Gutsy Learning Series

The Gutsy Learning Series (GLS) offers a unique opportunity to learn directly from Canada’s leading experts in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Whether you're living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis—or supporting someone who is—you’ll connect with top researchers and healthcare providers as they explore key topics in a virtual setting. 

Upcoming webinars

Topic: Access to Crohn’s and colitis treatments in Canada 

Worried you’ll need to cover the costs of your Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis medication, or whether it will still be covered if you move to another province? Have you ever wondered why all Crohn’s and colitis treatments are not available across Canada or in all provinces?  

Join us for our June 26 webinar where guest speakers—Laura Roulston, Senior Consultant, Market Access and Payer Strategies and John-Paul Dowson, Director, Launch and Commercialization at PDCI Market Access, a division of McKesson Canada—will present on everything related to access to treatments in Canada. 

Date: June 26, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ET  

Register now!


Speaker bios

Laura Roulson

Laura Roulston
Sr. Consultant, Market Access and Payer Strategies, PDCI

Laura is a member of PDCI’s Commercialization and Launch Team, where she advises pharmaceutical manufacturers on market access, pricing, and reimbursement strategies within the Canadian healthcare system. She has experience across a range of therapeutic areas, including both conventional and specialized treatments.  

Laura’s work focuses on addressing access challenges and delivering impactful solutions that help bridge the gaps in patient access to innovative therapies in Canada. 

John Paul Dowson

John-Paul Dowson
Director, Launch and Commercialization, PDCI

John-Paul brings more than 25 years of experience in the health and pharmaceutical sectors. Before joining PDCI, he spent over a decade in market access leadership roles, negotiating drug reimbursement agreements in Canada in both the public and private sectors.  

At PDCI, John-Paul leads the Commercialization and Launch team (Pricing, Access and Data Insights).

He brings in-depth knowledge of the inter-relationships between Canada’s public and private drug markets. John-Paul is an active member of the Canadian Association for Healthcare Reimbursement, and BioteCanada, serving on the latter’s Health Advisory Board and Orphan Drug Working Group.
 

Event details

 
This event will be offered in English, with live simultaneous interpretation in French. 

Submit your questions ahead of time when you register or ask them live during the session.  

Can't join us? Register anyway and we'll send you a link to the recording! 


Future webinars


Fertility and pregnancy in IBD

September 24, 2025
Dr. Cynthia Seow and Dr. Vivian Huang

Register now

Navigating IBD in the Workplace: Empowering Tools for Disclosure and Accommodations
October 22, 2025
Dr. Monique Gignac
Register now

Mental Health and IBD
November 20, 2025
Dr. Dean Tripp
Register now

Past webinars and videos

Missed a session? Catch up anytime! All GLS webinars are recorded and available for on-demand viewing on our Past webinars and videos page.

Explore topics including: 

  • Medications and emerging treatments 
  • Diet and nutrition 
  • Flare and symptom management 
  • Mental health and wellbeing 
  • And more 

Have questions?

For more information and support, complete the form below or contact us at learn@crohnsandcolitis.ca.

The Gutsy Learning Series (GLS) webinars could not occur without the support of our generous sponsors:

Abbvie
Johnson & Johnson
MERCK
Pfizer

 

  • Canada has among the highest incidence rates of Crohn's and colitis in the world.
  • 1 in 140 Canadians lives with Crohn’s or colitis.
  • Families new to Canada are developing these diseases for the first time.
  • Incidence of Crohn’s in Canadian kids under 10 has doubled since 1995.
  • People are most commonly diagnosed before age 30.

Other Areas of Interest