Meet our team
The CCCR is staffed by a team of experts with experience in areas including research administration, study operations, finance, regulatory oversight and project management. Through our collective experience, we’re able to offer insight-driven best practices and guidance for conducting clinical research at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Stephen Freedman - Associate Dean, Clinical Trials
Dr. Freedman is Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the University of Calgary. He completed his residency at The Hospital for Sick Children and a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He obtained a Master’s of Science in Clinical Investigation at Northwestern University. He is the Past-Chair of Pediatric Emergency Research Canada and currently serves as the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation Professor in Child Health and Wellness.
His research focuses on applying clinical research to improve outcomes in children seeking emergency department care. His focus is on the use of innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to solve complex problems. He has published over 220 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is the principal investigator on numerous multicentre clinical trials with funding support from CIHR and the NIH. Most recently, he received CIHR funding to lead several multi-national pediatric COVID-19 studies and NIH funding to evaluate an intervention to prevent progression of disease in children infected with Shiga toxin producing E. coli.
Dr. Nina Cluny, PhD - Director, Clinical & Health Services Research
Dr. Nina Cluny previously served as Associate Director at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, where she managed strategic projects and led innovative, multidisciplinary research funding programs across Canada. Her work included a strong focus on clinical and health services research with initiatives such as the Integrated Cannabis Research Strategy and the Research in Substance Use Initiative.
Nina has a proven ability to build partnerships with diverse partners, including federal agencies, health charities, and philanthropic foundations. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Bradford, U.K., and spent over a decade at the University of Calgary where she worked as a postdoctoral fellow, research associate, and instructor before joining CIHR.
Email: ncluny@ucalgary.ca
Our Staff
Shweta Patel, MBBS, CCRP
Shweta brings substantial clinical research and health-care experience to her role as Clinical Trial Program Administrator at the CCCR. This includes more than five years coordinating clinical drug trials in multi-therapeutic areas, from respiratory and metabolic research to dermatology and oncology. In her role, she acts as the primary point of contact with external sponsors and supports investigators with site selection, trial start-up activities and accessing research support services at the University of Calgary.
Shweta’s education includes a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Baroda Medical College in India. She’s also a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP), is an active member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) and holds certifications in both phlebotomy and the transportation of clinical trial samples (IATA).
Phone: 403.210.5460
Email: pats@ucalgary.ca
Start-up Services
Jenna Dobry, BSc, MSL
Jenna serves as the Lead Regulatory Officer- Clinical Research for the University. Jenna received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Calgary. She earned a Master of Science Degree in Law from Northwestern University which provided her with a deep understanding of various regulatory frameworks in clinical research and other STEM fields.
Jenna has held various roles in clinical research at the University of Calgary and with Alberta Health Services. She worked as a Research Coordinator for the Section of Neonatology and held the lead role of Clinical Research Associate in the Hematology, Oncology and Transplant Clinical Research Unit at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
Jenna has a thorough understanding of the complexity of clinical research regulations. Her goal is to make compliance as seamless as possible while ensuring that research teams can focus on keeping their participants safe and producing quality data to improve medical care.
Email: jldobry@ucalgary.ca
Becca McInnes, BCms
As the Communications and Events Specialist at the Calgary Centre for Clinical Research, Becca manages the CCCR website as well as the CSM Legal site and the Heritage Medical Research clinic page. She also organizes key events, including the Community of Practice and Lunch & Learns and creates email announcements for the CCCR.
Becca graduated from the University of Calgary with a degree in Communications and Media Studies. Prior to joining the Calgary Centre for Clinical Research, she gained valuable experience in central communications at the University of Calgary.
Email: rebecca.mcinnes@ucalgary.ca
Finance
Asim Nadeem, B.Com, DCMA
As the Manager of Clinical Research Business Services at CCCR, Asim Nadeem leverages over 23 years of extensive experience in Accounting and Finance, including Clinical Research Budget Negotiation and Grant Management. In this capacity, he offers vital financial support to clinical researchers, specializing in negotiating and advising on clinical trial budgets, and providing the final approvals for all budgets. Asim's administrative oversight extends to clinical trial activities at the University of Calgary, encompassing the management of the Clinical Research Fund (CRF) grant program and the administration of archiving processes for Clinical Trials materials, alongside the development and maintenance of pertinent policies and procedures.
Furthermore, he lends support to the university's Accounts Receivable department in managing unallocated funds and spearheads the creation and development of future web-based programs for CCCR. Asim's academic background is distinguished by a postgraduation in Cost and Management Accounting, in addition to a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a focus on accounting and finance from the University of Punjab in Pakistan. Before joining the University of Calgary in 2021, Asim made valuable contributions as a member of the Clinical Research Finance team at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
Email: asim.nadeem@ucalgary.ca
Sarvjeet Kaur Sodhi, MBA
As the Financial Research Advisor at the CCCR, Sarvjeet provides financial support to clinical research teams. She assists in analyzing clinical trial budgets, negotiates with diverse study sponsors, and ensures compliance with payment terms in clinical research agreements. Additionally, Sarvjeet brings valuable expertise from her previous experiences in Oncology Research at the Tom Baker Cancer Center, as well as in retail banking, where she demonstrated a strong commitment to financial management and client service. Sarvjeet holds a Master of Business Administration from Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia.
Email: sarvjeet.sodhi@ucalgary.ca
Faizan Ahmed, BComm, CAPM
Faizan is a Financial Research Advisor at CCCR where he provides financial support to Principal Investigators and their teams. Faizan reviews Clinical Trial Agreements, analyzes Clinical Research budgets, negotiates with Clinical Research sponsors, and works alongside Legal and Accounts Receivable to ensure meticulous support for Clinical Research teams.
