The Team – ECHO OBN

Lead

Dr. Mehran Anvari

Dr. Mehran Anvari is the lead of Project ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network. He is a tenured professor of surgery and holds the Research Chair of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Surgical Innovation at McMaster University.

Dr. Anvari is the Past President of the Canadian Association for Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons and the Clinical Lead and Chair of the Ontario Bariatric Network. He is the Scientific Director and CEO of the Centre for Surgical Invention and Innovation, and the founding Director of the Centre for Minimal Access Surgery.

Dr. Anvari has been involved in teaching laparoscopic bariatric procedures for over 10 years in Canada and internationally, and is a faculty member for a number of bariatric programs, including the European Institute of Telesurgery (EITS) in Strasbourg, France.

As a researcher, supervisor, mentor, and advisor, Dr. Anvari has a continued commitment to teaching, education, publication, and innovation. He has authored over 200 publications; holds seven patents; and is the principal investigator of numerous studies related to obesity, gastrointestinal disease, and surgical robotic systems and techniques.

Dr. Anvari has been honored many times for his innovation and research: he was awarded the ORION Leadership Award in 2010 and the ISS R&D Innovation Award in 2015. Dr. Anvari’s work with telerobotics has also been recognized by the federal and provincial government with the “Gold Medal of Distinction” and the “Diamond Award for Innovation in Technology”. Most recently, Dr. Anvari was appointed to the Order of Ontario for his support in the development of medical robotics for early detection and treatment of cancers.

Co-Chair

Dr. Vanessa Boudreau

Dr. Boudreau is a staff surgeon in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at St. Joseph’s Healthcare and an Assistant Professor at McMaster University.

She achieved her MD in 2011 at the University of Montreal, Quebec and completed her General Surgery Residency at the University of Sherbrooke, Quebec in 2016. She completed a Fellowship in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital here in Hamilton. Beginning in July 1, 2017, Dr. Boudreau was a Clinical Scholar in the Department of Surgery while she completed her Masters in Health Research and Methodology at McMaster University.

Dr. Boudreau is the provincial co-chair for Project ECHO OBN (Ontario Bariatric Network) and the ECHO lead for the Hamilton Bariatric Centre of Excellence site.

Her research interests focus mainly on metabolic surgery and include diabetes remission, weight regain and revisional surgery.

Clinical Project Coordinator

Daina Mueller

Daina Mueller is the Clinical Project Coordinator of Project ECHO OBN. Daina completed her MSc at McMaster University and has held various senior management roles working with clinicians to develop and implement province-wide programs focused on capacity building and knowledge exchange.

Daina is responsible for the overall project management of the program including curriculum development. She works with the multi-disciplinary team of clinicians from the Bariatric Centres of Excellence and provides support to the Hub Teams as they implement Project ECHO OBN.

Administrative Assistant