Cathrine Yuill

Executive Director, Faculty of Medicine Advancement 

With over 25 years experience leading nonprofits and working with donors to achieve impact, Cathrine is excited to be leading the Faculty of Medicine Advancement team as they embark on an ambitious plan to connect with new partners and strive to excellence in robust and transparent impact reporting to our current donors.

Cathrine is knowledgeable about the many gift vehicles they may be interested in exploring. From gifts of cash, stocks and securities to a gift made through a will, donors can feel comfortable exploring their options with her.

Cathrine is interested in understanding the impact that each donor wants to achieve through their giving and is able to explore specific areas of medical research and medical education.

In her free time Cathrine enjoys rural Nova Scotian life and volunteering for numerous small organizations.

cathrine.yuill@dal.ca

Nadine Woon

Director, Development 

With over 20 years experience working with donors to achieve impact, Nadine describes herself as a people person. She doesn't believe in strangers, they're just people she hasn’t met yet!

For over a decade, Nadine has enjoyed working with Dalhousie Medical alumni, community members, foundations, and corporations to support the amazing advancements and the training of the next generation of clinicians and investigators at Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine.

She is openly curious and is keenly knowledgeable about many gift vehicles and the many ways in which individuals or groups can and do make a difference. She is passionate about discovering how donors can support the faculty in a way that is meaningful to them and how their support benefits healthcare outcomes in the Maritimes, nationally, and internationally.

In her free time Nadine enjoys many creative projects, traveling, and quality time with friends and her family.

nadine.woon@dal.ca

Carol Murray

Director, Legacy and Annual Giving 

An energetic and passionate fundraising professional, Carol leads our Molly Appeal and Legacy Giving Programs. Carol’s fundraising philosophy stems from the belief that people give to make the world a healthier, happier, safer place.

With 23 years of experience, working in all areas of fundraising, Carol's career has been split between working with multifaceted social service agencies and health related charities. She has been working with donors who support the Faculty of Medicine since 2018.

Carol has always been drawn to ‘the donor next door'; the mom of three who also works as a full-time nurse, the retired teacher, the auto mechanic, and the bank manager. She brings donors like them, and you, stories about the differences we can and do make, together.

Carol is passionate about the importance of having world-leading medical research and education in our communities. Every day we can see examples of why a neighbour or loved one’s health is better because of access to quality care. This is what brings her to work with a smile each day.

Carol’s greatest accomplishment is being an ‘Auntie’ to many. She also enjoys travelling and quilting.

carol.murray@dal.ca

Laurel Purcell

Office Manager

Laurel is the face of the office, known for her ability to manage multiple tasks with ease and her knack for solving problems before they arise.

With a combined 14 years of experience, Laurel came to the Faculty of Medicine from the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) when they merged in 2022. After retiring from her career with the provincial government, Laurel wanted a change of scenery and moved to the non-profit sector where she supports the development team as they pursue the faculty’s fundraising goals.

Organized, efficient, and effective, Laurel keeps the office running smoothly on a daily basis, ensuring everything is in order and everyone has what they need to succeed. Laurel enjoys going to the office and seeing friendly faces, thriving on the daily interactions she has with colleagues, researchers, donors, and faculty.

When she’s not working, Laurel loves her daily walks and spending time with her family, including her beloved dog, Radar.

laurel.purcell@dal.ca

Michelle Paradis

Manager, Prospect Development 

Research, data, and strategy development are what makes Michelle excited to go to work every day. She collaborates closely with the Advancement team to enhance donor engagement and stewardship, ensuring that every donor has a positive and meaningful experience.

A self-professed life-long learner, Michelle loves digging in and finding connections that allow our development team to build meaningful relationships with our donors. Her passion for uncovering insights and fostering connections is a driving force in her work—all with the goal of ensuring our donors have a positive and meaningful experience.

Michelle has spent over 20 years in the fundraising industry, with a strong focus on healthcare philanthropy. Her extensive experience in non-profit strategy has equipped her with the skills to create and implement effective strategies that advance our mission.

Michelle is an avid reader and writer, and she’s obsessed with making the best vegan soup. She doesn’t need an alarm clock because her beloved cat, Hobo, makes sure she’s up and at ‘em bright and early!

michelle.paradis@dal.ca

Renee Douglas

Development Officer (MATERNITY LEAVE)

renee.douglas@dal.ca

Elizabeth Conrad

Development Officer

Elizabeth is dedicated to fostering relationships and driving impactful philanthropy at Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine. Since 2018, she has been specializing in non-profit relationship building and healthcare philanthropy. Her work focuses on creating meaningful connections that support the mission of the Faculty of Medicine.

Elizabeth excels in relationship building, project management, and helping donors make a significant impact. Her experience working closely with alumni and stakeholders have attributed to her successful contributions to the faculty’s goals and initiatives.

Passionate about making a difference in the healthcare system, Elizabeth has found her calling working for the Faculty of Medicine. She is dedicated to supporting healthcare workers and advancing medical research in the region.

Elizabeth is a trained jazz musician who has run five half marathons. She loves spending her free time with her family.

elizabeth.conrad@dal.ca

Dayna Park

Manager, Advancement Communications 

As Manager of Advancement Communications, Dayna spends her days sharing stories of the incredible medical research and advances in education at Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine. She works closely with donors, patients, community members, faculty, researchers, and educators who are making an impact in the healthcare space—here in Atlantic Canada and beyond.

Dayna is a dedicated communications practitioner with local, national, and international experience in healthcare communications and marketing. After spending several years working in one of Canada’s largest full-service communications consultancies, she made the shift to the non-profit sector.

Dayna is passionate about storytelling—especially when those stories have happily-ever-after endings. She loves that in her role, she gets to see the amazing impacts that medical research and education have on real people, right here in our little corner of the world.

In her free time, Dayna can be found spending time with her family, including her dog, Cooper, and planning dream vacations.

dayna.park@dal.ca

Laura Eggertson

Medical Research Communications Officer

Laura has spent most of her career as a journalist for major Canadian news outlets (The Canadian Press, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star) and as an independent writer and editor specializing in health and science issues.

Laura has received a Nieman fellowship to Harvard University and two Michener fellowships in public policy journalism—one on suicide prevention for Indigenous youth, and one on youth aging out of the child welfare system. She is also a former board chair and executive director of the Adoption Council of Canada.

Laura moved to beautiful Nova Scotia five years ago and lives in a nearly 200-year-old house in Wolfville with her family and four crazy dogs.

She spends as much time as possible exploring the province's gorgeous beaches, stocking up at farm markets and shopping at craft shows.

laura.eggertson@dal.ca