Rebecca Barnes joined N2 Canada as Executive Director in February 2022, bringing over 15 years of leadership experience in health research strategy, systems development, and stakeholder engagement. She began her career as a bench cancer researcher and has since worked across academic, health authority, and network settings to enhance Canada’s research capacity through sustainable infrastructure and collaborative approaches. Prior to joining N2, Rebecca helped lead the Canadian Tissue Repository Network and served as the Vancouver Island regional lead for CIHR’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) initiative, overseeing research engagement within Island Health. Most recently, she was Director in the Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation at the University of Victoria. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master’s degree in Environmental Toxicology and Carcinogenesis. She brings to N2 a deep commitment to building equitable, efficient, and patient-centered research systems across Canada.