

  1. Direct financial interests

    Do you, your spouse/partner, or dependent minor child have any current direct financial interests (i.e., current employment, investments in companies, partnerships, equity, royalties, joint ventures, trusts, real property, stocks, shares or bonds) in the regulated cannabis, therapeutic product, and/or medical device industries, or any other private sector industry with interests in pain management?

  2. Indirect financial interests
    1. Within the past five years, have you or your spouse/partner received payment for work done or being done, or financial support, from a private sector organization that has an interest in the mandate of the advisory body? Include past employment, contracts or consulting, research support, personal education grants, contributions, fellowships, sponsorships, and honoraria for teaching, speaking, or writing engagements.
    2. Within the past five years, have you or your spouse/partner received materials, discounted products, gifts, or other benefits, or attended conferences or meetings where all or part of the travel and accommodation costs were provided by a private sector organization that has an interest in the mandate of the advisory body?
    3. Within the past five years, have any of the organizations where you or your spouse/partner are currently employed or where you or your spouse/partner participate in internal decision making (that is, as a board member or as an executive or non-executive director), received grants or other funding from a private sector organization that has an interest in the mandate of the advisory body?
  3. Intellectual interests
    1. Within the past five years, provided any formal advice or opinion to industry; a Canadian federal, provincial, or municipal government; a foreign government; or a non-government organization on a matter of relevance to the mandate of the advisory body. Include expert testimony or acting as witness (full or part-time), participation on an advisory body, etc.
    2. Made public a statement (speeches, lobbying, etc.) or publicly stated a point of view (including in scientific papers, articles, journals, or other publications, or on websites) on issues of relevance to the advisory body’s mandate.
    3. Current professional or volunteer affiliations (such as membership in professional/scientific societies, trade associations, and lobbying, public interest, or advocacy groups) that may have an interest in the mandate and work of this advisory body.
  4. Other

    Additional affiliations and interests, or potential circumstances that might give a well-informed member of the public reasonable apprehension or grounds for concern regarding the integrity and objectivity of participation in this advisory body.

Summary of Affiliations and Interests
Name
Location		 Indicated Sector and Expertise/Experience Summary of Responses
Direct financial interests Indirect financial interests Intellectual interests Others

Dr. Fiona Campbell

Co-Chair

Ontario

Anesthesiology, pain focused researcher

1. No

2a. No

2b. No

2c. Yes

3a. Yes

3b. Yes

3c. Yes

4. No

Comments:

  • Immediate Past President of the Canadian Pain Society (CPS). The CPS Awards and Annual Scientific Program receives some arms-length funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Co-Chair, Ontario Pediatric Chronic Pain Advisory Network to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
  • Chair, Advisory Panel, Pain Society of Alberta
  • Called publicly for a Canadian pain strategy and a national coordinating body.
  • Member, Opioid Emergency Task Force, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Ontario
  • Member, CIHR’s Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Chronic Pain Network

Maria Hudspith

Co-Chair

British Columbia

Chronic pain advocacy and awareness, researcher, lived/living experience

1. No

2a. No

2b. No

2c. Yes

3a. Yes

3b. Yes

3c. Yes

4. No

Comments:

  • Member of the Executive and Steering Committees for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR) Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Chronic Pain Network (CPN). This is a federal funding program where CIHR funding is matched by funding from external sources including some funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Founding Executive Director of Pain BC. Prior to 2017, Pain BC received some funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Strategic Advisor, BC Ministry of Health Provincial Pain Strategy since February 2017
  • Public statements on multi-disciplinary pain management approaches
  • Speaks publicly about living with pain and the impacts of pain on peoples’ lives
  • Member of the BC Pain Research Network, UBC

Melissa Anderson

Member

Ontario (On leave)

Physiotherapy

1. No

2a. No

2b. No

2c. Yes

3a. No

3b. Yes

3c. Yes

4. No

Comments:

