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Our People

IPTN is fueled by a team of passionate people committed to changing the conversation about how we think about chronic disease and its treatment.  
Sean McKelvey BSc(Pharm), RPh
Chief Executive Officer 
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Sean graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1990 and is a recognized leader in pharmacy practice change across Canada. He has been acknowledged numerous times for his innovative clinical programs including the Canadian Pharmacists Association Patient Care Achievement Award for Innovation and the BC Pharmacy Association Ben Gant award for Innovation. Sean was also awarded the prestigious Len Mark’s Award which recognizes an individual for demonstrating outstanding dedication to the advancement of pharmacy. Most recently, he was selected as one of the 2019 Leaders in Pharmacy.  

Barb Reece BSN, RN (Retired)
Chief Operating Officer 
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Barb is a senior healthcare professional and has worn multiple hats over the course of her career: registered nurse, educator, administrator, and researcher/writer. A seasoned change agent, she has led many initiatives designed to improve the patient experience and transform the way healthcare is conceived of and delivered. Barb’s early background includes 20+ years as a staff nurse, including inner-city emergency rooms, and as an educator for both patients and health professionals. Barb has co-authored several publications on issues surrounding integrative health care in Canada, as well as a book, Reinventing the Patient Experience: Strategies for Hospital Leaders (2007). 

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Anne Mullens BSc, BJ
Director, Communications & Engagement
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Anne Mullens is an award-winning Canadian journalist and author specializing in health and science writing. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University. Anne was medical reporter at the Vancouver Sun in the 1980s and early 1990s, has written for numerous Canadian and international newspapers and magazines and medical journals, and authored two critically acclaimed books on health topics. She has also been a health communications consultant to provincial and federal governments, health organizations, and public health agencies. After reversing her own prediabetes through therapeutic carbohydrate reduction in 2015, Anne has written extensively on the role of personalized therapeutic nutrition to address chronic conditions.  

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Dene Barbondy, MSN, RN
Director, Programs & Training

Dene is a Registered Nurse with a master’s degree in nursing who spent the early part of her nursing career in acute medicine and then in various administrative roles. She witnessed first-hand the difficulties patients experience living with chronic disease. She then transitioned into the field of education, where she now teaches multiple courses in a Vancouver nursing school program. Dene’s passion for therapeutic nutrition developed during her graduate studies where she was introduced to the concept for cancer therapy. Applying therapeutic nutrition to herself with a low-carbohydrate approach improved her health and eliminated a few health challenges.  Dene has now committed herself to lifelong learning in this field and advancing the knowledge of therapeutic nutrition, striving to bring the information to all healthcare practitioners.

 

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Graeme Wheeler BMS, MBA
Coordinator, IT & User Experience

A self proclaimed 'jack-of-all trades' Graeme holds an undergraduate degree in Media Studies from the University of British Columbia and a Masters of Business Administration (Media Management Specialisation) from Cardiff University in Wales, United Kingdom. With over four years of experience in digital platform management, social media strategy development and web design; Graeme brings his passion for building efficient and effective digital experiences to the IPTN team.

Karen Riley PharmD
Instructor / Pharmacist Training
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Karen Riley is a currently practicing as a consultant pharmacist. She received a Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BSc Pharm) from the University of Toronto. She is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS), Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP), Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP), and a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). Her current primary career focus is providing medication therapy management services to patients in her community. She has been actively involved in helping patients with diabetes using therapeutic nutrition for the last 9 years of her career.  

Jon Little PhD
Chief Science Officer
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Dr. Little is a Professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, BC, Canada. He is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Scholar whose research focuses on optimizing diet and exercise interventions for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. He has published over 115 peer-reviewed journal articles in the areas of exercise metabolism, nutrition, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and immunology. Ongoing nutrition studies in his lab are exploring how low-carbohydrate diets and exogenous ketone supplements impact glucose control, cardiovascular risk, and inflammation.  

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Leanne Reimche MD
Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Reimche is a general internal medicine specialist for Alberta Health Services (Calgary Health Region) and associate professor of medicine with Cumming School of Medicine, at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include obesity, lifestyle medicine and is currently exploring MS nutrition. Dr. Reimche's International Masters for Health Leadership (IMHL) from McGill University is anticipated in Spring 2023.  

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