Philippe Walker

Philippe Walker has been appointed chairman of the strategic orientation committee (SOC) for the Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery (CQDM), succeeding Bernard Prigent. Walker is VP and director of the Astra Zeneca research centre in Montreal focused on the discovery and development of drugs for pain and other neurological disorders, and a member of the management committee of AstraZeneca's global research in the areas of central nervous systems and pain research. The role of CQDM's SOC is to establish the research agenda of CQDM's competitions, approve the evaluation criteria for submitted projects and select letters of intent. CQDM's principal mission is accelerate drug discovery by funding projects carried out by public R&D institutions and the private sector. Walker has been a key player in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Quebec and sits on the boards of several scientific organizations….

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has made several changes to leadership positions in its key divisions. Brian Gray replaces Philip Jennings as ADM major projects; Tom Rosser replaces Jim Farrell as ADM of the Canadian Forestry Sector; Jay Khosla replaces Mark Corey as ADM earth sciences sector; Geoff Munroe replaces Jim Farrell as ADM values & ethics coordinator and Richard Tobin replaces Mario Gibeault as Wrong-Doing Disclosure Officer. The changes were enacted following the arrival of DM Serge Dupont last fall. Dupont replaced Cassie Doyle who accepted a posting as consul general of San Francisco/Silicon Valley….