Rene Almeling is a Professor of Sociology at Yale University, specializing in gender, medicine, and reproduction. Her scholarly work employs a diverse set of methodologies, including qualitative, historical, and quantitative approaches, to explore the intersection of biological bodies, cultural norms, and scientific knowledge. Professor Almeling is the author of two award-winning books: "Sex Cells," which delves into the American market for egg and sperm donors, and "GUYnecology," which addresses the neglect of male reproductive health. She has also spearheaded original surveys on Americans’ attitudes towards genetic risk and women’s experiences with in vitro fertilization. Additionally, she is co-editing upcoming volumes on men’s reproductive health and sperm politics. Her research has received backing from prominent institutions such as the National Science Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and she holds courtesy appointments in several programs at Yale, including American Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Schools of Public Health and Medicine. Currently, she is developing a new project focused on the sociological impacts of climate change.

Xaand Bancroft is currently a Population Health, Ph.D., candidate at the University of Ottawa. Her interdisciplinary academic background includes; a BSc. in Psychology, a BSc. in Zoology, both earned from the University of Guelph, a Master’s in Environmental Studies from l’Université de Moncton, and a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from the University of Ottawa. Xaand’s academic areas of interest include environmental issues, maternal and newborn care, health inequities, feminism, abolition, social justice and reproductive justice. Her Ph.D. thesis explores care delivery to pregnant individuals incarcerated in Ontario, Canada.  Xaand has a strong desire to support her classmates in achieving their academic and personal goals. She provides her peers with support through the Population Health, Ph.D., mentorship program. Xaand's academic and personal journey are motivated by her desire to advocate for, and serve, individuals and populations whose voices are not always clearly heard.

Dr. Stefanie Carsley is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, Common Law Section where she researches and teaches in the areas of family law, health law and tort law. Her research focuses on Canadian law and policy responses to assisted reproduction. She is the principal investigator for a SSHRC-funded qualitative study entitled “Surrogacy Laws in Canada: Exploring Intended Parents’ Experiences and Perspectives”. She is a member of uOttawa’s Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics and uOttawa’s Public Law Centre, and is called to the Bar in Ontario.

Elena Caruso is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo's Department of Political Science in Canada and a fellow of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. She holds an MA in Law from the University of Catania (2015), an LLM in International Law (2019), and a PhD in Law (2023) from the University of Kent. Elena's academic expertise spans legal studies, gender equality, empirical legal methods, social movements, reproduction, and legal history. Her current research projects include an exploration of how self-managed abortion practices challenge traditional medico-legal frameworks and an analysis of the feminist movement’s role in the legalization of abortion in 1970s Italy. Elena has rich research experience through visiting fellowships at the European University Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Melbourne Law School, Osgoode Hall Law School, Cardiff School of Law and Politics, and a semester at the University of Bonn Law School as an Erasmus student.

Alana Cattapan is the Canada Research Chair in the Politics of Reproduction, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo, and an Adjunct Professor at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan. She is also the director of the Politics of Reproduction Research Group at the University of Waterloo.  She studies gendered inclusion in policy making related to reproduction, identifying links between the state, the commercialization of the body, and reproductive labour. She has published peer-reviewed articles in Studies in Political Economy, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the Canadian Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of Medical Ethics, among others. She is the co-editor of Surrogacy in Canada: Critical Perspectives in Law and Policy (Irwin Law, 2018) and Feministing in Political Science (University of Alberta Press, 2024).

Alicia Czarnowski is a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. She completed her law degree at the same institution, where she received the McCarthy Tetrault LLP Second Year Prize for highest standing in the JD Program, as well as the Osgoode Society Prize for Canadian Legal History, awarded to the top 10 graduating students. Alicia went on to clerk for Justice Fothergill at the Federal Court of Canada, before returning to her formal studies. Alicia's research focuses on health law, with a particular interest in assisted human reproduction. Alicia's LLM examined how Canadian Blood Services could serve as a model for pan-Canadian governance of reproductive technologies. Her current research employs empirical methods to better understand the role of surrogacy consultants in Canada.