Faizan is a University of Calgary graduate and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance. Additionally, he is a Certified Associate in Project Management. Faizan brings valuable experience through his work with NGO’s, retail brands, and senior management which has helped him successfully transition into his current role.
Email: faizan.ahmed1@ucalgary.ca
Sanica Abbott, PhD in Economics
As a Junior Business Advisor at the Calgary Centre for Clinical Research (CCCR), Sanica provides financial and administrative support to Principal Investigators and research teams. She manages clinical trial budgets, negotiates sponsor terms, reviews agreements, oversees invoicing, and supports project closures to ensure compliance and efficiency.
She collaborates with Legal and Accounts Receivable to maintain contract integrity and timely financial administration, while assisting project holders with budget planning and sponsor negotiations. With a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics and over six years of experience in higher education and research, Sanica brings both technical and financial expertise to research management. Her background in teaching, research writing, and stakeholder communication strengthens CCCR’s operational success and advances clinical research.
Email: sanica.abbott@ucalgary.ca
Majd Alhasan, BComm (Finance)
Majd serves as a Financial Administrator within the CCCR, providing comprehensive financial support to clinical trial and research teams. His responsibilities include managing trial and research transactions, reviewing and negotiating budgets, and leveraging AI and automation expertise to enhance efficiencies.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from the University of Calgary and brings a diverse mix of professional experience, including internal audit within the oil and gas sector, and accounting with an investment dealer. This background, paired with a passion for technological solutions and strong analytical capabilities, helps advance clinical and non-clinical research initiatives across the CCCR.
Majd is committed to continual improvement and to facilitating the financial activities that enable medical research.
Email: majd.alhasan@ucalgary.ca
Clinical Trial Management System & Provincial OnCore Support Team
Mari Boesen, M.Sc., PMP
As the Provincial CTMS Project Manager, Mari is dedicated to the implementation of the new Clinical Trial Management System in Alberta. Mari is passionate about making change as easy as possible and looks forward to setting your team up for success in the system. She knows just how many activities are involved in conducting a clinical trial and thinks that a CTMS is the best way to stay on top of it all!
Mari has a background in Pragmatic Clinical Trials with the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research. While there, she worked on clinical trial training programs, patient-facing clinical research awareness campaigns, and supported many tools and resources for clinical trial conduct in Alberta. She has an educational background in Medical Imaging Research with a BSc in Physics from the University of Victoria, an MSc in Physics from the University of Calgary, and a Project Management Professional designation through the Project Management Institute.
Email: meboesen@ucalgary.ca
Erin Timpson
Erin joined the CCCR team in early 2021 to help with the implementation of the new Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS). Erin's focus is transferring clinical trials and their budgets into OnCore. Through her knowledge of the CTMS, Erin helps teams optimize use of the application, as well as providing resources, information, and support to research teams through the creation and activation of their clinical trials. She is always available to help teams further enhance their experience with CTMS and CCCR through her work with the Provincial OnCore Support Team (POST). Erin looks forward to getting to know you and your team and helping you use our systems to best suit your needs.
Email: erin.timpson@ucalgary.ca
Zoe Downton, BSC
Zoe comes to CCCR with a BSc in Psychology from the University of Alberta. As part of the Provincial OnCore Support Team (POST), her mandate is to assist study teams in maximizing their use of OnCore. Her main role is to provide calendar and budget building for a variety of protocols. She enjoys the challenge of figuring out how to translate protocols into OnCore to ensure she has provided the most appropriate solution for teams. It is with this in mind, she hopes study teams will have the best possible user experience.
Email: zoe.downton@ucalgary.ca
Daniela Slivaric, BA
As a CTMS Specialist Advisor, Daniela serves as a resource for end users, offering support and building relationships with clinical research teams. With an extensive background in leadership, she joins the POST team with a passion for training and customer support. She has over ten years of retail management and onboarding experience, and has moved into healthcare within AHS and private medical clinics.
Daniela has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from York University in Ontario and Medical Office Assistant and Unit Clerk certificate from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Email: daniela.slivaric@ucalgary.ca
Alvina Mountenay, BBA
Alvina is the Manager of Clinical Trial System Services at the CCCR overseeing the Provincial OnCore Support Team (POST). She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Regina and is a graduate of the University of Calgary U Manage and U Lead programs.
Alvina brings a wealth of experience to her role. She has been with the University of Calgary for over 20 years holding finance and business-related positions, and managing information services, financial, facility, and student service teams delivering front end customer support. Alvina has experience with the rollout of a web based non-credit system at the University of Calgary and working with leaders, project teams, and front-line staff to ensure effective change management strategies were used. She has a strong financial and budgeting background, and has managed system testing, upgrades, and data integrations with other University systems.
Email: alvina.mountenay@ucalgary.ca
Colleen Griffith
Colleen joins the POST team as a CTMS Specialist to provide support for end-users including that of technical support and user guidance. She works with research teams to efficiently integrate clinical trial documentation into OnCore requirements.
Colleen has an Advanced Diploma in Biotechnology and a Graduate Certificate in Digital Health from Algonquin College in Ontario. With her background in biotech, Colleen brings experience working in cancer research and biochemical laboratories to the team as well as experience supporting quality improvement initiatives to ensure patient-centered care as a result of pursuing further education in healthcare. Colleen understands the importance of interoperability, user-friendliness, and end-user support first-hand by working in settings that support clinical research and patient care.
Email: colleen.griffith@ucalgary.ca