Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud

Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud is Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and critical care physician and Director of Medical Education at Hamilton Health Sciences. She is the Scientific Director of Sepsis Canada, a research collaborative of over 250 scientists, knowledge users and patients and family partners. As a clinician scientist she studies sepsis from the bench to the bedside. In 2018, the Global Sepsis Alliance awarded her an individual award for her sepsis leadership.

President

Dr. Tex Kissoon

Tex is President of the GSA and past President of the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies. Professor at UBC & BC Children’s Hospital in Critical Care and Global Child Health, Vancouver, Canada. He also holds the UBC BC Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair in Acute and Critical Care for Global Child Health. In 2020, he received the Drs. Vidyasagar and Nagamani Dharmapuri Award, for Sustained Exemplary and Pioneering Achievements in the Care of Critically Ill and Injured Infants and Children.

Vice-President

Kathryn Hendrick

Kathryn Hendrick is a health care communications specialist who has worked in a number of academic health centres and research institutes across Canada. Through the personal experience of caring for her father who had over eighteen bouts of sepsis before his death, Kathryn became an advocate for improved sepsis management through her volunteer role as the Communications Director for the Global Sepsis Alliance, and as a Board member for the Canadian Sepsis Foundation. Her advocacy efforts have been greatly informed through her work as a patient representative with Sepsis Canada and several research initiatives through the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group.

Secretary

Tom has been part of Sepsis Alliance since 2007, serving as President and CEO since 2013. He has led Sepsis Alliance to consecutive years of growth including the organization’s drive to increase sepsis awareness from 19% to 65% and the expansion of sepsis.org to a site serving more than 2 million patients, family members, caregivers, and medical professionals each year. Tom also led the organization’s efforts to launch Sepsis Alliance Clinical Community and Sepsis Alliance Institute, which have trained more than 40,000 health professionals, and Sepsis Alliance Voices, a platform for national and state advocacy. The organization’s focus is on education and training, equity-diversity-inclusion, antimicrobial stewardship, and innovation.

Director

Thomas Heymann

In the spring of 2013, I walked into the local emergency room and in the blink of an eye my life was changed forever. I became know around the world as the “dog bite lady” after an infection and septic shock took my limbs and almost took my life. Sepsis/Septic Shock survival is often the first of many steps on a very long and complicated road to infection recovery. I started speaking publicly about my journey with Sepsis in 2014 when invited to speak at a high school. I have since spoken at various events. I am a patient advocate and lead a number of support teams for Canadian and International Sepsis Survivors and Sepsis Amputee’s.

Director

Christine Caron

Dr. Saad Salim is an experienced administrative research leader with expertise in research strategy, knowledge mobilization, grant development, and national research coordination. He holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Master of Health Sciences from McMaster University, followed by a PhD from Sweden and postdoctoral training at the University of Alberta, supported by CIHR and Alberta Innovates. Throughout his career, Dr. Salim has worked across clinical research, university research administration, and national health research initiatives. As Managing Director of Sepsis Canada, he collaborates with researchers, clinicians, patients and family partners, and policymakers to advance collaborative research, strengthen partnerships, and translate research into meaningful improvements in healthcare.

Saad Salim

Director

Meet the Board of Directors