Isabel Côté (elle/she) est professeure titulaire au Département de travail social de l’Université du Québec en Outaouais et titulaire de la Chaire de recherche du Canada sur la procréation pour autrui et les liens familiaux. Elle est membre du Partenariat Famille en mouvance, du Réseau québécois en études féministes (RéQEF) et co-dirige le Partenariat de recherche SAVIE-LGBTQ. Sa programmation de recherche vise à développer une compréhension globale de la procréation pour autrui en croisant le regard de l’ensemble des parties, à savoir les parents, les tiers de procréation, les enfants ainsi conçus et les familles élargies. Ses travaux conjuguent les apports théoriques de la sociologie de la famille, de l’anthropologie de la parenté, des études féministes et LGBTQ contribuant à offrir un regard renouvelé sur les réalités familiales contemporaines. De façon innovante, ses travaux permettent de considérer les enfants comme des acteurs à part entière dans la construction des connaissances sur les familles créées grâce à la procréation pour autrui. Enfin, les résultats de ses travaux permettent de nourrir le débat social quant aux enjeux que soulève la procréation pour autrui et ce, à partir de constats empiriques tout en proposant des pistes d’action pour mieux soutenir le bien-être des personnes concernées.

Joanna Erdman is a Professor and the inaugural MacBain Chair in Heath Law and Policy at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University. Joanna’s research focuses on sexual and reproductive health and human rights in a transnational context. She has acted as an intervener before various constitutional courts and international bodies, and as an expert advisor with the World Health Organization. Joanna holds a JD from the University of Toronto and an LLM from Harvard Law School and completed a fellowship at Yale Law School.

Audrey Ferron Parayre est professeure agrégée à la Faculté de droit de l'Université d'Ottawa, où elle est aussi membre du Centre de droit, politique et éthique de la santé. Co-directrice de l'Observatoire pluridisciplinaire sur le devenir du droit privé, elle concentre ses recherches et son enseignement sur le droit des personnes, le droit de la santé, l'effectivité du droit, et le transfert de connaissances, utilisant des méthodes de recherche empirique, tant qualitatives que quantitatives. Titulaire d'un baccalauréat en droit et ayant pratiqué en cabinet privé, elle a également complété une maîtrise en santé publique, où elle a validé un outil psychométrique pour le dépistage du conflit décisionnel chez les patients. Ses études doctorales ont exploré l'effectivité du consentement aux soins pour renforcer l'autonomie des patients, soutenues par des bourses des Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada et KT-Canada. Elle a aussi mené des recherches à l'Université Montpellier I et à l'Université Paris-Descartes. Ses travaux actuels portent sur le droit et la santé reproductive des femmes, en particulier les violences obstétricales et gynécologiques, et sur l'utilisation du droit comme outil de prévention.

Kelly Gordon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at McGill University. Her academic journey culminated in a PhD in Political Science from the University of Ottawa in 2018, leading to her current role at McGill. Her research focuses on conservative movements and politics in North America. She is also the co-author of "The Changing Voice of the Anti-Abortion Movement: The Rise of Pro-Woman Rhetoric in Canada and the United States," alongside Paul Saurette, which explores shifts in the rhetoric of the anti-abortion movement. Her work at McGill continues to delve into these complex political dynamics, contributing significant insights into contemporary political discourse.

