2026 Canadian Radiotheranostics Leaders’ Summit Agenda
Collaboration in Action: Unleashing Canada’s Radioisotope Future
Day 1: Monday May 25
8:00 am
Registration and Breakfast – Sponsored by Invest Ontario
9:00 am
Welcome to the 2026 Canadian Radiotheranostics Leaders’ Summit
Dr. Rebecca Wong, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Chair of the Summit Planning Committee
Dr. Patrick Veit-Haibach, University Health Network
9:05 am
Greetings from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation
Michael Chegahno, Saugeen Ojibway Nation
9:10 am
Keynote – The future of Canadian radiotheranostics: Reaching criticality
Joe McCann, Formerly POINT Biopharma
Session Chair: Dr. Neil Fleshner, University Health Network
This keynote presentation highlights the critical elements required to sustain and grow Canada’s radioisotope ecosystem, emphasizing both its current strengths and future opportunities. While Canada benefits from strong clinical trial infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and a skilled talent pipeline, there is a pressing need to expand domestic biotech capacity and attract greater investment to keep innovation within the country. Without decisive action, Canada risks losing global demand despite its strong foundation. This will require everyone across the value chain, including suppliers, academics, clinicians, industry organizations, governments, and investors to accept the responsibility of doing their part to support the sector. Looking to the future, Canada needs to be bold and proactive in building a vertically integrated ecosystem that captures higher-value opportunities and secures Canada’s leadership in radiotheranostics.
9:40 am
Panel – Canada’s cross-country infrastructure capabilities
Dr. Jeter Hall, Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation
Peter McDermid, Bruce Power
Ghadeer Shubassi, AtomVie Global Radiopharma Inc.
Drew Leyburne, Natural Resources Canada
Session Chair: Rishi Jain, Cross River Infrastructure Partners
Session overview:
Canada has long been a global leader in the production and distribution of medical isotopes. Leveraging the country’s existing production and development capacity will be key to future success and leadership. This panel will explore the strengths, challenges, and future opportunities within the nation’s end-to-end supply chain, emphasizing the important role that will be played by accelerators and reactors alike, in collaboration with GMP manufactures and processing facilities as Canada prepares to scale up. Speakers will discuss new developments in Canadian infrastructure capacity and the considerations they face as facilities prepare to meet commercial-level demands, not just supporting research and trials, including the complexities of GMP production and international standards.
10:20 am
Coffee and Exhibitor break – Sponsored by Boston Scientific
10:50 am
Presentation – A journey through Canada’s isotope history
Dr. Jeremy Whitlock, Ottertail Consulting
Session Chair: Peter D’Amico, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
Canada emerged from WWII an unlikely nuclear superpower and immediately turned its focus to life-saving isotopes. This presentation summarizes Canada’s remarkable history in isotope development, from global pioneer to innovation leader today – and the promise as Canada seeks to strengthen its national infrastructure.
11:15 am
Speed Round Presentations – The Canadian innovation landscape
Presentation 1 – Integrating expertise across health disciplines
Dr. Rebecca Wong, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
- The future of radiotheranostics will require coordination/collaboration from expert physicians from radiation oncology, medical oncology, nuclear medicine, radiotheranostics, and related specialties. The presentation will dive into examples of how this can happen more efficiently and effectively in the Canadian context.
Presentation 2 – Canada’s strengths in clinical trials
Valerie Hergott, Eli Lilly
- Canada has become a world-class destination for clinical trials in theranostics and radiopharmaceuticals. This presentation explores Canada’s strengths for running theranostics studies, including our regulatory landscape, supply chain, and academic participation.
Presentation 3 – Exploring the unexplored: Radiometals for theranostics
Dr. Caterina Ramogida, Simon Fraser University
- This presentation will examine previously unexplored radiometals that are expanding the boundaries of targeted imaging and therapy in precision medicine. It will highlight the clinical potential for radiometals in theranostics, and the challenges that must be addressed to translate these promising isotopes from research into patient care.
