AGE-WELL is thrilled to welcome three outstanding leaders to our Board of Directors. Neil D. Fraser, Rafik Goubran and Laura Tamblyn Watts bring extensive experience and deep knowledge that will advance AGE-WELL’s mission and vision.
Neil D. Fraser
Neil D. Fraser is an acclaimed Canadian health care industry leader who has been widely engaged in health policy and innovation through numerous government and industry appointments at the federal and provincial levels over a 40 year career.
He is currently a Director at Ontario Health, ICES and EXCITE International; Co-Chair of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Policy Council; Advisor to Diabetes Canada and Rotman School of Management HLAB; Director at Sona Nanotech (Halifax); and lifetime member of CCHL and Medtech Canada.
In the past, he has served as President & Officer at Medtronic Canada; Chair of Medtech Canada; Board member at Baycrest Health Sciences; and appointee to government and industry advisory boards.
Mr. Fraser received the CCHL’s Distinguished Leadership Award (2022); Ontario Health Ministry ACE Award (2015) and led Medtronic Canada to 10 external employee engagement awards in 2021.
He holds a BASc (Chemical Engineering, UBC), P.Eng (Ontario) and an MBA (UWO).
Dr. Rafik Goubran
Dr. Rafik Goubran is a Chancellor’s Professor and Vice-President (Research & International) at Carleton University since 2017. He served for two terms as Chair of the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering between 1997 and 2006, and as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design from 2006 to 2016.
Dr. Goubran served as member of the Board of Directors of the Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN), the National Medical Devices Alliance, and TRIUMF, Canada’s Particle Accelerator Centre. His external committee work included serving as Chair of the Council of Ontario Deans of Engineering, member of the executive committee of the Ontario Council for University Research (OCUR), and lead of the AGE-WELL Challenge Area focused on supportive homes and communities.
Dr. Goubran is an international expert in the field of sensors and data analytics including sensor fusion and AI. Currently, Dr. Goubran is collaborating with researchers from medicine, nursing, psychology, and physiotherapy to design smart environments for the independent living of seniors and persons living with disabilities. He is exploring the ways sensor systems can be embedded into a patient’s environment to monitor health, vital signs, and well-being. He is an expert in audio quality, echo cancellation and noise suppression. His work is done in close collaboration with industry. Dr. Goubran has, to date, co-supervised 105 graduate students, co-authored over 360 peer-reviewed publications and 10 patents, and has attracted over $5M in external research funding.
Dr. Goubran is a Life Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, an Honorary Fellow of AGE-WELL, a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario, and an affiliate investigator with the Bruyère Health Research Institute.
Laura Tamblyn Watts
Laura Tamblyn Watts is the CEO of CanAge, Canada’s national seniors’ advocacy organization and a frequently sought-after keynote speaker and media commentator.
She has previously served as Chief Public Policy Officer at the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (2018-2019) and in a number of positions at the Canadian Centre for Elder Law including as their long-time National Director (2004-2018).
She is an Assistant Professor (status) at the University of Toronto’s Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work where she teaches Law and Aging. A lawyer, she was called to the Bar in 1999.
Recognized for her leadership with a Community Leadership in Justice Fellowship by the Law Foundation of Ontario, Ms. Tamblyn Watts’ governance experience includes positions as a Board Director with the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), and past roles with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC). Her compassionate service is evident through her board memberships with Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario, PACE Independent Living, and the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO). Her consumer advocacy is further demonstrated in her role as Chair of the Consumer Advisory Panel of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) and membership on the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) Consumer Advisory Panel.
Ms. Tamblyn Watts’ instrumental role in the Canadian Standards Association’s development of National Standards for Long-Term Care, and ongoing work for Home and Community Care standards, showcases her commitment to systemic improvement.
Her new book “Let’s Talk About Aging: A Real-Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations” is an international #1 bestseller.
Learn more about the AGE-WELL Board of Directors at: https://agewell-nce.ca/board-of-directors.
Discover how AGE-WELL is changing the future of aging at: https://agewell-nce.ca/.