Program Management

Aviva Blacher

Program Manager

Aviva Blacher has over 10 years of experience in clinical research and is passionate about using research to improve standards of care. She currently manages the ACT Portfolio Hospital program, which helps expand access to clinical trials in community hospitals across Canada.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science (Honours) in Cognitive Science from McGill University and a Master of Science in Clinical Science and Psychopathology from Western University.

Kate Brady

Associate Program Manager

Kate Brady has worked in clinical research since 2008 and joined PHRI in 2010. She has experience in coordinating large international clinical trials and observational studies with a focus on cardiac surgery. She has an Honour’s Bachelor Degree in Science with an Honours Specialization in Genetics from Western University and a post-graduate certificate in Clinical Research from Humber College.

Dipika Desai

Program Manager

Dipika Desai oversees many epidemiologic studies, including the South Asian birth cohort, START, the South Asian Heart Risk Assessment (SAHARA), and the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds (CAHHM), as well as management assistance and oversight in the utilization of samples from a number of other studies.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition from the M S University in Baroda, India, and a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition from the University of British Columbia.

Valerie Harvey

Associate Program Manager

Valerie Harvey is an Associate Program Manager with more than 12 years’ experience in clinical research at PHRI. She currently coordinates and manages interventional trials and observational studies in Digital Health in the areas of perioperative medicine and cardiac surgery. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (Honours) in Biological Sciences from Brock University.

Alexander Lim

Director, ACT Consortium

Alexander Lim has more than 10 years of health sector experience at the local, regional, provincial, and pan-Canadian levels. As a health system leader, his work has focused on health system transformation, program development and implementation, and quality improvement.

Alex holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto, a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Waterloo, and a Master of Law degree specializing in Health Law from Osgoode Hall Law School (York University). He is also a certified Project Management Professional.

Tara McCready

Program Director

Tara McCready, PhD, oversees a variety of collaborative programs at PHRI, and serves as Project Manager for PHRI research studies and registries.

She was recruited to PHRI as a Program Director for the Canadian Network and Centre for Trials Internationally (CANNeCTIN), a national network funded by the CIHR/CFI Clinical Research Initiative program to improve the prevention and treatment of cardiac and vascular diseases and diabetes.

Previously the Executive Director of the Canadian Maternal, Infant, Child and Youth Research Network, Tara holds a PhD in Biochemistry and a MBA in Technology Commercialization from the University of Alberta.

Sumathy Rangarajan

Program Director

Sumathy Rangarajan has been Program Director, Global Health, since 2016, preceded by many years’ service at PHRI in other roles. She oversees the PURE study team, as well as the INVICTUS rheumatic AF treatment trial, the CANPWR pediatric weight management registry, and others.

She holds both a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master of Science degree from Pune University in India.

Jessica Tyrwhitt

Program Director

Jessica Tyrwhitt has more than 10 years’ experience in coordinating and managing large, international clinical trials. She oversees interventional trials, registries, and observational research studies looking at primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in a variety of therapeutic areas, including cardiology, thrombosis, nephrology, cardio-oncology and diabetes.

She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science Degree & Business from the University of Waterloo.

Amanda Taylor

Associate Program Manager

Amanda Taylor is an Associate Program Manager who currently coordinates trials in stroke, and has experience conducting trials in acute coronary syndrome and arrhythmia. Amanda joined PHRI in 2007. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (Honours) in Neurobiology from Brock University.