Meeting with the Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel

I had the opportunity to meet with Canada’s Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel, on March 27, 2026 to discuss research participant protection and the broader challenges in Canada’s research governance system.

I want to thank my MP, Tim Watchorn, for making this meeting possible - and Minister Michel for her thoughtful contribution to this conversation.

What stood out most was Minister Michel’s engagement with the issue. She was clear that the safety of Canadians must come first - and that efforts to modernize the research environment cannot compromise research participant protection.

Ensuring that protection requires a coordinated, preventive approach - anchored in accredited HRPPs - so that participant safety is built into the system, not left to chance.