Vanessa Gruben is a professor in the Common Law Section of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law. A recognized expert in Canadian health law and policy, her scholarship probes the law and ethics of assisted reproduction, harm reduction, organ donation and transplantation, and health care professional self-regulation. She is the co-editor of the 5th edition of Canada’s leading health law text, Canadian Health Law and Policy (LexisNexis, 2017), and co-author of Families and the Law in Canada: Cases and Commentary (Captus, 2019). She has been a member of the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board and the Health Services Appeal and Review Board. She currently serves as board member of the Canadian Health Coalition and of AMS Healthcare. She has appeared on behalf of Amnesty International Canada before the Supreme Court of Canada in Charkaoui v. Canada, [2007] 1 S.C.R. 350; Charkaoui v. Canada, [2008] 2 S.C.R. 326; Khadr v. Canada, [2010] SCC 3; and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Professor Gruben is a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s Common Law program. She clerked for Chief Justice Richard of the Federal Court of Appeal and then Justice Bastarache of the Supreme Court of Canada. She was called to the bar in Ontario in 2003, after which she practiced as an associate in the litigation group of a national law firm. She joined the Faculty of Law after graduating as a James Kent Scholar from Columbia University’s Master of Laws program.

Kathleen Hammond is an assistant professor at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University, having previously served as a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University’s Faculty of Law and as a visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law and Policy. She holds a JD and BCL from McGill University Law School and completed an MPhil in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies and a PhD in Legal Sociology at the University of Cambridge, where she was recognized as a Gates Cambridge and Commonwealth Scholar. Hammond's research navigates the complexities of health law and policy, science and technology law, and gender and families, with a specific focus on the legal and ethical issues arising from new medical technologies such as assisted reproductive technologies and genetic testing. Her work advocates for evolving legal concepts to keep pace with rapid societal changes and promotes a more people-oriented approach to legislation. Hammond's career also includes significant contributions to policy development in reproduction for organizations like the World Health Organization, and fellowships with institutions such as the Brocher Foundation and the Embryo Project at Arizona State University.

Professor Kirsty Horsey, with LLB and PhD degrees from the University of Kent, started her academic career as a lecturer in law at Kent Law School. Her primary research interests encompass the regulation of surrogacy and other forms of assisted human reproduction, alongside genetic technologies, particularly where these intersect with family law issues like legal parenthood. Professor Horsey has been instrumental in facilitating legal reform through her collaborations with non-profit and charitable organizations, notably contributing to the SurrogacyUK Working Group on Surrogacy Law Reform. This collaboration yielded two significant research reports in 2015 and 2018, offering recommendations for legislative changes. Additionally, she plays a vital role in the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Surrogacy. Her research also extends to tort law, focusing on obligations arising from relationships, assumptions of responsibility, and power imbalances.

Lisa C. Ikemoto teaches bioethics, health care law, reproductive rights, law & policy, and health justice. She holds a B.A. in English (American Studies) and History from the University of California, Los Angeles, a J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law, and an LL.M. from Columbia University School of Law. Her research focuses on reproductive rights and justice, health care disparities, and the intersection of science, technology, and law. Ikemoto's recent work addresses reprogenetic technology markets, provider religious exemptions in health care inequality, and the imprint of colonialism’s legacies on the acquisition of human tissue for biomedical markets. She has faculty affiliations with the Aoki Center for Race and Nation Studies, the Center for Innovation Law, and Society, the Feminist Research Institute, Public Health Sciences, and the Religious Studies Department.

Dr. Karen M. Lawford is an Aboriginal Midwife from Namegosibiing, Lac Seul First Nation, Treaty 3, and a Registered Midwife in Ontario. She serves as a Centre Scientist at the McMaster Midwifery Research Centre (MMRC) and an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University. Dr. Lawford's research is dedicated to improving sexual and reproductive healthcare for Indigenous Peoples, focusing especially on maternity care on reserves. Her efforts aim to dismantle barriers to equitable health services for Indigenous communities. Dr. Lawford was recognized as the 2020 Indspire Laureate in Health, acknowledging her significant contributions to research and policy concerning mandatory evacuation for birth. Her academic interests extend to maternity care on reserves, medical evacuation, midwifery, and Indigenous health and wellness, incorporating Indigenous feminist theories and methodologies, and leadership roles for Indigenous women and Two Spirit individuals. She also holds an adjunct research professorship at the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies at Carleton University.