Presentation 4 – Dual-use Canadian technologies leveraging Carbon-14
Rémi Vachon, RC14
- Canada’s strength in isotope innovation lies not just in the medical field and theranostics, but in other strategic sectors. Carbon-14 is a promising Canadian-made radioisotope, from both medical and industrial perspective, and beyond. This session explores Canada’s C-14 pathway, including harvest as a waste by-product, concentration and commercialization to support strategic future growth in the radiopharmaceutical industry, agrochemicals, and more.
Session Chair: Jacqueline Metzler, Siemens Healthineers
12:20 pm
Lunch – Sponsored by the Canadian Nuclear Association
1:10 pm
Panel – Equity and Access: Strategies for connecting rural, remote, and Indigenous health systems to care
Mayor Ian Boddy, City of Owen Sound
Carlos Fachada, Isologic Innovative Radiopharmaceuticals
Dr. Jeffery Flemming, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services
Chief Kelly LaRocca, Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation
Session Chair: Alex Wellstead, Novartis
Session overview:
This panel brings together diverse perspectives from across Canada’s isotope ecosystem, centering Indigenous, remote, and rural communities that face persistent and often overlooked barriers to accessing diagnostics and advanced radiopharmaceuticals. It will examine the structural and logistical challenges confronting less centralized provinces, including scaling up theranostics capacity, enabling clinical trial participation, and navigating the realities of just-in-time delivery across Canada’s vast geography. Through real-world examples, panelists will also highlight collaborative models that move beyond inclusion toward true partnership, embedding Indigenous communities within care delivery and business frameworks.
1:50 pm
Speed Round – Addressing barriers to success and advancement
Presentation 1 – Post-therapy imaging: From current to optimal practice
Dr. Patrick Veit-Haibach, University Health Network
- Canada continues to face clinical and technical gaps that limit the full potential of post-therapy imaging in radiotheranostics care. This session will focus on overcoming key barriers, such as standardization, access to advanced imaging technologies, data integration, and regulatory constraints, that prevent Canadian hospitals from enabling more consistent, high-quality diagnostics to support therapy.
Presentation 2 – Partnerships that power progress in addressing rare radioisotope supply
Joseph Oliverio, Actineer
- This session considers how cross-sector international collaboration is unlocking new pathways to scale the production and distribution of Actinium-225 for emerging therapies. It will highlight Actineer, a successful partnership model, infrastructure alignment, and strategies to overcome supply constraints in order to accelerate clinical access.
Presentation 3 – Leveraging AI in theranostics: Accelerating innovation, reducing headwinds
Sergio Calvo, GE HealthCare
- Artificial Intelligence has the potential to transform the development of radiopharmaceuticals, support imaging analysis, and improve patient selection. This session will discuss practical applications that streamline research and reduce unnecessary challenges that face Canadian researchers to enable faster, more precise translation of radiotheranostic discoveries.
Presentation 4 – Reimagining PET: Clinical expansion beyond oncology and real-world barriers
Dr. Brigitte Guérin, Université de Sherbrooke
- This speed presentation explores how Positron Emission Tomography is expanding beyond its traditional role in oncology into areas such as neurology, cardiology, and inflammation imaging, examining emerging clinical applications alongside strategies for integrating these innovations into more routine care while navigating regulatory and operational barriers.
Session Chair: Wilfred Lee, Telix Pharmaceuticals
2:50 pm
Coffee and Exhibitor Break – Sponsored by ABX
3:20 pm
Panel – A multidisciplinary health approach to scaling Canadian capacity
Fiona Cherryman, The Michener Institute of Education
Dr. Narinder Paul, London Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Amit Singnurkar, Sunnybrook
Dr. Frank Wuest, University of Alberta
Session Chair: Scott Phelps, BWXT Medical
Session overview:
This panel will examine the coordinated workforce and clinical frameworks required to expand access to radiopharmaceutical care and supporting diagnostics across Canada. Discussions will examine the specific health professionals needed to grow capacity, the hospital infrastructure and systems required for effective delivery, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in supporting integrated patient care. Panelists will present their insights and address challenges such as establishing new health teams, fostering cross-centre collaboration, navigating complex regulatory pathways, funding, and more. Despite these challenges, panelists will also emphasize the responsibility of Canada’s health systems to invest in training and developing the next generation of specialized professionals to meet rising demand, both domestically and internationally. Lastly, the session will address the need for greater standardization in radiation safety protocols and discharge criteria, highlighting how aligned practices can improve efficiency, patient and health professional safety, and future scalability across provinces.