  • Former employee, Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA). The CPA receives 90% of their funding from membership fees and some funding from corporate sponsors including physiotherapist equipment and supply companies.
  • Public statements on the role of physiotherapy and the CPA in chronic pain management and the opioid crisis
  • Member and CPA representative, Coalition for Safe and Effective Pain Management

Manon Choinière

Member

Quebec

Psychology, pain-focused researcher

1. No

2a. No

2b. No

2c. Yes

3a. Yes

3b. Yes

3c. Yes

4. No

Comments

  • Member, Steering and Executive Committee, CPN.
  • Member, Executive Committee, Quebec Association of Chronic Pain. Prior to 2019, the association received some funding from the pharmaceutical industry. The organization is no longer accepting funding from this source.
  • Member, Scientific Advisory Board of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University. Since 2014, Dr. Choinière has received some payment for her work on evaluating grant applications for the Institute.
  • A founding member of the Quebec Pain Research Network.
  • Member, Québec Population Health Research Network
  • Member, Standing Committee on Thematic Networks of the Quebec Research Fund - Health (FRQS), Quebec Department of Health and Social Services

Dr. Hani El-Gabalawy

Member

Manitoba

Rheumatology, researcher 

1. No

2a. No

2b. No

2c. No

3a. Yes

3b. Yes

3c. No

4. No

Comments:

  • Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis, 2013 to 2017. Developed a research agenda for chronic pain as part of the Institute’s strategic plan. Hosted a Summit with stakeholders and published a report on the CIHR website in September 2016.
  • Volunteer, Arthritis Society, and previously (2018) paid consultant. Contributed to the development of the organization’s five-year strategic plan in which chronic pain is an important element.
  • Endowed Rheumatology Research Chair, University of Manitoba

Jacques Laliberté

Member

Quebec

Chronic pain advocacy and awareness, lived/living experience

1. No

2a. No

2b. No

2c. Yes

3a. Yes

3b. Yes

3c. Yes

4. No

Comments:

  • Co-Chair, Executive Steering Committee, CPN
  • Founding director, volunteer president (2004-2015), and immediate past president of the Quebec Association of Chronic Pain
  • Advocated publicly for a national pain strategy and in a letter to the Minister of Health in 2016.

Michael Sangster

Member

Nova Scotia

Physiotherapy, pediatric pain

1. No

2a. Yes

2b. No

2c. No

3a. No

3b. No

3c. No

4. No

Comments:

  • Received an honorarium, as well as reimbursement of travel and accommodations expenses from an orthotics company for speaking at their national conference.
  • Member, Atlantic Pain Conference 2020 Planning Committee

Dr. Jaris Swidrovich

Member

(stepped down April 2021)

Saskatchewan

Pharmacy, Indigenous health

1. No

2a. No

2b. No

2c. No

3a. No

3b. Yes

3c. No

4. No

Comments:

  • Advocates publicly for harm reduction approaches and trauma-informed care for patients living with substance use disorders.
  • Advocate of Indigenous health.
  • Authored an article under consideration for publication in the Canadian Pharmacists journal regarding the availability of opioid agonist therapies in Canadian pharmacies
  • Member, Canadian Pharmacists Association
  • On April 22, 2021, acclaimed as the NDP Candidate for Saskatoon West in the next federal election. 

Linda Wilhelm

Member

New Brunswick

Chronic pain advocacy and awareness, lived/living experience

1. No

2a. No

2b. No

2c. Yes

3a. No

3b. No

3c. Yes

4. No

Comments:

  • Member, Steering Committee, CPN.
  • President, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA). CAPA is a small patient-driven and patient-focused organization that is funded from multiple sources including some funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Atlantic Canada representative and Co-Chair, Consumer Advisory Council, Canadian Arthritis Network
  • Member, Operations Committee, Best Medicines Coalition
  • Past Member, Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network Steering Committee
  • Patient Partner and Member, Steering Committee, CIHR’s Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Evidence Alliance Network

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