October 25, 2013
Vancouver, BC – Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome British Columbia is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Neena L. Chappell and Dr. John Thompson to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Neena Chappell is the Canada Research Chair in Social Gerontology, Professor of Sociology and Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria, President of the Canadian Association on Gerontology and President of Academy II (social sciences) of the Royal Society of Canada. She was the founding Director of the Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba and first Director of the Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria, developing both into world-class research facilities while ensuring accessibility to the community. For over 30 years, she has been a leader in social gerontology research, focusing on issues around aging and health and social policy. Dr. Chappell has served on many boards and panels including the Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Sociology Association, Health Canada’s Scientific Advisory Board, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Her research has been recognized by awards such as her appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, as a senior Canada Research Chair in social gerontology and a CUFA/BC’s career achievement award.
Dr. John Thompson has a BA from Oxford University and MSc and PhD from the University of Toronto. He worked in mineral exploration in the 1980s and 1990s in Australia, England and the United States and was involved in projects and area selection worldwide. Following his stint in international mineral exploration he was Director of the Mineral Deposits Research Unit at UBC where he developed and managed collaborative research projects with the mining and exploration industry for seven years. Dr. Thompson joined Teck Resources as Chief Geoscientist in 1998, and in late 2005 he was appointed Vice President Technology and Development. He left Teck in 2012 and as Principal of PetraScience Consultants, he now provides exploration, development and mining technology consulting services. Dr. Thompson is also involved in universities as an Adjunct Professor at UBC and a part-time Professor at Cornel University. He is active in societies and associations as a Past President of the Society of Economic Geologists, President of the Canada Mining Innovation Council and the current Chair of Geoscience BC.
“The appointment of Drs. Chappell and Thompson adds further diversity and expertise to our Board and offers us more opportunity to align with the needs of industry,” says Dr. Winter. “I look forward to working with each of these exceptional individuals”. More info at: www.genomebc.ca/profile/people/board-of-directors