4:00 pm
Presentation of Novartis Canadian Radioligand Therapy Innovation Awards
Presented by Novartis
Finalist Presentation 1 – HIT-PSMA: Validation of the HIT Score on PSMA PET/CT and its correlation with patient outcomes
Dr. Mina Swiha, London Health Sciences Centre
- The HIT score is a simple, practical imaging biomarker for predicting response to [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA radioligand therapy. Unlike SUVmean, it can be readily applied on standard PET workstations without specialized software. This study will validate the HIT score in approximately 120 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in a real-world setting. The goal is to improve patient selection, optimize outcomes, reduce unnecessary toxicity, and support more efficient and equitable delivery of radiotheranostic therapies.
Finalist Presentation 2 – A single-arm technical feasibility study of dosimetry-guided stereotactic ablative radiotherapy
Dr. Sean Hassan, Cancer Care Alberta
- This prospective, single-arm study will enrol patients with metastatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours undergoing Lutathera (177Lu-DOTATATE) therapy. Post-cycle dosimetry will be used to identify tumour lesions receiving suboptimal radiation dose, which would in turn be targeted with an external beam stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) boost between treatment cycles. The primary goal is to demonstrate that this dosimetry-guided, personalized approach is clinically feasible and safe within the existing treatment workflow; with the longer-term aim of laying the groundwork for a larger confirmatory trial.
Session Chair: Dr. Rebecca Wong, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Luisa Gomez, Novartis Canada
Final Judges: Dr. Neil Vasdev (CAMH), Dr. Raymond Reilly (University of Toronto), and Dr. Wendy Parulekar (Queen’s University).
4:50 pm
Day 1 Closing Remarks
5:00 pm
Celebratory Cocktail Reception – Sponsored by Novartis
Day 2: Tuesday May 26
8:00 am
Continued Registration and Breakfast
9:00 am
Day 2 Opening Remarks
Owen Roberts, Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem
9:05 am
Keynote – The global perspective: Canada’s responsibility
Dr. May Abdel-Wahab, International Atomic Energy Agency
Session Chair: Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz, University Health Network
This session will explore how Canada’s diversified isotope ecosystem – including reactors, cyclotrons and strong academic–clinical partnerships – demonstrates a scalable model to strengthen global supply and expand access to essential diagnostic imaging and radionuclide therapy. Following the Summit’s emphasis on collaboration across the isotope value chain, the presentation will show how coordinated international efforts, including through the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, support countries in establishing sustainable nuclear medicine capacity.
Key focus areas will include:
- Turning isotope production and innovation into real patient access through infrastructure, technology and partnerships
- Building skilled multidisciplinary workforces to sustain nuclear medicine services
- Expanding access to diagnostic imaging and radionuclide therapy through global cooperation and knowledge exchange
The session will show how coordinated international action can broaden access to nuclear medicine services and support improved cancer outcomes, particularly in countries with the greatest needs.
9:25 am
Presentation – Canada’s progress towards doubling production of isotopes by 2030
James Scongack, Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council
9:40 am
Saskatchewan and Canada’s Isotope Edge: A Fireside Chat with Minister Kaeding
The Honourable Warren Kaeding, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Trade and Export Development, and Minister Responsible for Innovation
Session Chair: James Scongack, Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council
Saskatchewan has a long history as a driver of isotope innovation within Canada, with milestones dating back to the 1940s and 50s. This fireside discussion with the Honourable Warren Kaeding, Saskatchewan’s Minister Responsible for Innovation, will highlight how Saskatchewan is leveraging its world-class infrastructure and leading researchers to advance isotope innovation to support patients and families in Saskatchewan and across the country.
