Leadership Team

Elise Kammerer joins Diabetes Action Canada as the Project Lead for the Connect1d Canada platform, and is based at the Alberta Diabetes Institute at the University of Alberta.

Laurie is excited to join Diabetes Action Canada as the Francophone Engagement Coordinator, bringing a strong background in patient advocacy, research, and community engagement. Drawing from her own lived experience with type 1 diabetes, she is passionate about fostering inclusivity and addressing the unique challenges faced by Francophone populations within the diabetes community. Laurie holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Montreal.

Mildred Lim graduated in Economics from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Her current role as the Business Officer at Diabetes Action Canada is to administer the financial matters and inter-institutional agreements for the Network, as well as provide administrative support to the Steering Council and its Standing Committees. Prior to joining the team at Diabetes Action Canada, Mildred provided administrative support to the Division of Endocrinology at the University of Toronto and the Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment (THETA) Collaborative. Mildred had considerable experience in coordinating the secretariat functions of the board of governors and senate, as well, the graduation ceremony of a tertiary institution in Singapore before her move to Canada.

Julie Makarski is the new DAC 2.0 Knowledge Mobilization Research Manager and Implementation Support Practitioner (2022). She brings 20+ years of research and leadership experience to the role, including knowledge mobilization and implementation science and practice. Julie has also held various roles in the health and social care fields including client-facing and volunteer roles involving program development and relationship building with various partners. 

Linxi Mytkolli started with Diabetes Action Canada as a Patient Partner for over a year, she is now excited to join the team in her new capacity as the Lead of Patient Engagement and Knowledge Mobilization. Prior to joining DAC, she was a Senior Program Manager supporting a national suicide prevention and life promotion program with the Mental Health Commission of Canada. In this work, she focused on centering the wisdom of those with lived and living experience, while also translating findings from academic partners into tangible tools for the participating communities. In addition to her leadership in the mental health space, Linxi has more than six years of experience leading national programs in urban research, youth wellbeing, and sustainability in healthcare. Linxi holds a Bachelor of Science in Biopharmaceutical Sciences (uOttawa) and a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from the University of Toronto.

Conrad Pow holds the position of Senior Lead for Digital Health and has the responsibility of overseeing Diabetes Research Connect. This virtual platform plays a crucial role in securely analyzing primary care data. With extensive experience in data governance, privacy-preserving record linkage, and health data research, Conrad is dedicated to advancing health data literacy and promoting evidence-based decision-making in healthcare. As a father of a child with Type 1 Diabetes, Conrad brings a deeply personal perspective to his work, advocating for the importance of data in improving health outcomes for those living with chronic conditions.