Medical Advisers

Norm Buckley, BA (Psych), MD, FRCPC Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesia Acting Scientific Director, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care Director, Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre	Dr. Buckley is a faculty member of McMaster University since 1988, Dr. Norm Buckley has served three term as Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesia, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. Having held hospital administrative positions as Operating Room Director, Chief of Anesthesia (Chedoke McMaster) and Deputy Chief (Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation), Dr. Buckley’s particular interests are pain, both acute and chronic. His clinical work is focused on chronic pain management at the Michael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic, McMaster University Medical Centre. In 2010, Dr. Buckley established and is the director of the Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre. He is scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care. In addition to Dr. Buckley is the nominated principal applicant and Scientific Director of the SPOR-funded Chronic Pain Network. With $25 million in funding, the focus of the Network is improved health outcomes for Canadians living with chronic pain.
Dr. Allen Finley MD FRCPC FAAP	Dr. Allen Finley MD FRCPC FAAP, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who has worked for 20 years in pain research and management. He is a Professor of Anesthesia and Psychology at Dalhousie University, and Medical Director of Pediatric Pain Management at IWK Health Centre in Halifax. He has published over 90 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has lectured widely, with more than 180 invited presentations on six continents. He started the PEDIATRIC-PAIN e-mail discussion list in 1993, bringing together pain researchers and clinicians from over 40 countries. His own research and educational projects have recently taken him to Jordan, Thailand, China, Brazil, and elsewhere. His focus is advocacy for improved pain management for children in both developing and developed countries. On June 9, 2010, he was announced as the inaugural holder of the Dr. Stewart Wenning Endowed Chair in Pediatric Pain Management at the IWK Health Centre.
Dr. Clair Francomano, M.D. Clinical Genetics	Dr. Francomano received her undergraduate degree at Yale University and her medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She trained in internal medicine and medical genetics at Johns Hopkins and joined the full-time Hopkins faculty in 1984. From 1994-2005, she served in the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health. She joined Greater Baltimore Medical Center’s Harvey Institute of Human Genetics in 2005 and was Director of Adult Genetics from 2005 – 2019. In 2019 she moved to Indiana University School of Medicine as Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics. Dr. Francomano is board-certified in internal medicine, clinical genetics and clinical molecular genetics. She is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Human Genetics and the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and is a founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics. Her clinical and research interests include the hereditary disorders of connective tissue, with an emphasis on the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders. She received EDNF’s Shining Star award in 2012 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ehlers-Danlos Society in 2019 for her dedication to people with EDS. As a Medical Advisor to The ILC, she values the opportunity to interact with the Canadian patient population and providers caring for patients with EDS and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders.

Dr. Juan Guzman, MD, MSc, FRCPC	Dr. Juan Guzman is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and Internal Medicine specialist at Hamilton Health Sciences (Hamilton General Hospital Clinical Teaching Unit). After graduating from medical school in Colombia, Dr. Guzman completed a three year Clinical Research Fellowship in Autonomic Disorders at McMaster University in 2007, this was followed by 3 year residency training in Internal Medicine at McMaster University and 1 year of General Internal Medicine Fellowship. He holds a Masters of Sciences degree in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University. He received the Have a Heart Bursary Program Award by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Academy in 2009 as young promising clinical researcher in Cardiovascular Sciences. