Pacific Autism Family Network Welcomes Dr. Gabe Kalmar as President/CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pacific Autism Family Network welcomes Dr. Gabe Kalmar as President/CEO

September 24, 2016 [Vancouver, B.C.] –Effective October 22, Dr. Gabe Kalmar, PhD, will join the team developing the $35 million dollar Goodlife Fitness Family Autism Hub in Richmond, and the provincial spokes of the Pacific Autism Family Centre Foundation and Society. Dr. Kalmar will lead the Pacific Autism Family Network’s (PAFN) push to improve access to ASD-related services and strengthen ASD research across and beyond B.C.

“Dr. Kalmar has played a key advisory role in the development of the PAFN’s research and service delivery planning for over two years,” said Sergio Cocchia, Board Chair and co founder of PAFN, “Gabe is uniquely suited to execute PAFN’s mission to improve the lives of people and families living with autism and we are thrilled to welcome him onboard in this leadership role.”

In 2004, Dr. Kalmar joined Genome BC as Executive Director of Operations, established the Sector Development group and with it many collaborations and partnerships with academia, and the public and private sectors in various economic sectors.  In 2015 he took the reins as the Vice President Entrepreneurship and Commercialization.

“I can’t tell you how encouraged I feel to know that the PAFN is being led by someone with such a comprehensive view of the challenges facing individuals and families navigating care,” said cofounder Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia.  “Dr. Kalmar’s professional and lived experience instils me with great hope for what we can accomplish for families across B.C.”

Prior to joining Genome BC, Dr. Kalmar engaged in strategic consulting activities with several early stage bio-pharmaceutical companies which included overseeing operations, implementing technology development and providing merger and acquisition planning. From 1996 to 2002, Dr. Kalmar held senior management positions with Kinetek Pharmaceuticals Inc., a privately held Vancouver-based biopharmaceutical company that was acquired by QLT in 2004. During this time Dr. Kalmar established and managed multiple external collaborations with academics and clinicians in the areas of signal transduction, preclinical studies and technology access. Dr. Kalmar obtained his undergraduate science degree and M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia and his Ph.D. in biology from Simon Fraser University.

“Thanks to the visionary work of the PAFN co-founders, board, and individuals with ASD and their families across the province, B.C. is about to set a new global standard for ASD research, education, and support,” said Dr. Kalmar, “The GoodLife hub in Richmond, along with the soon-to-be opened spokes, are focused on serving the 69,000 individuals currently living on the spectrum in our province. Meanwhile, our team is already working to ensure that the infrastructure, collaborations, and technology we’ve built here are leveraged to support individuals and families across the country.”