Planning Committee and Faculty

- Internal Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
- Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine
- Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
- Medical Director Bariatric Surgical Program-Humber River Hospital
- Medical Director Greater Toronto Area Medical Bariatric Program-Humber River Hospital
- President of the Canadian Association of Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons (CABPS)
Toronto, Ontario

Biography

Dr. Stephen Glazer graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, completing a fellowship in Internal Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. He is currently affiliated with Humber River Regional Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Glazer has both an office practice with an interest in general internal medicine, cardiology, diabetes, obesity as well as preoperative risk assessment. In addition, he has expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders and is actively involve in research within this area. In April 2010, Dr. Glazer was appointed the Medical Director of the Surgical Bariatric Program at Humber River Regional Hospital. In March 2013 Dr Glazer was appointed as the Medical Director of the only Ministry of Health hospital based medical weight loss program in the greater Toronto area.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• Bausch Health

• N/A

• N/A

- American Board of Obesity Medicine
- MSc Clinical Epidemiology
- Clinical Assistant Professor
- Department of Endocrinology
- University of British Columbia
- VIHA, Department of Medicine
Victoria, British Columbia

Biography

Dr. Priya Manjoo is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Dvision of Endocrinologist at the University of British Columbia in Canafa. She is a diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and a Certified Specialist in Hypertension Medicine. She is also the director of the CardioMetabolic Collaborative Clinic located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and a member of the Victoria Lipid Clinic.

Dr. Manjoo is a co-author of the Pharmacotherapy Section of the 2020 Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice guidelines, as well as the 2022 chapter update and is an author of the 2021 Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines for the Management of Dyslipidemia in Adults.

Dr. Manjoo is a key opinion leader in the realms of diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and obesity management.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• Amgen, Pfizer, Bausch

• Lilly, Bausch, Novo, Amgen

• N/A

- Registered Dietitian at HealthyU Toronto, Ontario

Biography

Alissa Steinberg is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and the founder of Healthy U, a nutrition-focused business offering individual counseling and consulting services. With over 12+ years of extensive clinical experience at The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Markham Family Health Team and Unity Health Toronto, Alissa has gained invaluable nutrition knowledge and has fostered a passion for providing up-to-date, evidence-based nutrition care.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• N/A

• N/A

• N/A

- Diplomate, American Board of Obesity Medicine
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary
- Medical Director, Calgary Weight Management Centre
Calgary, Alberta

Biography

Dr. Shahebina Walji is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Calgary, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She received her medical degree from McMaster University and her Family Medicine designation from the University of Toronto. She offers clinical and didactic teaching to family medicine residents, and is extensively involved in the development of professional education programs to increase knowledge about obesity and its treatments to practicing health professionals.

As the Medical Director of Calgary Weight Management Centre, Dr. Walji works with a specialized team to provide comprehensive and evidence-based care to patients who are trying to manage their weight. She is Scientific Committee Member, Speaker and Consultant for Obesity Canada and a co-author for the Primary Care Chapter of the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• Novo Nordisk, Bausch Health, Takeda, Eli Lilly, Rhythm, Eisai, MD Briefcase, Obesity Canada

• Novo Nordisk, Bausch Health, Takeda, Rhythm, Eisai, MD Briefcase, Obesity Canada

• Nestle (Optifast)

- Assistant Professor
- Department of Family and Community Medicine
- University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario

Biography

Dr. Jeffrey Habert is a Family Physician in Thornhill for the last 34 years. He is an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is also an Investigating Coroner for the City of Toronto. He is Co-Editor of Canadian Primary Care Today (launched Q1 2023). Dr. Habert is a former Peer Assessor for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (19 years).

He has an interest in the use of clinical practice guidelines and has participated on committees to establish guidelines in the areas of Depression, Stroke, ASA in Primary Care and Thrombosis. He is the Previous co-chair of Thrombosis Canada Clinical Guides.

He is currently serving as a reviewer for the 2023 CANMAT MDD Guidelines and has recently been invited to join the Dissemination and Implementation Steering Committee of Diabetes Canada for 2023-2024.

His clinical interests are varied, and include Diabetes, Obesity, Depression, ADHD, Insomnia, Thrombosis/Stroke, Lipids and Osteoporosis. He is also published in many of the previously mentioned areas in addition to others.

