A GENOME BC HYBRID EVENT

Agenda

Note: This agenda is subject to change.  The final agenda, schedule, and speakers will be posted closer to event date. All times are Pacific Daylight Time.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Registration7:30 AM
Opening remarks8:00 AM - 8:20 AM
Keynote address8:20 AM - 9:20 AM
The Earth BioGenome Project and the quest to build a library of life9:45 AM - 10:55 AM
Indigenous data sovereignty for environmental stewardship11:20 AM - 12:30 PM
Lunch and poster session12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Monitoring and managing our changing ecosystems1:30 PM - 2:40 PM
Unlocking nature’s wealth for a sustainable future3:05 PM - 4:15 PM
Poster awards and closing remarks4:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Reception4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Time Zone: (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) [Change Time Zone]

Speakers

Cathryn Abbott
Cathryn Abbott
Research Scientist
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Mark Blaxter
Mark Blaxter
Head of the Tree of Life Programme and Senior Group Leader
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Kaylee Byers
Kaylee Byers
Assistant Professor, School of Population and Public Health
University of British Columbia
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
Assistant Professor, Forest and Conservation Sciences
University of British Columbia
Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham
Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham
Professor
Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University
Roxan Chicalo
Roxan Chicalo
Wildlife Biologist
Federica Di Palma
Federica Di Palma
Chief Health Genomics Officer and VP of Research, Laboratory Services, and BCCDC
PHSA
Kerstin Howe
Kerstin Howe
Head of Production Genomics
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Steven Jones
Steven Jones
Co-Director and Head, Bioinformatics
Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer
Shelley Joseph - Hekwa’gila’ogwa
Shelley Joseph - Hekwa’gila’ogwa
Elder-in-Residence
Genome British Columbia
Harris Lewin
Harris Lewin
Chair
Earth Biogenome Project
Ann Mc Cartney
Ann Mc Cartney
Full Researcher, Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences
University of California
Orlando Rojas
Orlando Rojas
Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair
University of British Columbia (UBC)
Zelalem Taye
Zelalem Taye
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems and Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship
University of British Columbia
Zachari Turgeon
Zachari Turgeon
Principal Scientist - Microbial Research and Innovation
Renaissance Bioscience
Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward
CEO
Animikii Indigenous Technology