Alisa Lombard is a lawyer working in matters relating to Indigenous-Crown relations, particularly specific claims, human rights and reproductive rights, and Indigenous governance issues. She is a member of the Ontario and Saskatchewan Law Societies and is completing an LLM where her research focuses on systemic reform in health to hold wrongdoers in the medical profession to account using constitutional instruments. Alisa is a mom to two young girls, whom she shares with her husband Allan LaPlante, a citizen of the Nehiyewak Nation (originates from English River First Nation and Moosomin First Nation, SK), and is a devoted citizen of the Mi’kmaq Nation (originates from Elsipogtog First Nation in NB).

Dr. Madeira, a distinguished faculty member at Indiana Law since 2007, specializes in fertility fraud, bioethics, and the intersection of law and medicine with a specific focus on reproductive endocrinology. Her expertise in reproductive rights and health law has been featured in prominent media outlets, including a Netflix documentary "Our Father" and the investigative news program "20/20." Madeira’s scholarly work extends to empirical research on the emotional and legal aspects of fertility and reproduction. She is the author of "Taking Baby Steps: How Patients and Fertility Clinics Collaborate in Conception," a detailed exploration of the patient experience within fertility clinics, which draws on extensive interviews and surveys with patients and reproductive medical professionals. Her forthcoming work continues to address significant issues in reproductive health law. Beyond her publications, Dr. Madeira actively engages in enhancing patient education through multimedia resources, aiming to improve decision-making processes in reproductive medicine. Her contributions to the field of reproductive health and law highlight the complex interactions between patient rights, medical ethics, and legal frameworks. Dr. Madeira has won the Democratic Primary and is now a candidate for public office. If elected, she will concurrently hold this public office and her academic position.

Eleanor McGrath (she/her) is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Waterloo. Her dissertation work focuses on the policy challenges of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity data collection. Her broader work interrogates reproductive politics including projects on surrogacy, midwifery, and abortion access. Additionally, she is writing on the rise of the anti-trans rhetoric of “parental rights.” Eleanor holds a SSHRC doctoral fellowship and is a proud member of both the Politics of Reproduction Research Group and the Guiding Interdisciplinary Research on Women and Girls' Wellbeing (GROWW) program.

Holly McKenzie’s (PhD) community-engaged research program focuses on reproductive justice and health. Holly is a white-settler who works in partnership with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to promote policy, service and community change for enhanced health and wellness. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Regina in the Department of Gender, Religion and Critical Studies. Holly has published peer-reviewed articles in Qualitative Health Research and Cultural Studies and Critical Methodologies, among others, and shares her research through various strategies, including blogs, fact sheets, and community presentations. Holly lives on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland on the Métis (in Saskatoon) with her partner, two dogs, and a cat. When she is not engaging in research-advocacy, McKenzie is often found participating in dog sports with Kal and Opal, camping or reading fiction. You can learn more about Holly’s research at www.hollyannmckenzie.ca

Seema Mohapatra is a tenured full professor and holds the M.D. Anderson Foundation Endowed Professorship in Health Law at SMU Dedman School of Law. An expert in health law and bioethics, her research focuses on health care equity, the intersection of biosciences and law, assisted reproduction, and public health law. Her work has been published in esteemed journals including the Emory Law Journal, University of Colorado Law Review, and the Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics. She co-edited "Feminist Judgments: Health Law Rewritten" and co-authored "Reproductive Technologies and the Law." Professor Mohapatra serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics and Population Connection. She also co-chairs the Health Justice Initiative and is frequently consulted by the media for her expertise. Holding a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and a Master’s in Public Health from Yale, her early career included practicing health law at leading firms in Chicago.

