Scientific Advisory Board

Valerie Wallace

Valerie Wallace, PhD – Chair, FFB Scientific Advisory Committee

Director and Senior Scientist, Vision Program,

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology; Biochemistry; Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa

Dr. Valerie Wallace is a molecular and cellular biologist based at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.  She is internationally recognized for her discoveries on the role of Hedgehog signalling on the development and proliferation of cells in the central nervous system and the eye. She is a leader in the field of regenerative medicine currently heading a team of scientific experts, funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to delve into the technical challenges of using stem cells to heal retinal degenerative diseases. She holds additional research grants from the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Cancer Research Society. Dr. Wallace has received several distinctions throughout her career including a Premier’s Research Excellence award from the Government of Ontario and a Researcher of the Year Award from the Ottawa Hospital.

Dr. Rod Bremner

Rod Bremner, PhD

Head and Senior Scientist, Genetics and Development Division, Toronto Western Research Institute

Professor of Ophthalmology; Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto

Dr Bremner is a biochemist and geneticist appointed at the Toronto Western Research Institute. He and his team study the role of proteins called cell cycle regulators in the development of retinal cells and in the ongoing survival of photoreceptor cells. Understanding how these proteins promote cell division and survival may lead to treatments for retinitis pigmentosa as well as cancers of the retina. Dr. Bremner currently holds a research operating grant from the Foundation Fighting Blindness as well as research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research, and the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute.

Michel Cayouette

Michel Cayouette, PhD

Research Unit Director, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (IRCM)

Research Assistant Professor, University of Montreal

Dr. Michel Cayouette is neurobiologist at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (IRCM), where he is Director of the Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit. His research focuses on stem cells and the cellular and molecular mechanisms that determine what type of cell is created when a stem cell divides. Dr. Cayouette holds peer-reviewed grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the FFB, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.  Dr. Cayouette previously received the W.K. Stell Fellowship for an outstanding young investigator from the FFB.

Robert L. Gendron

Robert L. Gendron, PhD

Professor, BioMedical Sciences and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Dr. Robert Gendron is a molecular biologist based at Memorial University. He studies the molecules that control the growth and differentiation of blood vessels. In the retina, the abnormal growth of blood vessels is associated with conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity. In collaboration with Dr. H. Paradis, Dr. Gendron discovered and characterized Tubedown, a gene family involved in controlling the growth of blood vessels in the retina. He continues to study the actions of this gene and its therapeutic applications to AMD, diabetic retinopathy and cancer. Dr. Gendron’s research is currently supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

Ordan Lehmann

Ordan Lehmann, PhD, MD

Professor of Ophthalmology and Medical Genetics, University of Alberta

Dr. Lehmann is a clinician-scientist who combines clinical practice with research on the molecular basis of inherited eye disorders. He leads the an interdisciplinary group of scientists at the University of Alberta studying a range of visual disorders, including a partnership with Dr. Andrew Waskiewicz on an FFB operating grant to explore the genetic causes of some types of Leber congenital amaurosis. Dr. Lehmann is currently funded by peer-reviewed grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions and the Foundation Fighting Blindness and was awarded a Canada Research Chair (2004-2013).

Brian Link 

Brian A. Link, PhD

Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin

Dr. Brian Link is a cellular neurobiologist and the Director of the Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He studies signalling in the retina during development and with pathogenesis during glaucoma. His team primarily utilizes genetic and imaging approaches in their experimentation. Current projects focus on how organelle dynamics impact cell fate decisions in retinal progenitors cells, as well as the role of one particular protein, Lrp2, in regulating homeostatic processes necessary for healthy eyes. Together, the long-term goals of these projects are to identify, understand and potentially modulate signalling nodes critical for promoting regeneration and preventing degeneration during retinal disease. Dr. Link currently holds peer-reviewed grants from the National Institutes of Health (USA).

Orson Moritz 

Orson Moritz, PhD

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia

Dr. Orson Moritz is a molecular biologist based at the University of British Columbia. He explores the cellular mechanisms which lead to photoreceptor death in people with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), particularly the form of RP that is caused by mutations in the rhodopsin gene.  His currently funded FFB study works to understand how the initial death of rod photoreceptors due to a genetic mutation, leads to the subsequent death of cone photoreceptors and more severe vision loss. Dr. Moritz is also part of an FFB/CIHR expert team working to identify potential combination therapies for retinal degenerative diseases. Dr. Moritz holds grants from the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the National Eye Institute (USA). He previously received the W.K. Stell Fellowship for an outstanding young investigator from the FFB, as well as a Scholar award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

Bill Stell 

Bill Stell, PhD (non-voting member)

Director of Research Programs, Foundation Fighting Blindness

Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy; Ophthalmology; Neurosciences, University of Calgary

Dr. Bill is a scientist at the University of Calgary, where he is a full member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. His research focuses on specific mechanism by which the retina controls eye growth and prevents myopia, and he collaborates in studies of congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB). He holds grants from the Natural Sciences Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Lions' Sight Centre Fund, and is Co-Investigator on a CSNB project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. As Director of Research Programs at the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Dr. Stell works to build our capacity for vision research in Canada, encouraging students and scientific colleagues to become involved in research relevant to the Foundation’s mandate. He also provides his scientific expertise to the Foundation’s communications and public awareness efforts.