Now Innovating

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Joel Reardon, a 2019 Peak Scholar, from the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary. Dr. Reardon explains how companies like Google have made changes to their data collection policies in part because of his research efforts. Reardon acknowledges his success in impacting policy change but says he doesn't know where to go next. Joel's team wants to connect directly with private companies who could benefit from developing acceptable privacy policies for the data they collect.

Dr. Joel Reardon focuses his research on security and privacy issues related to smart phones, shining a light on the monetization of private user data and behaviour profiling. His work has contributed to on-going regulatory actions against major companies.

In this first episode, host Jordan Witzel introduces us to co-host Dr. Pritma Chattha who stresses the importance of nurturing collaborations in order to cultivate new beginnings in innovation. The wrong network can become a barrier. Impact can be inspired in a field where a researcher least expects their work to lead. Pritma says the best approach is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable while admitting to the things you don't know.

Dr. Pritma Chattha is a Yale educated nurse executive and serial entrepreneur with 18 years of healthcare experience advocating for patients at the bedside and in the boardroom. She currently serves as Co-Founder of Lavender, Co-Founder of Bombay Beauty Loft, and former Co-Founder of Healthgig (acquired in 2020 by Apploi). Pritma has worked in a variety of clinical settings across the life-span; and over the last decade has honed her expertise in health informatics, building and improving digital health technologies. As Adjunct faculty at the University of Calgary and University of Victoria, Pritma enjoys mentoring aspiring students and contributing to innovations in healthcare curriculum. Pritma is passionate about rethinking healthcare to provide safer, better and more accessible care for all.