As Global Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS (JLABS), Melinda Richter fosters the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies external R&D engine and supports the innovation community by creating capital-efficient commercialization models that give early stage companies a big company advantage.
By providing infrastructure, services, educational programs and networks in global hotspots, JLABS is the best place to start a company working in healthcare, with a specific emphasis on Johnson & Johnson’s sectors: consumer, medical device and pharmaceuticals.
Think about what you do every single day – you eat, sleep, work, exercise, and perform various activities.
But imagine if everything you do had to be constantly interrupted by going to the washroom? Or what if you had to scrutinize every single thing you put in your mouth for fear of upsetting your body? Not only could you be affected physically by the symptoms, there could also be a toll on your mental and emotional health.
Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are impacted by these symptoms every day. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, major categories of IBD, can be debilitating conditions, and sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. [1] Patients often experience waves of remission, relapses, and flare-ups – diet and stress can quickly cause IBD to become active. [2]
On May 28th, learn from patients with IBD on the different strategies, medications and tools they are using to manage their IBD, as well what future treatments they hope to see to address their needs, as well as what gaps they feel missing in healthcare for this disease.
[1] Mayo Clinic, Ulcerative Colitis
[2] Mayo Clinic, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Mina Mawani joined Crohn’s and Colitis Canada as President and CEO in April 2015. With over 15 years of experience in non-profit, private sector, hospital, and government roles, Mina is now turning her attention to making Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis stop. For life.
Mina is an experienced leader and change navigator, guiding non-profits from vision to strategy to results. Applying her passion and enthusiasm to the Crohn’s and colitis community, Mina is deeply engaged with the issues that matter most to her constituents – finding cures and improving lives for the nearly 250,000 Canadians affected by these chronic diseases.
Mina currently serves on the Boards of Seneca College, Research Canada and Pine River Institute and served on the Board of Women’s College Hospital (where she chaired the Governance and Nominating Committee). Mina is a member of the International Women’s Forum Canada (IWFC).
Montana Skurka is an integrative wellness educator with a focus on the mind-body connection and a holistic approach to healthcare. She is dedicated to helping individuals navigate their journey to health and wellness through coaching, advocacy and mindful movement. Montana’s personal experience as a patient informs her passion for connecting others to their personal agency, resilience and inner wisdom. She hosts the Life Support podcast, an interview series that explores an integrative approach to physical and mental helath & ways to re-humanize our healthcare system. Find out more and get in touch with Montana through her website: www.montanaskurka.com
Naji is a university student at Western University where he is pursuing his dream of becoming a teacher. After being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2011, Naji decided to make a positive impact on the student community while at university by founding the Crohn’s and Colitis Club of Western. He established the student club with the intentions of building awareness about inflammatory bowel disease, raising funds for research and creating a supportive space for students. Persisting through the challenge of managing his colitis while working part-time, completing schoolwork and volunteering as a high school volleyball coach taught Naji the importance of resilience and time management. Having personally gone through many life challenges after his diagnosis, Naji is eager to pass on to his students as a teacher that no matter what challenges you face in life, you can and will succeed through dedication and perseverance.
Dr. Huang is an Assistant Professor and Clinician Investigator in the Division of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital & the University of Toronto. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Alberta. She completed medical school and internal medicine residency at Queen’s University, and Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Toronto. Funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions clinician research fellowship, she obtained an Advanced IBD clinical research fellowship and Masters of Science (Medicine) at the University of Alberta where she developed the Northern Alberta Preconception and Pregnancy in IBD clinical research program and continues to direct clinical research. At Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, she is establishing the Preconception and Pregnancy in IBD clinical research program for Toronto and Ontario. Her primary clinical research interests include using multidisciplinary approaches and e-health strategies to incorporate P4 (predictive, preventive, participatory, personalized) medicine to optimize maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes in IBD, and conducting translational studies investigating the impact of maternal IBD and therapies on the fetus and neonate.
Dr. Marko is a Clinical Research Scientist in the Immunology Therapeutic area at Janssen Pharmaceutical R&D in Spring House, PA. In her role, Dr. Marko contributes to the design, implementation, and data review of clinical studies for drugs in early phase development. Through her work on the VE202 drug development program, a rationally-defined microbial biotherapeutic being developed to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Dr. Marko has developed keen insights and expertise into both the challenges and transformational potential of live microbial biotherapeutic drug development for the treatment of autoimmune disorders.
Dr. Marko received her MS and PhD in Cell and Molecular Nutrition from Tufts University with a specialty in Immunology, specifically evaluating how T cells signal in an aging population and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Tumor Biology with a focus on vaccine development at Georgetown University Lombardi Cancer Center.
Linda is the parent of a 16 year old son living with Crohn's disease. Diagnosed at 10 years of age, Linda has supported her son through the unpredictability of the disease and processed her own grief over the loss of health and adjusting to their “new normal”.
With no known cure, the physical and emotional challenges that children with Crohn's disease experience affect the whole family.
Linda looks forward to sharing her experiences and the balancing act as a parent/caregiver with you.