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and he is a board certified Internal Medicine specialist. He has clinical and research interest in Syncope and Autonomic Disorders such as Pure Autonomic Failure, Multiple Syncope Atrophy, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Vasovagal Syncope. He is staff member of the Syncope and Autonomic Disorders Unit as well as the Autonomic Laboratory affiliated to the Arrhythmia Service at the Hamilton General Hospital. Dr. Guzman has published peer review articles, abstracts, and book chapters and has presented his work in multiple meetings around the world. Dr. Guzman has strong interest in medical education at the graduate and postgraduate level as well as knowledge translation from the teaching hospital to the general practitioner. Dr. Guzman is an active member of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, American Autonomic Society and the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Fraser Henderson Sr., M.D. GUMC Adjunct Professor Imaging Science and Information Systems (ISIS) Neurosurgeon	Professor Fraser C. Henderson, Sr., is Director of Neurosurgery of the Spine and Cranio-cervical Junction, Co-Director of Radio surgery and Medical Director of the Acute and Step-Down Neurosurgical units. He specializes in tumors of the skull base, spinal cord and spine, and has worked with Cyber Knife to advance stereotactic radio surgical treatment of spinal and cranio-cervical tumors. Fraser Henderson was foreman on a cattle station in the Outback of Australia before receiving his bachelor’s and Medical degree at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA. He served for with the Multi-National Peace Keeping Force in Beirut, earning the Navy Commendation Medal for preparedness of and treatment of mass casualties following the terrorist bombing attack in Beirut, Lebanon , October 1983. After completing his residency under Phanor Perot at the Medical University of South Carolina, he returned to complete his active duty obligation at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, as Director of Spine. He was Brigade Neurosurgeon for the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the 1st Gulf War. He then completed a fellowship in Craniospinal surgery under Professor Alan Crockard at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. Finishing his tour with the US Navy, Commander Henderson joined Georgetown University, in Washington D.C. as Director of Neurosurgery of the Spine and Cranio-cervical Junction. He was Co-Director of the Lombardi Neuro-Oncology Division, Co-Director of the CyberKnife Radiosurgery Center, and Medical Director of the Neuroscience Nursing Units. He was Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiology at Georgetown University, where he was active in advancing CyberKnife radiosurgery for treatment of chordoma and other complex spinal tumors. He developed intellectual property for three inventions relating to spinal radiosurgery and spinal cancer, including the TPS® –Telescopic Plate Spacer- a vertebral replacement device for metastatic disease and was Principal Investigator in the translational development of a radio-sensitizing drug, and a drug to block the malignant invasiveness of Glioblastoma Multiforme. Dr. Henderson entered private practice in Bethesda Maryland, as Director of Neurosurgery at Doctors Hospital and Director of the Chiari Center of Excellence, where he is focused on the development of the understanding and treatment of deformity induced injury to the brainstem and spinal cord in Chiari Malformation and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. He is inventor of 11 devices and concepts relating to disorders of the brainstem and spinal cord, has published over 50 peer reviewed articles and book chapters, and given over 130 invited lectures with a focus on craniocervical disorders, Chiari malformation, cancer, radiosurgery and unusual problems of the spine. Dr Henderson lives with his wife, Becky, and three sons- Fraser, Lansdale and Landon- on a farm in Prince Georges County, Maryland.
Dr. S.S. Kohli, MD, FRCPC	Dr. Kohli is a specialist in Critical care medicine, and commonly cares for adults with difficult to diagnose diseases and chronic pain in the ICU. He is also an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University and takes a special interest in evidence based medicine, education, and methods to improve quality of care. Lastly, he is a passionate advocate of improving cardiac arrest across the province and serves as the medical director for ACLS at the Michener institute. His main motivation for joining the ILC is to improve the care of those neglected by our health care system because their medical problems are complex, rare, and poorly understood. The care of such patients presents a challenge in terms of resources and mindset. Dr. Kohli comes from a background of space medicine and as a former astronaut candidate, he enjoys being part of a team to help overcome such challenges.
Dr. Kristianna Martiniuk, MD, BSc, CCFP, FCFP	Dr. Martiniuk is Lead Physician at the Trafalgar Sheddon Family Health Organization and is an active staff member at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital with privileges in Obstetrics, Surgical assists, Pediatrics, Maternal-child committee member. In addition to her dedication to her patients, Dr. Martiniuk offers her expertise as the site lead for EMR implementation to support the entire practice. As Fellow, the Ontario College of Family Physicians, Dr. Martiniuk’s dedication includes Family Physician Mentor Collaborative Stroke Care. Dr. Martiniuk lives within the Halton Region and is married with 4 children. (905) 845-8771
Dr. Roberto Mendoza, MD, MSc, FACMG	Dr. Mendoza obtained his Medical and Master’s degree in Biology with emphasis in Human Genetics degree from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia. He completed a residency in paediatrics at the State University of New York in Brooklyn and a fellowship in clinical and metabolic genetics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas. Dr. Mendoza has a long standing interest in the genetics of skeletal dysplasias, inherited bone disorders and connective tissue disorders.
