Leadership Team

As a co-investigator with Diabetes Action Canada and as part of the Program for Health System and Technology Evaluation, he is involved in designing interventions to increase diabetic retinopathy screening and the evaluation of foot and wound care pathways for individuals living with diabetes, supported by hospital or provincial administrative data where possible.

Shannon Carkner is the Campaign Director for the diabetes campaign at UHN Foundation. Shannon is a passionate and experienced fundraiser and certified CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive), with a track record of achieving campaign results, primarily in the heath charity landscape. Her deep passion for the diabetes community is evidenced by her 5 years with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) prior to joining UHN Foundation to focus on the diabetes portfolio. Shannon is deeply committed to serving the diabetes community by raising the much needed funds to address the relentless and devastating impacts of living with diabetes.

Carlos Larrain Herrera joins Diabetes Action Canada after working as an Administrative Assistant with the Toronto General Research Hospital Institute at UHN. He brings years of experience from his role as a client success specialist and project manager in the start-up community where he managed client portfolios, developed business relationships, and created operational processes. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Chemistry and Biology with a minor in French Studies from the University of Toronto. While at university, he joined many student organizations in senior leadership positions including LSAS, MoveU, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and NAMUN. Coupled with his experience in the start-up sector, Carlos brings years of experience in time management, team work, organization, and interpersonal skills to the team.

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.