Is Diana MacKay a thinker? A change maker? Or an advisor? To her, there might never be a way to classify her career with a single role. Currently, she is working as a health journalist – something that was unplanned, initially to help her father but the role morphed into something more. Unlike her father, she is not a doctor, which forces her to pivot her role into more of a health advisor instead of medical expert. This allows her to topic issues such as the impact of housing on health, which may not neatly or formally fit into the world of medicine.

Many doctors are also business owners. That is something that Brian Day points out, as leader of the Cambie Surgery Centre, a private surgery clinic in Vancouver. As the CEO, he leads a small team and also promotes ideas and ways to improve the healthcare system in Canada. In addition, his experience with sports medicine earned him a spot in British Columbia’s Sports Hall of Fame – the first orthopedic surgeon to be inducted – and his reputation has led him to treat some of the famous celebrities who work in Vancouver’s film industry.

Cancer is a complicated topic involving different scopes – Dr. Linda Carlson knows that well. As a researcher, she focuses on all aspects of cancer care. This goes beyond traditional approaches, but also psychological aspects and using mind wellness as cancer care. Her findings are vital for a more holistic understanding of patient care.

Rory Mullen, as the head of BioPharma and IDA Ireland, meets a lot of people, to say the least. He started studying in business and working in advertising, but wanted to expand his horizons internationally, outside his native Ireland.

Amani Saini took the experience of a family member’s adverse drug reaction to launch a nonprofit dedicated to furthering research and awareness of adverse drug reactions.

David Smith is a doctor and internist with a rich history in the field, ranging from biomimetics technology to traumatic brain injury. But it was far from a straight line to get to where he is today.

Dr Fasano was born and raised in Italy, where he studied pediatric gastroenterology. He was determined to cure diarrhea – an elusive goal, one he failed to achieve. However, that failure led him on a path to new research that revealed zonulin, which regulates intestinal permeability.

Dr. Seely is a leader in the development of integrative and naturopathic oncology. He is the founder and executive director of the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre and he is the executive director of research at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.