Leadership Team
Marilyn Barrett
Director of Distributed Medical Education and Family Medicine
mbarrett@upei.ca
Marilyn Barrett is the Director of the Health and Wellness Centre at the University of Prince Edward Island. Marilyn has held several management positions in Health PEI. She has a diploma in Nursing from the PEI School of Nursing, a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of New Brunswick, and a master’s degree in nursing from Athabasca University. She is a surveyor with Accreditation Canada, on the board of directors of the PEI Funeral and Professions Board, and a member of the board of directors of Canadian Blood Services.
Darren Chaisson
Director of Community Infrastructure and Planning
darchaisson@upei.ca
Darren holds a BScE in Civil Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and an Engineering Diploma from the University of Prince Edward Island. He is also a Prince Edward Island Association of Professional Engineers member. Darren held various government roles; from 2017–2022, he served as the Deputy Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Jeff Clow
Director of Academic Affairs
jgclow@upei.ca
Jeff is an experienced professional with a Bachelor of Science from UPEI and advanced diplomas in Respiratory Therapy and Anesthesia Assistant. With a background in critical care settings across various Canadian hospitals and as an associate professor at Algonquin College, Jeff has gained extensive knowledge in the medical field. He most recently served as Health PEI's provincial director of surgical services.
Rebecca Gill
Director of Strategic Priorities and Policy Development
rjgill@upei.ca
Rebecca earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s University and is also an alumna of the University of Prince Edward Island, having completed a Master of Business Administration degree. Most recently, Rebecca was the Director of Health Recruitment and Retention at the Department of Health and Wellness and was also the acting Director of Health Workforce Planning, Recruitment, and Pharmaceutical Services.
Nicole MacDonald-Jay
Manager of Medical Laboratories
nicmacdonald@upei.ca
Nicole completed a Bachelor of Science degree in biology (UPEI) before completing a Master of Science in cell biology from McMaster University. Nicole returned to PEI to work at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) and has amassed over 23 years of experience in various research, teaching, and service laboratories that she brings to the Faculty of Medicine. Most recently, Nicole was Laboratory Manager in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at AVC.
Heather Howatt
Senior Communications Advisor
hlhowatt@upei.ca
Heather is a UPEI alumna with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She has owned retail, wholesale, and commercial businesses. She is a long-standing partner in a private marketing and strategic communications agency, Results Marketing PEI Inc., having been the managing partner for the past ten years. She was most recently Director of Marketing and Communications for the 2023 Canada Winter Games.
Tammie Muise
Director of Clinical Learning and Simulation Centre (CLSC)
tmuise@upei.ca
Tammie is a PEI School of Nursing graduate and a Dalhousie University Faculty of Nursing graduate. She also has certifications in Intensive Care Nursing and Neurotrauma Nursing and has obtained the Canadian Certified Simulation Nurse Educator (CCSNE) certification, Standardized Patient Educator Certification, and completed a Master Debriefer Course for healthcare-specific simulation. Tammie has worked as a critical care nurse in various hospitals in North America, working in medical, surgical and neurotrauma ICUs and Emergency settings. Most recently, Tammie has worked as a clinical and learning resource educator in nursing education and simulation at UPEI.
Paul Young
Chief Operating Officer
psyoung@upei.ca
Paul holds three degrees from UPEI: Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences, and Master of Business Administration in innovative management. He has worked in private and public health care for the last 17 years in several provinces throughout Canada. Paul is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders, an EXTRA Fellow with Healthcare Excellence Canada, and an alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.
He has held senior leadership roles with Health PEI, recently as administrator for Prince County Hospital and previously for community hospitals in West Prince. Paul was recently named one of the Top 50 CEOs in Atlantic Canada.