Executive Management Team
Trevor Gascoyne, M.Sc., P.Eng
President & CEO
As the President & CEO, Trevor is focused on leading research and development initiatives to improve orthopaedic medicine and enhance the safety and efficacy of medical devices. Through investing in local talent, he develops meaningful collaborations with both national and international groups to advance the state of orthopaedic care in Canada and around the world. Trevor also serves as the Canadian Chair of the ISO Implants for Surgery – Bone and joint replacements subcommittee and is the General Manager of the Canadian RSA (radiostereometric analysis) Network.
Meaghan Coates, B.Sc., P.Eng
Director of Engineering Operations
Meaghan’s past experience in prosthetic design has given her a breadth of knowledge in kinematics and wear testing. Always looking at the larger picture, she keeps the end user in mind while focusing on minor details. Through managing diverse projects she is knowledgeable on a myriad of standards and stays up to date on industry protocol. Meaghan works to ensure your projects are managed efficiently with quality service delivered.
Christiaan Righolt, Ph.D.
Director of Clinical Research
Christiaan is an engineer, data scientist, epidemiologist, and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Manitoba. He has experience in quantitative health research methods in statistics, big data, image analysis, and machine learning. He has applied these methods in cancer research, infectious disease epidemiology, and orthopedics in studies ranging from small pre-clinical studies to massive administrative database studies. Christiaan has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal publications and obtained over $8 million in research grant funding as a (co-)investigator in local, national, and international research studies.
Marsha Griffiths
Office Manager/Finance & Administration
Marsha brings over 20 years of financial expertise from her experience in human resources, office management, bookkeeping, and small business ownership. She continually focuses on new ways to improve office procedures and business expenditures, while helping the team in managing all administration and human resource needs. Marsha also works closely with the President/CEO of the Orthopaedic Innovation Centre offering the support and assistance needed for successful company growth.
Biomedical Engineering & Services Group
Ian Polyzois, Ph.D., EIT
Mechanical Engineer, Technical Lead – PPE/FEA Simulation
Ian joined the OIC as a mechanical engineer with a background in materials science R&D and forensic engineering. Ian is great at thinking outside the box to ensure that our customer’s designs are well-optimized and meet performance requirements. Ian focuses his time on developing finite element models and carrying out virtual testing, simulations, and advanced materials evaluation.
Sarah Fay, M. Sc., EIT
Biomedical Engineer, Technical Lead – Joint Replacement
Sarah joined the OIC as a Biomedical Engineer after completing her master’s in materials engineering. Her research was focused on microstructural analysis and performance of additive manufactured biomedical alloys. She has a strong background in project management, allowing her to implement projects to completion with a high degree of accuracy. Sarah is focused on managing long term wear test projects, conducting mechanical testing, as well as performing microscopic analysis and surface characterization for joint replacements.
Sara Gustafson, M. Sc., P.Eng
Senior Biomedical Engineer, Technical Lead – Spine & Osteosynthesis
Sara has years of experience at the OIC with biomechanical testing, implant failure analysis, precision measurement, and clinical research. She is focused on understanding and improving the technical aspects of spine and osteosynthesis device testing for standard and novel designs. Her knowledge and expertise in the orthopaedic industry grows as she continues to boost business development at the OIC.
Mary Ragasa, B. Sc., EIT
Biomedical Engineer, Spine & Osteosynthesis
Mary joined the OIC as a Biomedical Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering. Mary specializes in project management and test execution for spine and osteosynthesis devices. This includes implementing recognized standards and developing custom test methods while working closely with clients to provide suitable test protocols. Mary ensures all projects bring accurate and meaningful results, while assisting in maintaining our quality system.
Jacob Stevens, B. Sc., EIT
Research and Development Engineer
Jacob joined the OIC as a Biomedical Engineering Co-op student then transitioned to an R&D Engineer. With expertise in mechanics, CAD, and problem solving, Jacob collaborates on surgeon-centric orthopedic projects to bridge medical needs with engineering innovation through reverse engineering and clinical research. He also leads research on the OIC’s patented drug-eluting additively manufactured devices, a revolutionary custom device manufacturing technology.
Chinonso Onyebuchi
Laboratory Technician, PPE Testing
Chinonso joined the OIC as a Laboratory Technician with a diploma in Science Laboratory Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Chinonso works diligently in running a range of testing and analyses for medical devices. Including executing several types of personal protective equipment test methods, providing hands on support during our joint arthroplasty wear tests, and performing particle analysis of various materials.
