Our Team
Dr. Saul Isserow graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in 1986. He did General Practice and Specialty Training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Saskatchewan. FRCPC (Internal Med.) in 1994, followed by FRCPC (Cardiology) in 1996. He is the Director of the VGH Centre for Cardiovascular Health and the Director of Cardiology Services at UBC Hospital. Dr. Isserow is the Regional Lead for Cardiac Rehabilitation in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. He received the Master Teacher awards from the Department of Anaesthesia in 2003 and 2013 and from the Department of Medicine in 2010. He was the recipient of the People’s Choice Award VGH Medical Staff in 2000 and Vancouver Coastal Health Annual Award for Clinical Excellence in 2008. Dr. Isserow was also awarded the 2019-2020 UBC Killam Teaching Prize. Most recently, he was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025. He was also the Cardiology Lead for the Vancouver Olympic Games in 2010. Dr. Isserow is the Medical Director of SportsCardiologyBC.
Dr. Jimmy McKinney received an M.D. from the University of Toronto, M.Sc. in Biochemistry, and B.Sc. in genetics from the University of Western Ontario. He completed Internal Medicine and Cardiology fellowship at the University of British Columbia and subspecialty fellowship in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at the University of Toronto. He completed a sports cardiology fellowship at the University of British Columbia, and has done sports cardiology training in Rome and London, UK. His research interests include pre-participation screening of young and Masters athletes, the chronic effects of exercise, and medical education. Dr. McKinney is the Research Medical Director of SportsCardiologyBC.
Dr. Nate Moulson received a B.H.K. and M.D. from the University of British Columbia. He completed Internal Medicine at Queen’s University, and Cardiology Fellowship at the University of British Columbia. He completed a subspecialty fellowship in Sports Cardiology at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is currently completing a Clinician Investigator Program, Master of Health Administration, and Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention Fellowship at the University of British Columbia. His research interests include the cardiovascular care of highly active persons and athletes with cardiac disease, the performance, and cardiac effects of COVID-19 on competitive athletes, the use of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in Sports Cardiology, and the virtual delivery of cardiac rehabilitation.
Maida Valkenier is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the health wellness and fitness industry. Her skills include Healthcare Consulting, Budgeting, Coaching, Team Building, and Healthcare Information Technology (HIT). Maida graduated from Simon Fraser University. She worked at Medisys for 8 years holding the positions of Senior Director and eventually Vice President. Currently, she is the Executive Director of SportsCardiologyBC.
Dr. Laksman is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist at St. Paul’s and Vancouver General Hospital. Dr. Laksman is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia, an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University, and the Charles Kerr distinguished scholar in Cardiovascular Genetics. Dr. Laksman holds grant support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and the Stem Cell Network for his work on the genetics of heart rhythm and heart muscle disturbances. Dr. Laksman has a clinical focus on arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, sudden cardiac death, sports cardiology, implantable and wearable monitoring technology, and cardiac ablation and device procedures.
Dr. Mike Wilkinson is a Clinical Assistant Professor practicing sports and rehab medicine in Vancouver with a major interest in preventive screening and exercise in medicine. He graduated at University of Witwatersrand in 1987, holds the CASM Diploma in Sports Medicine and an MBA, Queens University. He is the CMO for the Canadian Rowing team, a team physician for the Vancouver Canucks, Canadian and BC senior Rugby Teams, was a physician for the Canadian 2004 and 2008 Olympic teams and the Canadian CMO for the 2007 Canadian Pan Ams team. Dr. Wilkinson was the Director of medical services for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic games, is a member of the international rowing medical commission (FISA) and serves as a member of the SMCBC and Own the Podium board of directors.
Rebecca received her Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University. Alongside of her major, she completed a minor in SFU’s School of Communication centering on methods in promoting health through the use of media outlets. Her experience in clinical research has led her to work at Fraser Health Authority, St. Paul’s Hospital, specialty medical clinics, and multiple non-profit sport organizations. She joins the SportsCardiology BC Team as a Project and Research Coordinator.
Jeff is a BCAK registered Kinesiologist, and completed his Bachelor of Kinesiology degree from the University of British Columbia. He also has experience working as a first responder and is passionate about working with this population promoting Cardiovascular and Pulmonary health through physical activity. He is excited to be joining the SportsCardiologyBC team as a CPET Technologist and Research Coordinator.
Stephanie is a Kinesiologist with BCAK (British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists) and Certified Exercise Physiologist with CSEP (Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology). She completed her undergraduate in Kinesiology (co-op program) at the University of Waterloo, and 10 years later decided to return for a Master in Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia. She is passionate about movement and cardiac
health. She enthusiastically joined the team as a Research Coordinator, encouraging people during their exercise tolerance tests and other cardiac tests, and attaching cardiac devices. Outside of work, you might find Stephanie upside down practicing handstands or flipping with partner acrobatics.
Noah completed his Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Kinesiology from Queen’s University. With experience in sports medicine and research, he is passionate about merging sports and healthcare to optimize performance and improve patient outcomes. He is excited to be a member of the SportsCardiologyBC team as a Research Assistant.
Reid received a B.Kin. and M.Sc. in Rehabilitation Sciences from The University of British Columbia. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the same department. Reid’s research background is in respiratory and exercise physiology. He strives to apply his knowledge and experience of as a former varsity endurance athlete at UBC to his research interests. Reid is passionate about physical activity participation and enjoys being at the cutting edge of ground-breaking research on the effects of exercise across the spectrum of health to chronic conditions. When he’s not studying the role of exercise in health, you can find him cycling, golfing, and enjoying the beautiful outdoors BC has to offer. Reid is the Research Manager of SportsCardiologyBC.
Julien Wiese is a former varsity and Canadian U23 national team rower with a passion for the intersection of sports and medicine. Earning his BSc. in Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia, he gained experience balancing the challenges of elite athletics, including injury and recovery, with his academic ambitions. Now pursuing a career in medicine, he is dedicated in applying his background in sports and science to furthering research in sports cardiology and gaining medical experience. Julien loves the outdoors and anything to do with the ocean. In his free time, he enjoys scuba diving, hiking, and recreational sports.