Dr. Mir is a cardiologist and scientist in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa. He received his B.Sc. (Hon) in Life Sciences at McMaster University. He went on to complete his undergraduate medical education at the University of Western Ontario. From there, he completed his internal medicine and cardiology residency training at McMaster University, where he served as a chief resident in 2015 and 2018, respectively. Dr. Mir went on to complete additional fellowship training in advanced echocardiography (2018-2020) and cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation (2019-2020) at the University Health Network, University of Toronto. Since joining the Heart Institute in 2020, Hassan has played an integral role in smoking and vaping cessation. Dr. Mir serves as Chair of the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation, a systematic approach to smoking cessation which has been implemented in over 500 healthcare sites across Canada, trained over 20,000 healthcare professionals, and supported more than 500,000 individuals who smoke in their journey to reduce or quit smoking. Beyond this, he serves as chair of Health Canada's technical committee developing national standards on smoking cessation and as a member of the Ontario Health – Cancer Care Ontario Smoking Cessation Advisory Committee. Dr. Mir has a strong interest in clinical research related to cardiovascular prevention, smoking/vaping cessation, and digital health. He completed his Master of Health Informatics at the University of Toronto and his Master of Public Health at Harvard University. Hassan has received close to $3 million in peer-reviewed research funding and published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles over the past 5 years. He is leading several randomized controlled trials related to smoking and vaping cessation, which have the potential to transform clinical care and health policy.

Hon. Michael Bryant, E.C.O., is the former Attorney General of Ontario, Canada (2003-2007), Minister of Indigenous Affairs, and Minister of Economic Development, having served a decade in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. During that time, Bryant authored over a dozen statutes, appointed 69 judges, and overhauled or established regulators and institutions, like the human rights system, the legal profession (adding paralegals), public accounting oversight, a police complaints system and the Law Commission of Ontario. He personally negotiated a $2B+ gaming revenue sharing agreement with Ontario First Nations. Later, he served as Chief Negotiator for the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Lake First Nation’s historic $100M+ Ipperwash Settlement Agreement. More recently, he was the National Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and CEO of Legal Aid BC, when it was first named a Top 100 BC Employer. Bryant was Special Advisor to Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, and a barrister at McCarthy Tetrault LLP. Bryant clerked for the Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin, in 1992 and graduated from Harvard University (Fulbright Fellow), Osgoode Hall Law School, and the UBC. At King’s College, London, he was as a Lecturer in Law, and later served as Adjunct or Visiting Professor at University of Toronto, and Osgoode Hall.

Melanie is a dynamic social innovator renowned for her adept collaboration to catalyze positive transformations for children and youth. With a background deeply rooted in both traditional classrooms and community, Melanie has dedicated herself to supporting various groups, including new Canadians, justice-involved individuals, and students with diverse abilities. Her passion revolves around highlighting the crucial role of physical and health education in the lives of marginalized children and youth. Armed with a degree in Social Work and a master's in Non-Profit Leadership and Public Policy, Melanie champions a holistic approach, ensuring a comprehensive perspective and activation at broad sectoral levels. In her role as the Executive Director and CEO of Physical and Health Education Canada, Melanie's outstanding leadership earned her the prestigious Women We Admire 2023 and CEO of the Year awards. Beyond her professional achievements, Melanie hails from Cornwall, England, bringing a unique perspective to her work. Outside the realm of her impactful career, she finds joy in hiking, camping, biking, and reading, all while being a dedicated mother to two remarkable teenagers alongside her partner, Scott.

Ryan Fahey is the Manager for Programs and Education at PHE Canada. He is passionate about wellness, physical education, and healthy schools as well as the intersections between health, education, play, and innovation. Originally from Mi’kma’ki, Ryan started a career teaching, coaching, and running a mobile personal training business out of his hatchback. Over the past decade, Ryan has worked provincially, nationally, and internationally in various roles within education. Recently, Ryan led the Students Together Moving To Prevent Tobacco Use (STOMP) project across Canada aimed at curbing commercial tobacco and vaping use among youth. Currently Ryan is also leading the mobilization of the Blueprint for Action in schools. In his free time you can find him walking the trails on PEI with his wife Amber, daughter Sophia and their dog Dash.

Erin Dufour is a public health leader specializing in health promotion, lung health, and program development. As Senior Manager of Youth Programs at the Lung Health Foundation, she oversees Quash, a national youth smoking and vaping cessation program, leading its expansion, implementation, and evaluation across schools, communities, and healthcare systems. Erin brings expertise in program management, evaluation, and partnership development, developed large-scale digital toolkits, and trained thousands of educators to better support youth in making healthier choices. She also leads the Foundation’s broader nicotine cessation strategy, advancing evidence-based supports for healthcare providers, patients, and people living with respiratory disease. With a background in Kinesiology and Health Studies and population health, Erin has presented at national and international conferences on youth health, substance use, and digital health interventions. She is passionate about data-driven solutions, knowledge mobilization, and creating sustainable, equitable health programs that make a measurable impact.

Sherri is an award-winning communications specialist with extensive experience in the K–12 education system. A former school trustee and Vice-Chair, she later served as Director of Communications for the BC School Trustees Association. She currently sits on the EdCan Network Board of Directors and is a member of the EdCan National Advisory Board. Sherri is a proud member of the Métis Nation and is fluently bilingual.

Ash holds a Master of Public Health in Community-Oriented Public Health Practice from the University of Washington. Her public health career has focused heavily on using the principles of community organizing to advance the health and wellness of communities. Prior to founding BUNYAAD, Ash worked as the Epidemiologist for the Harm Reduction Program at the BCCDC. Ash is a member of the BC School Centred Mental Health Coalition.

Art recently retired as the Manager of Substance Use Health Promotion and SACY (Supporting and Connecting Youth, which he co-founded), for the Vancouver School Board, a position he held from 2005 to 2021. Prior to this role, Art worked for five years as an independent Addiction Prevention Consultant conducting and writing research and analysis pertaining to needs assessment, policy papers, topical reports and special projects. His clients included: Vancouver Coastal Health, the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Island Health Authority, the Fraser Health Authority, West Vancouver School District and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. He also served as Executive Director of Alcohol-Drug Education Service (ADES), a provincial non-profit organization, for 19 years. Art oversaw the development of substance use education resources and materials for schools, vulnerable youth, parents/caregivers, diverse cultures, and post-secondary women. Art has presented at many conferences and workshops and served on federal, provincial and municipal advisory committees, task forces, and project development committees over his career.