He is a national speaker in the multiple areas and actively participates on Scientific Committees involved in the creation of educational programs.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• MDBriefcase, Liv, MedPlan, Master Clinician Alliance, Academy, Bridge, PeerVoice, Seacourses, Thrombosis Canada, Meducom, Antibo

• Pfizer, Amgen, Abbvie, GSK, Bayer, Valeo, Boehringer, Eli- Lilly, Elvium, Takeda, Bausch, Astra-Zeneca, Novartis, Lundbeck, Novo-N

• N/A

- Endocrinologist, TLC Diabetes and Endocrinologist
- Clinical Instructor, University of British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia

Biography

Dr. Akshay Jain is the first Canadian physician to be triple board-certified by the American Boards in Endocrinology, Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine.

He trained in Internal Medicine at Rochester, NY where he became the only 4-time winner of the prestigious Rochester Academy of Medicine Awards. He completed his Fellowship in Endocrinology at Harbor UCLA/City of Hope in Los Angeles, CA.

He is the only non-American physician to win the AACE Rising Star in Endocrinology Award (2022) and to feature on Medscape’s list of 25 Top Rising Stars of Medicine (2020). He is the first North American to win the prestigious Etzwiler Diabetes Scholarship at the International Diabetes Center and Mayo Clinic in MN, USA. In 2017, he was awarded the Rising Star of Diabetes Award at the International Symposium on Diabetes.

He is a renowned educator and has spoken at over 800 medical conferences/events across the world till date. His clinical interests include diabetes, obesity, thyroid disorders and osteoporosis.
He has active YouTube/Instagram channels dedicated to patient education with thousands of views till date.

He is fluent in 6 languages including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Marwari and Urdu. In 2022, he won the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award and also received the 2022 Healthcare Achievement Award by Drishti Magazine.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• Abbott, Amgen, Novo Nordisk

• Abbott, Acerus, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Bausch Healthcare, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Care to Know, CCRN, Co

• Abbott, Acerus, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Bausch Healthcare, Bayer, Boehringer Ing

• N/A

- Medical Director, Medical Weight Management Centre of Canada (MWMCC)
- Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct), McMaster University
Toronto, Ontario

Biography

Dr. Megha Poddar is an Endocrinologist and Obesity medicine specialist in Toronto, Ontario. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and an Assistant Professor (Adjunct) in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University. Dr. Poddar serves as the Medical Director of the Medical Weight Management Centre of Canada (MWMCC) and the Clinical Director of the LMC Weight Management Program. As a lead author and co-author, she has contributed to various resources on obesity education, including the McMaster textbook of internal medicine and the Assessment Chapter of the 2020 Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines. Dr. Poddar conducts research as a principal investigator in randomized control trials focusing on type 2 diabetes and obesity. She is dedicated to mentoring healthcare providers in obesity management and clinical development, both nationally and globally, and is a passionate advocate for patients living with obesity.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• Rhythm Pharmaceuticals

• CPD Network Association, Merck, Bausch Health, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Jenssen, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim

• Bausch Health, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals

• Medical Director MWMCC

- Obesity Physician
- Founder, Haven Weight Management
- Staff Physician, MEDCAN Weight Management
Toronto, Ontario

Biography

Dr. Sandy Van is a licensed Family Physician and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine who has dedicated her practice to Obesity medicine for the past decade. She is the founder of Haven Weight Management, a Virtual Weight Management Program which couples medical treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy in individual and group settings. She is also a staff physician at MEDCAN Weight Management Program. Dr. Van offers a unique voice for the medical community regarding behavioural treatment for obesity and is a nationally renowned speaker at academic conferences and a regular expert contributor in television media.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• Novo Nordisk, Bausch Health, MEDCAN

• Novo Nordisk, Bausch Health

• N/A

- Cardiac Surgeon, St Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto
- Scientist, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing
- Knowledge Institute of Unity Health Toronto
- Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto
- Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery
Toronto, Ontario

Biography

Dr. Subodh Verma is an internationally renowned cardiac surgeon-scientist and Professor at the University of Toronto. He is the current Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Verma is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. For his work on the relationship between inflammation and atherosclerosis, he received the Howard Morgan Award for Distinguished Achievements in Cardiovascular Research from the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Gold Medal in Surgery. Dr. Verma is an appointee of the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons (AATS) and a member of the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

Dr. Verma has over 600 peer-reviewed publications with nearly 67,000 citations. He has published extensively in highly impactful journals like the NEJM, Lancet, Nature, Circulation, European Heart Journal and JACC. He is Section Editor of Current Opinion in Cardiology a Guest Editor of Circulation and JACC. Dr. Verma is an active contributor to Canadian clinical practice guidelines and has co-authored recommendations for atrial fibrillation, antiplatelet therapy, cardiorenal protection, diabetes, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease. He is the current Scientific Program Committee Chair for the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons. Dr. Verma has leadership roles in multiple contemporary global heart failure and cardiometabolic disease trials – several of which have persuaded guideline writing committees to recommend paradigm changes in how individuals who live with heart failure should be managed. He founded the CardioLink platform at St. Michael’s Hospital that united cardiac surgeons from across Canada to conduct robust clinical trials to better inform on surgical decision-making pathways.