10:10 am
Coffee and Exhibitor Break – Sponsored by Boston Scientific
10:35 am
Panel – Towards best practice in Radioligand Therapy: From inception to implementation
Neil Babcock, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
Sara Dolatshahi, Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Céline Landié, Novartis
Dr. Duncan Sutherland, University of Western Ontario
Session Chair: Dr. Mark Harfenstellar, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE
Session overview:
This discussion will take a national perspective, bringing together Canadian leaders from regulatory bodies, academic institutions, and healthcare organizations to share expertise and insights on advancing Radioligand Therapy (RLT) across the country. The panel will explore evolving standards and strategies for optimizing RLT delivery, focusing on both clinical practice and operational frameworks that ensure safety, efficacy, and patient access. Speakers will discuss national challenges in the development and scaling of RLT programs, including critical considerations around radioactive waste management, and regulatory processes and approvals, highlighting opportunities to pursue a national strategy while maintaining rigorous safety standards. Panelists will examine lessons from existing Canadian RLT programs, strategies for knowledge sharing across provinces, and collaborative models that support the government’s ability to enable future growth
11:15 am
Mini Ted Talks – Canadian cancer care perspectives
Ted Talk 1 – The real-life impact of theranostics: A patient perspective
John Garbin
- This speaker will share his personal journey through cancer treatment, including experiences with chemotherapy, EBRT and SBRT, and hormonal therapies like ADT and ARPI, and ultimately radiotheranostics. This TEDtalk will provide a firsthand perspective on the impacts of these treatments, highlighting the critical role of patient-centered care. The speaker will also address the importance of expanding access to radiotheranostics across Canada, emphasizing the need to reach new patient groups and to offer these therapies earlier in the treatment pathway.
Ted Talk 2 – Target, deliver, treat: Using the TheraSphere in liver cancer and beyond
Dr. Amol Mujoomdar, London Health Sciences Centre
This TEDTalk explores how Yttrium-90 microsphere technology is transforming the treatment of liver cancer and other challenging tumors. By sharing firsthand experiences of the use of this Y-90 technology, this speaker will recount his journey, highlighting challenges and insights navigating care, securing funding for these advanced therapies, and seeing the significant benefit for patients with liver cancer and beyond.
Ted Talk 3 – Integrating theranostics to redefine the cancer care journey
Jess Hiatt, Siemens Healthineers
- This TEDTalk outlines a bold vision for the future of theranostics where a robust portfolio of diagnostic and therapeutic agents is powered by next-generation imaging infrastructure engineered for sensitivity and seamless AI-driven quantification as the navigational backbone of the theranostics cycle. But imaging alone is only half the equation. Equally critical are the digital oncology workflow solutions that connect every stakeholder in the theranostics ecosystem and eliminate the friction points that slow theranostics programs down. This TEDTalk will illustrate how advanced imaging infrastructure and digital workflow solutions, working in concert, directly advance the quadruple aim: improving patient experience, enhancing population health, reducing costs, and boosting provider satisfaction.
Ted Talk 4 – Leveraging Cancer Ablation Therapy for shorter, smarter, and more patient-centered treatment
Dr. Arjun Sahgal, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
This mini TED-style talk explores how recent advancements are transforming radiation oncology through the integration of Cancer Ablation Therapy (CAT) and the expansion of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). These innovations are not only increasing precision and efficiency but also redefining how care is delivered. As adoption grows, scalable and sophisticated treatment planning software will be essential to support this shift to a new, more patient-centered era in cancer treatment.
Session Chair: Melody Greaves, Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council
12:10 pm
Lunch – Sponsored by CANDU Energy Inc.
