Speaker bios
Dr. Vickie Baracos
Vickie Baracos, PhD, is an oncology professor at the University of Alberta and a member of the Order of Canada. She has also served as the Alberta Cancer Foundation's chair in palliative care medicine. Cancer cachexia, a debilitating condition characterized by profound atrophy of skeletal muscle has been Vickie's main focus since 2003 and the subject of many of her key publications. Vickie also developed the use of clinical computed tomography to detect and precisely measure the muscle loss that is an integral part of cachexia.
Dr. Corey Andrew Labrecque
Cory Andrew Labrecque, PhD, is professor of bioethics and theological ethics as well as inaugural chair of educational leadership in the ethics of life at the faculty of theology and religious studies at Université Laval (Quebec City), where he serves as vice-dean. Cory’s teaching and research explore how the Abrahamic religions (focusing on the Roman Catholic tradition) approach ethical issues in medicine (especially at the end of life), biotechnology (especially AI and healthcare), and the environment. He is a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, president of the Canadian Bioethics Society, and vice-president of Quebec’s National Committee for Ethics and Ageing.