Clinical & Biomedical Research Group
Sarah Tran, CCRP
Clinical Research Coordinator
Sarah joined the OIC in 2010. She is a member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA), and is responsible for conducting clinical trials following good clinical practices (GCP). She ensures trials are conductedaccurately and ethically, as defined by the Declaration of Helsinki, as well as by the International Conference on Harmonization Guidelines (ICH).
Melissa Bridges
Clinical Research Coordinator
Melissa has over 15 years of pre-clinical research experience and a passion for advancing the field of scientific research. She holds a Deans Honour Role Diploma in Chemical & Bioscience Technology and specialized training in Pharmacovigilance. Her academic foundation coupled with many years of clinical coordinator experience allows her to navigate the complex landscape of clinical trials with confidence.
Shalini Hari Kumar, Ph.D.
Clinical Research Clerk
Shalini has over a decade of research experience with special focus on public health. She has experience in conducting clinical research, data collection, processing and project management. She has a passion towards community research and believes in science reaching the community. The scholastic knowledge along with her passion towards research helps her to thrive on challenges. She is enthusiastic about helping people and believes that together we can make a difference.
Physician Support Team
Thomas Turgeon, MD, B.Sc., MPH, FRCSC, FAAOS
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Turgeon completed his Orthopaedic Residency at the University of Saskatchewan and in 2003, attained a Fellowship in adult Reconstructive Surgery at the Arthritis Surgery Center of San Diego. He attained a Master’s of Public Health and Epidemiology at the University of California San Diego. In addition to his surgical practice, Dr. Turgeon is an Associate Professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine with the University of Manitoba. He also holds numerous research and healthcare administration positions: Site Head of Surgery for Concordia General Hospital, Fellowship Director for Hip and Knee Arthroplasty at Concordia Hospital, Director of Arthroplasty Research at the Concordia Hip and Knee Institute, and is the Arthroplasty Research Chair for the Concordia Foundation.
Collin Burnell, MD, B.Sc., FRCSC
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Burnell completed a Bachelor of Science and his medical training at University of Manitoba. He then completed his Orthopedic Residency at the University of Manitoba 2002, attained a Fellowship in Adult Hip and Knee reconstruction at the University of Manitoba. In addition to his full-time surgical practice, Dr. Burnell is an Assistant Professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine with the University of Manitoba and has previously been the Director of the Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Fellowship Program at the Concordia Hospital.
Eric Bohm, MD, B.Eng., M.Sc., FRCSC
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Bohm completed his Orthopedic Residency at the University of Saskatchewan and in 2001, attained a Fellowship in primary and revision arthroplasty at Dalhousie University. In 2002, Dr. Bohm completed a MSc in Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. In addition to his surgical practice, Dr. Bohm is a Professor of Surgery at the Max Rady College of Medicine with the University of Manitoba. He also holds numerous research and healthcare administration positions: Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Canadian Joint Replacement Registry; Chair of the Hip and Knee Working Group for Patient Reported Outcome Measures at Canadian Institute for Health Information; President of the International Society of Arthroplasty Registries; Director of Health System Performance at the George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation; Medical Director of Central Intake for Hip and Knee Arthroplasty as well as Medical Advisor to the Regional Orthopaedic Waitlist and Joint Replacement Registry at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
David Hedden, MD, B.Sc., FRCSC
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Hedden completed his Internship at Addington Hospital, Natal University Medical School, South Africa Rotations. He then completed his Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Manitoba 1997, attained a Clinical Fellowship in Adult Reconstruction and Trauma at the University of Toronto. In addition to his full-time surgical practice, Dr. Hedden is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Max Rady College of Medicine with the University of Manitoba and has previously been the Site Head of Surgery for Concordia General Hospital.
Jhase Sniderman, MD, B.Sc., M.Sc., FRCSC
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Sniderman completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Prince Edward Island. He then went on to complete medical school at the University of Ottawa and his Orthopaedic Residency at the University of Toronto. He is dual fellowship trained in both Orthopaedic Trauma from the University of Toronto in 2022 and Adult Hip and Knee Reconstruction from Boston University in 2023. He completed a Masters of Science in 2022 from the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Dr. Sniderman holds an Assistant Professorship in the Department of Surgery, Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba.
Bryan Flynn, MD, B.Sc., FRCSC
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Flynn completed a Bachelor of Science and Medical Degree at the University of Manitoba. He then completed Orthopedic Surgery Residency training and a Fellowship in Hip and Knee Reconstruction at Dalhousie University. He obtained a second Fellowship in Hip and Knee Reconstruction at the University of Manitoba. He then started a general orthopedic practice with special interest in hip and knee arthroplasty in Brandon, Manitoba prior to joining the Concordia Joint Replacement Group as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. He maintains active Fellowship with the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.