ALUMNI

Joanne is the Program Manager for AI Safety at CIFAR. She manages the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) Research Program, including the CAISI Research Council, grant calls and evaluation, and events.

She previously led health technology assessments and a precision medicine program at Canada’s Drug Agency, where she co-chaired an international methods working group and oversaw the Agency’s first review of an AI diagnostic tool. This work led to her focus on responsible AI and AI safety.

She holds a PhD in outcomes research and health economics from UofT, with earlier degrees in molecular biology and genetics. Her career began with the Human Genome Project and grew into research on the societal impacts of genetic testing, linking science, technology, and policy.

Tomer Jordi Chaffer is an interdisciplinary researcher focused on the governance of emerging technologies. He holds an M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine from McGill University, where he was part of a research team that discovered a novel gene published in Nature Communications. He was awarded a Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) fellowship at McGill and held a visiting MITACS Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellowship at the University of Padova.

He is currently pursuing a B.C.L./J.D. at McGill University, with academic interests spanning experimental medicine, IP, and the governance of AI. His research examines digital governance tools and their ethical, legal, and commercial applications, with a particular focus on agentic AI and digital identity.

Tomer publishes regularly in peer-reviewed journals and pre-print platforms, including a top-ranked SSRN article in 2025 titled “Know Your Agent: Governing AI Identity on the Agentic Web.” 

Sadie is a government relations professional currently working in arts advocacy. She has experience advising on key policy files for several Members of Parliament and has worked as an intern in the office of Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St‑Onge.

She has held roles across Parliament Hill, including as a research advisor and as a legislative and policy assistant to multiple MPs, where she supported policy development, stakeholder engagement, and communications. Through these positions, she gained hands-on experience navigating legislative processes and advancing constituency priorities at both the national and community levels.

Cameron is an AI safety research and policy writer dedicated to responsible AI development and deployment in Canada. Following a fellowship with the AI Safety Global Society, Cameron conducted research into emergent (mis)alignment behaviour in multi-agent AI systems. Drawing on this expertise, Cameron now works as an AI developer at Bell, ensuring responsible integration of AI technologies. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Computer Science and a minor in Political Science, bridging technical expertise with a deep understanding of AI’s societal implications.

David has served as a scientific adviser at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec for eight years, where he translated scientific insights into policies relevant to decision-makers. He has built expertise in risk assessment and prospective analysis across diverse domains, including climate change, infectious diseases and urban planning. His recent focus has centered on AI's transformative impact on public health, especially how AI could influence emergency preparedness and biological threats.