Dr. Verma leads a dynamic pre-clinical and translational research team that leverages pre-clinical disease models and clinical trial-derived data to identify novel mediators of cardiometabolic diseases. Currently, the focus of this research arm is centred around modulating vascular regenerative cell exhaustion to alleviate cardiometabolic risk as well as evaluating the contribution of regenerative cell exhaustion to ethnic and racial differences in cardiometabolic risk.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• Amarin, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, HLS Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, PhaseBio

• Amarin, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Canadian Medical and Surgical Knowledge Translation Research Group, Eli Lilly

• Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, HLS Therapeutics, Janssen, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi

• CIHR, Canadian Medical and Surgical Knowledge Translation Research Group

- Board Chair, Director of Education & Patient
Advocacy of Obesity Matters
- Certified Food Addiction Counselor
- www.sandraelia.com
Toronto, Ontario

Biography

Sandra Elia is a Certified Food Addiction Counselor. She runs Canada's outpatient Food Addiction Recovery Program and co-created Canada’s first inpatient treatment program.

Sandra is the Author of: Never Enough: Three Pillars of Food Addiction Recovery.

She is dedicated to changing the conversation about obesity so that anyone living with obesity has access to treatment that is delivered with dignity, respect, and understanding.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• Novo Nordisk

• N/A

• Obesity Matters

- Medical Director, Medical Weight Management Centre
- Medical Director, MEDCAN Weight Management Program
- Lecturer, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
Toronto, Ontario

Biography

David A. Macklin is a lecturer at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and a University of Toronto trained family physician. He is the medical director of the Weight Management Program at the Medcan Clinic and the Medical Weight Management Centre of Canada. He is staff at the Toronto Mount Sinai Hospital. He is a Science Committee member at Obesity Canada (OC). David is a co-author of the Canadian Action Study. David is also a co-author of the Behavioural Treatment Chapter in 2020 Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines for the treatment of Obesity in adults. David is the creator of the www.macklinmethod.com global obesity treatment training program.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• Novo Nordisk, Elli Lilly, Rythm Pharmaceuticals

• N/A

• N/A

- Associate Professor of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre
- Director of Endocrinology, Montreal General Hospital
- Co-Director Obesity Medicine, McGill University Health Centre
Montreal, Quebec

Biography

Dr Michael Tsoukas is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology of the McGill University Health Centre and Research Investigator of the Research Institute of McGill and Hygea Medical Clinic. He completed his residency in medicine at Tuft’s University in Boston and subsequently trained in Endocrinology at McGill University. Upon completion, he pursued a post-graduate research fellowship in diabetes and obesity at Harvard University (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center), with a focus on GLP-1 receptor pharmacotherapy, brain signaling, and enterohormone treatments. Further training involved pathophysiological regulation of novel molecules such as SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists important in energy homeostasis, diabetes, and obesity.

On his return to his native Montreal, Dr Tsoukas continues to conduct clinical interventional studies in humans, ranging from early phase pharmacokinetic "proof of concept" studies, to medium and large-scale placebo-controlled clinical trials. He has authored over 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals, chapters, and abstracts. He is also involved in training future generations as the Residency Director for Endocrinology at the Montreal General Hospital.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• N/A

• NovoNordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Sanofi, Janssen

• N/A

• N/A

- Adjunct Professor
- McMaster York University, University of Toronto
- Medical Director, Wharton Medical Clinic
Toronto, Ontario

Biography

Dr. Wharton has his doctorate in Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is the medical director of the Wharton Medical Clinic, a community based internal medicine weight management and diabetes clinic. He is an adjunct professor at McMaster University in Hamilton and York University in Toronto. He also academic staff at Women’s College Hospital, and clinical staff the Hamilton Health Sciences. Dr. Wharton’s research focuses on bariatric medicine and type 2 diabetes. He is the co-lead author of the Canadian Obesity Guidelines.

Dr. Wharton is involved activism to achieve health equity in Canada. He founded the BMSA (Black Medical Students Association) at the University of Toronto in 2000. The BMSA is now a recognized mentorship organization across Canada.

Relationships with for profit and/or non-profit organization:

• Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bausch Health Canada

• Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bausch Health Canada, Amgen

• Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bausch Health Canada, Biohaven

• N/A