1:00 pm
Speed Round – Regional Innovation Showcase
Ottawa: The Capital of research and translation
Dr. Adam Shuhendler, Yellowbird Diagnostics and the University of Ottawa
Edmonton & Calgary: TracerHUB radioisotope and radiopharmaceutical development in Western Canada
Dr. Vincent Bouvet, Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre
Halifax: Atlantic isotope leadership in patient care collaboration
Dr. Andrew Ross, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital
Hamilton: A Canadian spin-out and commercialization success story
Dr. John Preston, McMaster University
Session Chair: Lise Taylor, Laurentis Energy Partners
Session overview:
Canada is home to a diverse and dynamic landscape of radioisotope research and innovation, with groundbreaking work taking place across the country. This session will shine a spotlight on the regional contributions to this evolving field, focusing on Ottawa, Edmonton, Halifax, and Hamilton. Through this cross-country series of presentations, experts will highlight their regional successes, challenges, and collaborations, demonstrating the diverse ways in which Canadian centres of excellence are leveraging radioisotopes to support innovation.
2:10 pm
Panel – Technologies that accelerate radiotheranostics discovery and translation
Chantal Hearst, SAGE Engineering
Dr. Katarzyna Jerzak, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Fei-Fei Liu, CIHR Institute of Cancer Research
Darryl Spector, Promation
Session Chair: Craig Shelley, GE HealthCare
Session overview:
This panel will consider the next generation of technologies accelerating the translation of novel radiopharmaceuticals from lab to clinic. Panelists will highlight cutting-edge innovations, including artificial intelligence, predictive modeling, advanced imaging platforms, and automation technologies, that are reshaping preclinical research, clinical trial design, and reliable isotope production. The discussion will examine how these emerging tools overcome translational barriers, optimize workflows, and enable faster, safer, and more efficient delivery of theranostic treatments. Together, these advancements are helping shorten the path from scientific discovery to patient access while setting the stage for the technologies of the future.
2:50 pm
Presentations – Canadian Contributions to Radiotheranostics: Trials, Investigators, and Impact
Presentation 1 – Beyond progression-free survival for PSMA prostate cancer: Key insights from the PR21 Trial
Dr. Glenn Bauman, London Health Sciences Centre
Presentation 2 – NETTER-2 Trial: A paradigm shift in neuroendocrine tumor care
Dr. Simron Singh, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Session Chair: Dr. Luke Brzozowski, University Health Network
Session overview:
This session will spotlight Canada’s leadership in advancing radiotheranostics through examples of high-impact clinical trials and investigator-driven research. Featuring two presentations, speakers will explore recent landmark Canadian studies, including PR21 and NETTER-2, highlighting their design, outcomes, and implications for patient care. Attendees will gain insight into the role of Canadian investigators in shaping global evidence and driving innovation in targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies. The session will also examine how these contributions are influencing clinical practice, policy, and future research directions. Together, the presentations will underscore Canada’s growing impact on the evolving landscape of precision oncology.
3:35 pm
Coffee & Exhibitor Break – Sponsored by PHSE USA Corp.
4:05 pm
Panel – Canada’s competitive edge: Positioning our isotope ecosystem globally
Riaz Bandali, Nordion
Dr. Cornelia Hoehr, TRIUMF
Dr. David Kirsch, University Health Network
Paula Resende, Invest Ontario
Session Chair: Holly Bilton, Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem
Session overview:
This panel explores Canada’s vision for its position in the global isotope sector over the next decade and the changes needed to achieve it. Panelists will examine how the country’s innovative businesses, regulatory frameworks, investment community, and longstanding isotope leadership can be leveraged to create meaningful global impact. As a forward-looking discussion, the panel will also highlight the dual-use potential of isotope technologies, showing how applications beyond medicine can expand Canada’s influence and opportunities worldwide. Attendees will gain insight into the strategies, partnerships, and policy actions required to strengthen Canada’s competitive edge and drive sustainable growth in the global isotope landscape.
4:50 pm
2026 Summit Closing Remarks
Holly Bilton, Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem and Julia Publicover, University Health Network
5:00 pm
Exhibitor time during exit