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We are a national coalition of immunocompromised individuals and advocacy groups working together to protect and promote the health of immunocompromised people across Canada.
Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Immunocompromised Advocacy Network (CIAN) was created in response to the urgent need for trusted information, support, and representation.
As immunocompromised Canadians faced heightened health risks and uncertainty, CIAN emerged as a unified voice to advocate for equitable care, access to protection, and inclusion in public health decisions.
Today, we continue to support immunocompromised people by sharing trusted resources, amplifying lived experience, and advocating for policies that reflect the community’s unique needs—during COVID-19 and beyond.im
Michelle Burleigh is the co-chair of CIAN and founder of the global support community Immunocompromised People Are Not Expendable (IPANE). She is also a healthcare advocate and consultant dedicated to improving patient experiences and outcomes. Michelle co-chairs the Cancer Action Now Alliance (CANA), serves on the Community Advisory Committee for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Infection and Immunity (CIHR-III), and has been part of the steering committee for Myeloma Canada’s Health eMatters conference for four years.
Michelle spent nearly 25 years in the financial industry before surviving a late-stage diagnosis of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in 2017. That experience led her to dedicate her life to healthcare advocacy and apply her business background to improving patient care.
She is the author of The Road to Courageous Living (2022), a memoir and guide to personal growth, and blogs at So You’ve Got Cancer, where she shares survivor stories and reflections on life after diagnosis.
Theresa Tang is the co-chair of CIAN and the co-founder and CEO of Praxus Health (formerly 19 To Zero), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering communities to adopt safer health behaviours.
With a strong background in health system innovation, Theresa helped establish Alberta’s first Primary Care Integration Network at Alberta Health Services and led the Alberta Medical Association’s first population health portfolio. She was also a founding member of the Institute for Better Health at Trillium Health Partners and the McMaster Health Forum.
Theresa has held roles with the University Health Network in Toronto, the World Health Organization in Switzerland, and supported evidence-informed policymaking in Australia. She has served as Curator for Global Shapers Calgary — an initiative of the World Economic Forum — and as Co-Chair and Executive Member of Emerging Health Leaders Canada.
As a passionate health leader, she is committed to developing emerging leaders and fostering innovative, sustainable solutions to health and social challenges.
Praxus Health is a Canadian non-profit organization that serves as the secretariat for the CIAN, providing strategic leadership, coordination, and operational support. Through this role, Praxus Health facilitates collaboration across partners, manages day-to-day activities, and ensures CIAN’s initiatives are effectively delivered and aligned with its advocacy goals.
Praxus Health’s support for the CIAN and the activities of the network are funded by an unrestricted grant from AstraZeneca Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sanofi Canada, Moderna Canada, and Roche Canada.