Leadership Team

As President and CEO, Joseph is focused on optimizing the translational value of InterVivo’s services to facilitate the development and approval of novel drugs. Joseph continues to be closely involved in projects utilizing, characterizing and developing the aged dog as a natural model of age-related human diseases. Joseph is a strong proponent for the use of validated natural and/or translational animal models in drug discovery. His scientific background includes graduate training in pharmacology at the University of Toronto, more than 25 refereed publications and several invited presentations, which exemplifies his continued passion for scientific innovation and expertise in natural aged canine models of human disease. Joseph directly supports developing of local biotech talent and companies and has co-founded and held executive level positions in several Ontario-based Contract Research and Life Science companies helping to build their global presence and success.

As Vice President of Research and Development, Inés brings both pharmacokinetics (PK) and drug discovery experience to IVS, having worked at a number of biopharmaceutical and contract research organizations (CROs) over the past 25 years. She was responsible in her previous role at two CROs, for building the in vivo PK, in vitro ADME, high throughput screening and bioanalytical capabilities of the companies, for offering as a service to pharmaceutical clients. While at Allelix Biopharmaceuticals (now NPS Pharmaceuticals), she helped advance several drug candidates from discovery into clinical trials. Inés strives to develop new pre-clinical models/methods for the more accurate and facile characterization of human PK. Her expertise in the transport of xenobiotics across the blood-brain barrier, an area in which she has a keen research interest, is a valuable asset to IVS clients. Inés obtained a Ph.D. in drug and metabolite PK from the University of Toronto and did post-doctoral fellowships at Harvard Medical School and University of Toronto. She currently holds the position of Assistant Professor (status) and Associate Graduate Faculty Member in the Graduate Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. She currently serves on the editorial board of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Disposition and is an associate editor for Current Protocols in Pharmacology.

As the Chief Scientific Officer of InterVivo, Guy brings over 20 years International CNS Research and Development experience with major BioPharma organizations such as Glaxo-Wellcome, Hoffmann-La Roche, Schering Plough and NPS Pharmaceuticals. As a leader of functional CNS groups in most of these organizations, Guy has demonstrated a sustained commitment to the development and implementation of translational animal models to support the identification and progression of novel chemical entities from early discovery through to clinical development. Guy has co-authored over 120 research papers and review articles covering aspects of CNS pharmacology, drug discovery and behavioural neuroscience. Guy received his PhD in 1990 and currently holds the position of Adjunct Professor in the Pharmacology department at the University of Toronto.

Cheryl is a key member of the IVS business development team, connecting sponsors with research solutions on a daily basis. She is an immunologist by training and worked for biotechnology companies in Colorado before joining the business side of science in the early 2000’s. Her work spans a variety of technology driven Contract Research, Contract Development and Contract Manufacturing organizations in the US, Canada and Europe. She is thankful to have done her graduate work at the University of Colorado while working for a Denver based biotech company but her loyalties will always be to her alma mater of her undergraduate years, Indiana University. Outside of work, Cheryl volunteers for the local biotech community, loves mentoring students trying to find their way in the world of science.

As the Director of Sales and Marketing, Sal’s role is focused on keeping our sponsors aware of the exciting developments at InterVivo. Sal provides day-to-day leadership for the sales and marketing efforts of the company and is a constant advocate for ways of better serving InterVivo’s sponsors and partners. He is passionate about new developments in drug discovery research and has worked for the last 15+ years in a marketing and business development capacity for innovative Contract Research Organizations. His passion for connecting the world between science and business is evidenced by his career as well as his education, having graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Hon. B.Sc. Biotechnology/Economics.

As the Chief Technology Officer, Dan is responsible for ensuring that IVS is able to meet our clients' project technology needs through thoughtful selection of technologies, or where appropriate, leading custom development. With a strong focus on security, he also oversees development and implementation of IVS' IT policies and guidelines. With over 20 years experience in Software Engineering and Information Technology, he is deeply committed to continuous learning and adoption of new technologies, and applying that knowledge to better serve IVS and its clients. Dan previously worked at the University of Waterloo and ActiveState Inc., and graduated with a Mathematics/Computer Science degree from McGill University.

As the Facility Veterinarian, Dr. Shawn Davis-Petrik oversees the veterinary program at Intervivo Solutions. With over 16 years’ experience as a laboratory animal veterinarian in both academia and contract research, she brings expertise in regulatory oversight, animal model development and laboratory animal care and welfare. In addition to her DVM, Shawn has a Master’s degree as well as a Diploma in Laboratory Animal Medicine. She is additionally an active member in both the Canadian Association of Laboratory Animal Medicine as well as the Canadian Council on Animal Care.

As COO, Christina’s main focus is to oversee InterVivo’s day-to-day operations; working closely with staff and management to ensure processes are in place that enable studies to be conducted accurately, on-schedule and within the bounds of all regulatory requirements. Christina’s graduate training from the Pharmacology department of the University Toronto, coupled with over 10 years of experience in managing Contract Research Organizations, have provided her with the skills necessary to deliver the leadership and functional solutions that meet the needs of IVS’s global client base.