Professor Erin Nelson teaches Tort Law, Health Care Ethics and the Law, and Law & Medicine. She is a Fellow of the Health Law Institute. Professor Nelson obtained her B.Sc.P.T. in 1991 and her LL.B.. in 1995, both from the University of Alberta. After clerking for Mr. Justice John Sopinka of the Supreme Court of Canada, Professor Nelson completed her articles in Edmonton. She then spent two years as Project Manager at the Health Law Institute in the Faculty of Law before leaving for Columbia University to pursue graduate work in health law. Professor Nelson joined the Faculty of Law in 2000. She served as the Associate Dean (Research) from 2009-2011. In 2012-13, Professor Nelson served as Senior Legal Counsel to the Honourable Catherine Fraser, Chief Justice of Alberta. Her research interests include: the interface of health care law and ethics, women's health, issues in reproductive health, and feminist legal theory. She has published articles and book chapters on numerous health law related topics, such as consent, the regulation of health care practitioners, intervention in pregnancy, surrogacy and privacy. Her monograph, Law, Policy and Reproductive Autonomy (Hart, 2013), explores theoretical and practical issues in reproductive decision-making.

Elgin A. Pecjak is a queer and trans male scholar who will soon have his Ph.D. in Feminist and Gender Studies from the University of Ottawa. His thesis Scrambling for Parenthood explores the complexities of egg freezing, desires for biogenetic parenthood and transgender and gender diverse identity. Elgin is currently a postdoctoral research fellow with the Women’s College Hospital exploring the intersections of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and transgender identity. Elgin has publications ranging from call for menstrual equity for transgender individuals to the joys of queer and queering parenthood.

Véronique Pronovost est doctorante en sociologie et en études féministes à l'UQAM. Elle s’intéresse à l’antiféminisme conservateur aux États-Unis et au Canada. Plus spécifiquement, ses recherches doctorales portent sur le mouvement contre l'avortement aux États-Unis. Elle est membre de divers groupes de recherche dont le Chantier sur l’antiféminisme du Réseau québécois en études féministes, le Collectif de recherche Action Politique et Démocratie ainsi que la Chaire Raoul-Dandurand. Véronique est membre du comité de veille stratégique sur l'avortement piloté par la Fédération du Québec pour le planning des naissances (FQPN) et est impliquée auprès de plusieurs groupes féministes du Québec.

Régine Tremblay joined Allard Law in 2017, where she specializes in family law, matrimonial property law, private law, and family mediation, among other areas. She holds a BCL and LLB from McGill University and both an LLM and SJD from the University of Toronto. A practicing member of the Quebec Bar since 2011, Tremblay is also the Director of the Centre for Feminist Legal Studies and co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Family Law. She was the Vice President of the Association des juristes d’expression française de la Colombie-Britannique (2021-2024). Her affiliations include membership at the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law, and active roles in several other legal research groups and editorial boards. Her scholarly contributions are extensive, with publications in the McGill Law Journal and the Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, and she has co-authored legal dictionaries and contributed to legal encyclopedias and companions. Her research is supported by the Law Foundation of British Columbia and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, underscoring her significant impact in the field of law.

Sabrina Zeghiche (elle/she) est stagiaire postdoctorale au département de travail social à l’Université du Québec en Outaouais, sous la supervision d’Isabel Côté. Ses intérêts de recherche s’articulent autour des enjeux en lien avec la concrétisation d’un projet parental, et plus précisément, autour du décès/deuil périnatal et de la conception par don de sperme. Dans le cadre de sa thèse de doctorat, elle a examiné la façon dont se module la (non) reconnaissance sociale du décès/deuil périnatal. Sa recherche postdoctorale porte sur les liens familiaux qui se nouent en contexte de conception par don de sperme. Sabrina dirige également le projet DÉRIVES inscrit dans la programmation de la Chaire de recherche du Canada sur la procréation pour autrui et les liens familiaux. Il s’agit d’un projet Développement Savoir portant sur deux cas de dérives en procréation assistée : la surutilisation et la substitution du don de sperme. En s’appuyant sur l’approche du parcours de vie, ce projet vise à examiner l’événement que constitue la découverte de ces dérives et la nature de la transition qu’elles entraînent dans les trajectoires de vie des personnes.