NAR Executive Committee

2024 NAR Executive Committee

 

President:  Dr. Lisa Chen

Dr. Lisa Chen is a Professor of Medicine in the division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. She heads the Curry International TB Center at UCSF, which serves as a CDC center of excellence for TB training, education, and consultation for the US. As a clinician, educator and advisor, Lisa has supported the San Francisco TB control program for over 20 years in varying roles, including as former medical director of the Tenderloin Outreach Program for at-risk urban populations. Her international focus for over 15 years has been primarily as a technical advisor to national TB programs in Tanzania, Uganda and Indonesia helping to launch and strengthen their Drug-resistant TB programs, and as an education specialist leading past training initiatives for the International Standards of TB Care. She is the Senior Director for the global MECOR research training program of the American Thoracic Society and currently is deeply involved in the joint UCSF/UCLA California public health training initiative for Covid-19 case investigation and contact tracing.

Vice-President and Program Chair: Dr. Jonathan Golub

Dr. Golub is a Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and International Health at Johns Hopkins University. His research focuses on the epidemiology of tuberculosis in South Africa, Brazil, India, and the US, with specific focus on the drivers of TB in these settings, including tobacco use, alcohol abuse, diabetes, HIV-infection, and indoor air pollution. He is also leading implementation studies designed to increase tuberculosis preventive therapy in people living with HIV and children. He also teaches the Epidemiologic Basis for TB Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Secretary/Treasurer: Dr. Rachel Dwilow

Dr. Rachel Dwilow has been heavily involved in the ongoing TB epidemic in Nunavut, Canada. She works with the Government of Nunavut providing clinical assistance in a TB screening initiative in 2 very remote communities in the Artic using some of the data generated through these outreach programmes for her master’s in public health thesis. Dr Dwilow has also worked in some of the fly-in communities in Northern Manitoba providing on site care for patients with active and latent TB. In addition to her experience in Northern Canada, Dr. Dwilow has also provided TB care in the Marshall Islands. Dr Dwilow will bring to the Union-NAR her experience in the treatment of TB in remote communities. She is enthusiastic and passionate about a future where TB is no longer a health concern for our First Nations and Inuit citizens. She serves the city of Winnipeg in addition to the Province of Manitoba as well as some communities in Nunavut and Northern Ontario.

President Elect: Dr. James Johnston

Dr. James Johnston has served on the NAR Executive Committee for 6 years as the Secretary/Treasurer and as the Vice-President and Program Chair in 2016 and 2017.  Dr. Johnston has remained active in the Union, participating in conference activities including conference planning, abstract and travel grant reviews, post-graduate courses, poster session moderator, session organizer and chair, and invited speaker. 

In his role as Research Lead at the BCCDC, Dr. Johnston’s goal is to produce knowledge that impacts TB screening and treatment policy in British Columbia, Canada and internationally.  His research experience is well documented within his CV (over 100 publications) and involves RCTs (e.g., short course latent and active TB therapy), use of health administrative data to describe TB risk and outcomes, the integration of whole genome sequencing and epidemiological data to describe TB transmission, and most recently examining TB risk and treatment outcomes.  Excellent recent work has focused on post-TB health.  In addition, Dr. Johnston has had much success in grant funding and is recognized by and works with international partners (e.g. CAB-V, TBTC). He supports medical students and residents in TB related research endeavors. He continues to mentor Masters’ level and PhD candidates in research activities that are highly relevant and impactful in the field of TB. 

Immediate Past President: Dr. Kevin Schwartzman

Dr. Kevin Schwartzman is director of the Respiratory Division and Professor of Medicine at McGill University.  He is a clinician-investigator at the Montreal Chest Institute and the McGill International TB Centre, with longstanding clinical and research interest in TB.  His research has focused on TB epidemiology, and the cost-effectiveness of TB-related interventions in a variety of settings.  He is currently Chair of the TB Section of the Union.

Immediate Vice-President: Dr. Sarah Brode

Dr. Sarah Brode is a clinician investigator and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. She is the Physician Lead of the Tuberculosis Program at West Park Healthcare Centre, and is also a staff Respirologist and a clinician in the NTM program at Toronto Western Hospital (University Health Network), in Toronto, Canada. Her research focuses on epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes in tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial disease.

Secretariat: Dr. Menn Biagtan

Dr. Menn Biagtan, is the Vice-President, Health Initiatives and Programs of the BC Lung Foundation overseeing the Foundation’s lung health initiatives local, national, and international projects. In her two decades with the BC Lung Foundation, she has served on numerous committees, working groups and panels to advance lung health. Her focus is on public health, health policy development particularly in the field of air quality and tobacco. One of her many responsibilities is managing the various activities of the Union-North America Region. She has been organizing the annual conference of The Union-NAR (which today is considered as the premier TB conference in North America) since 1998.

Ex-Officio: Mr. Christopher Lam

Mr. Christopher Lam is the President and CEO of the BC Lung Foundation, one of Canada’s most highly respected health agencies. Mr. Lam graduated with honours from the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. He has spent the previous 17 years working for lung health at the BC Lung Foundation and has also spent time working for Paramount Pictures Canada. Chris is currently of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Healthy Living and is also serving on numerous national committees and working groups. Chris has an interest in many areas of public health, health policy development and in particular in air quality and tobacco control, two areas in which the BC Lung Foundation is a recognized leader.

 

 

Page Last Updated: 06/12/2023