CCR - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Lab Manager at Chinook Contract Research

Crystal Schatz is the Lab Manager at Chinook Contract Research. Crystal was previously a researcher with Bow Valley Research before joining Chinook in 2017. She organizes the execution of the varied in vivo and in vitro studies CCR pursues in Human and Animal Health. Behind the scenes and on the ground, Crystal has supported the completion of over 20 in vivo studies, managing deliverables for clients, granting agencies and regulatory agencies. Crystal has a Bachelors in Ecology from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Joe Ross holds a B.M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario. He has over 17 peer reviewed publications and has held post doctoral fellowships at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the University of Southern Denmark, and the University of Lethbridge. His major areas of expertise include microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and mammalian cell biology. As a Senior Scientist at Chinook Contract Research, Joe has designed and executed studies for product registration to Health Canada, antimicrobial and antiviral efficacy studies, and antimicrobial resistance surveillance studies in southern Alberta.

Job Titles:

• Co - Founder
• Research Director

Dr. Merle Olson is a co-founder of CCR and our research director. Additionally, he is the founder and the Director of Research & Technical Services of Alberta Veterinary laboratories Inc. AVL operates the only GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Western Canada and one of the few in Canada. AVL was incorporated Feb 8, 2006 and in July, 2009 AVL received approval from Health Canada to manufacture and sell a drug which is used on most cattle in Canada, "Ivermectin Pour-on for Cattle". Dr. Olson has 27 years of experience in the field of microbiology. He has 200 peer reviewed publications and currently holds 30 patents in the fields of veterinary pharmaceuticals, medical devices and Biofilm testing methods. Dr. Olson holds a D.V.M. and M.Sc. in Chemistry.

Job Titles:

• Lab Technician at Chinook Contract Research

Kendall Beaugrand has been a Lab Technician at Chinook Contract Research since 2020. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount Royal University, with a major in Cellular and Molecular Biology. While in University, Kendall completed multiple self-directed projects which focused on developing skills in cellular and molecular biology techniques, such as cell culturing, site-directed mutagenesis, and multiple forms of microscopy. Kendall has also contributed to research at the University of Calgary which investigated the development of Multiple Sclerosis in mouse models. This work culminated in a presentation of her findings at the Summer Student Symposium in 2018.

Nick has over 20 years' regulatory and product development experience in the field of microbiology. Over his career, Nick has provided innovative solutions to client issues ranging from proof-of-concept studies for anti-infective candidates, to full scale regulatory submission studies. Nick was a key contributor to ASTM E2799-11 (the fi

Petra Lushai has been with Chinook Contract Research since Summer 2021 as a Lab Technician. Petra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology. At Chinook Contract Research, she provides in lab support with diagnostic tests, blood analysis, tissue and microbiological sample processing collected from field studies. She also aids in field studies collecting, labeling, and organizing samples that are taken from animals for various studies involving medium to large animals service you'd like to show.