Gail Ouellette, Ph.D., CCGC	Gail Ouellette is a geneticist and a certified genetic counsellor. She is a co-founder and president-CEO of the Quebec Coalition of Orphan Diseases (Regroupement québécois des maladies orphelines, RQMO) and of the Rare Disease Information and Resource Centre. She is also coordinator of the Orphanet-Quebec project. She obtained her Ph.D. in molecular genetics at Université de Montréal. She did her postdoctoral studies in genetic epidemiology at the Centre for Human Genetics in Leuven, Belgium. She was a researcher at Algene Biotechnologies and Signalgene where she worked in gene discovery for complex diseases in founder populations. In 1999, she left the laboratory and the computer to train for a Master’s in Genetic Counselling at McGill University in order to do clinical genetics. She worked as a genetic counsellor at the Centre hospitalier universitaire of Sherbrooke and at Procréa Cliniques in Montreal. Since 2005, she has been involved with various patient organizations in Canada and co-founded the RQMO in 2010.
Christina Pridmore, R. Kin, D.O.M.P., D.Sc.O. Registered Kinesiologist, Osteopathic Manual Practitioner	Christina graduated with a Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University in 1996. She furthered her education by becoming a certified Pilates Instructor with Stott Pilates in 2001. As a Registered Kinesiologist with the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario, Christina works with patients to improve physical health by creating personalized exercise programs which focus on injury rehabilitation, prevention and improved strength, flexibility and biomechanics. Christina graduated as Valedictorian from Canadian College of Osteopathy in Toronto in 2013. She completed her post-graduate thesis entitled, “The effect of global osteopathic treatment on accommodative insufficiency in children aged 7-15 years”. Her research won the William Garner Sutherland award for the advancement of clinical osteopathy. Christina’s treatment philosophy involves a continuum of care, incorporating both osteopathy and therapeutic exercise, to help patients reach their individual goals. She works with people of all ages and abilities with a particular interest in chronic conditions and pediatric osteopathy.
Dr. James T. Rutka, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS, FAAP, FAANS	Born in Toronto, and educated at Princeton University (1975-1977), and Queen’s University Medical School (1977-1981), Dr. Rutka did an internship at McGill University (1981-1982) before entering the University of Toronto Neurosurgery Training Program in 1982. His training included a research fellowship at the Brain Tumor Research Centre, the University of California San Francisco where he obtained his PhD in Experimental Pathology (1984-1987). Dr. Rutka assumed his appointment in the Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery in 1990, and has been on the surgical staff at the Hospital for Sick Children in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery since that time. Dr. Rutka’s primary research and clinical interests relate to the science and surgery of human brain tumors. He has over 450 peer reviewed publications. In 1999, Dr. Rutka was promoted to Professor in the Department of Surgery, and was appointed Chairman of the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto. From 1999-2011, Dr Rutka held the Dan Family Chair in Neurosurgery. In 2009, he was the Honored Guest at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons’ Annual Meeting. In 2010-11, Dr Rutka served as President of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. In 2011, he became President of the World Academy of Neurological Surgery, and the American Academy of Neurological Surgery. In 2013, he became the first Canadian to be appointed as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurosurgery. In 2015, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

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The ILC Charitable Foundation cannot provide medical or pharmaceutical advice. The ILC does not endorse any one method of treatment. The ILC encourages all people suffering from chronic pain to take as active a part in managing their pain experience as possible. The ILC advocates to provide as complete a support network as possible but in no way intends the resources to be a full representation of available sources of support as we are continuously updating information.

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