The Pompe Empowerment Workshop: Vancouver will be held at the Element Vancouver Metrorown on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Sessions will include an array of topics shown in the agenda below.
This is a regional event. We are pleased to welcome patients and caregivers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Join us virtually from anywhere!
Agenda
|
Time |
Topic | Speaker |
|
7:45am |
Breakfast and Registration | |
|
8:45am |
Welcome | Brad Crittenden Executive Director, CAP |
|
9:00am |
Pompe Disease in Canada: Current Care and a Path Ahead | Dr. Ramona Salvarinova MD, MHSc, FRCPC,FCCMG Clinical Associate Professor, UBC Interim Division head, Biochemical Genetics BC Children’s Hospital |
|
9:40am |
Clinical Trials and Registries: What to Expect and Why They Matter | Caroline Selvage, RN, BScN Metabolic Nurse Educator Adult Metabolic Diseases Clinic, Vancouver Coastal Health |
|
10:05am |
Explaining Pompe Disease to Others | James Radke, PhD (Pharmacology) President, Zeal Access Inc. |
|
10:30am |
Break | |
|
11:00am |
Living with Pompe: Mental Health, Resiliency and Support | Sam Wu Caregiver, On-call Chaplain, & Counsellor |
|
12:00pm |
Lunch | |
|
1:00pm |
Adaptive Cooking Tips for High-Protein Diets | Lochlan Smyth Chef Extraordinaire |
|
1:30pm |
Decoding Supplements | Dr. Seema Kanwal, BSc, ND Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine |
|
2:00pm |
Caregiving – All in the Family | Lori Boutilier, CAP Director Taylor Ferguson, CAP Director, RECE Christina Robinson, CAP Director, Primary Care Paramedic |
|
2:45pm |
Break | |
|
3:15pm |
Safe Strength Training and Movement Strategies | Dr. Sarah Simms, MD, FRCPC, CSCN (EMG) Clinical Instructor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation University of British Columbia Dr. Michelle Mezei, BSc(Pharm), MDCM, FRCPC Clinical Professor of Neurology University of British Columbia |
|
4:00pm |
Wrap-up | Brad Crittenden Executive Director, CAP |
Speakers
Lori Boutilier
CAP Director
Taylor Ferguson
CAP Director, RECE
Dr. Seema Kanwal, BSc, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Dr. Michelle Mezei, BSc(Pharm). MDCM, FRCPC
Clinical Professor of Neurology, University of British Columbia
James Radke, PhD (Pharmacology)
President, Zeal Access Inc.
Christina Robinson
CAP Secretary, Primary Care Paramedic
Dr. Ramona Salvarinova MD, MHSc, FRCPC,FCCMG
Clinical Associate Professor, UBC Interim Division head, Biochemical Genetics, BC Children’s Hospital
Caroline Selvage, RN, BScN
Metabolic Nurse Educator, Adult Metabolic Clinic, Vancouver Coastal Health
Dr. Sarah Simms, MD, FRCPC, CSCN (EMG)
Clinical Instructor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of British Columbia
Lochlan Smyth
Chef Extraordinaire
Sam Wu
Caregiver, On-call Chaplain, & Counsellor
Victoria Radke
Junior Executive Director, Canadian Association of Pompe
Brad Crittenden
Executive Director, Canadian Association of Pompe #Pies4Pompe
Sponsors
We want to express our gratitude to Sanofi, Amicus Therapeutics, Aro Biotherapeutics, Astellas and Shionogi for their support.
