Leadership Rooted in Purpose
Working together to serve families across Canada.
Inflamed Brain Alliance (IBA) is a Canadian grassroots charitable organization guided by a committed Board of Directors and supported by dedicated staff. Together, we work to advance awareness, education, research, and support for Canadians impacted by PANS and PANDAS. Our Board provides governance and strategic oversight to ensure IBA’s activities, resources, and decisions advance our mission with integrity and accountability. Our staff lead the day-to-day operations of the organization and implement the strategic direction set by the Board.
Marnie Deschenes (she/her)
Executive Director (Part-Time) & Co-Founder
Marnie co-founded the Inflamed Brain Alliance in 2020 alongside her husband, Richard, and a small founding board, and now serves as its Executive Director. Following the sudden onset of PANDAS in both of her sons, she became a national advocate committed to advancing physician education, strengthening family support systems, and improving access to care across Canada. Her leadership has helped grow IBA from a grassroots initiative into a national charitable organization.
Marnie brings lived experience, strategic vision, and community-building expertise to the organization’s continued development. Dedicated to fostering collaboration among families, clinicians, researchers, and partners, she works to ensure IBA remains mission-driven, accountable, and responsive to the evolving needs of Canadians impacted by PANS and PANDAS.
Kelsey Moench (she/her)
Board Chair
Kelsey brings nearly two decades of experience as a Registered Nurse, with a career spanning bedside care, education, and healthcare leadership, including her current role as a Nursing Unit Manager. Her advocacy began when she recognized her daughter’s sudden behavioral changes as signs of PANDAS, leading her through a complex diagnostic journey that ultimately required seeking care in the United States.
Her clinical expertise and lived experience inform her governance leadership at IBA. As Board Chair, Kelsey is committed to strengthening oversight, supporting physician education, improving health outcomes, and advancing research efforts across Canada. She is dedicated to ensuring families receive timely recognition, informed care, and compassionate support.
Stephen Park (he/him)
Treasurer & Co-Founder
Stephen joined IBA after his daughter experienced PANDAS in 2018 and was successfully treated. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CA, CPA, CFP), he brings over two decades of senior financial leadership experience, including work with international consulting firms and as a business owner and fractional CFO.
As Treasurer, Stephen oversees IBA’s financial stewardship, ensuring responsible governance, transparency, and long-term sustainability. His expertise supports the organization’s strategic growth while maintaining strong accountability and fiscal integrity.
Jill Marcinkowski (she/her)
Director
Jill brings nearly 20 years of experience in program and organizational leadership within neuroeducation. Her professional background, combined with lived experience navigating her son’s PANS PANDAS diagnosis, shaped her commitment to identifying root causes and advocating for evidence-informed care.
As a Director, Jill contributes strategic insight focused on education, systems thinking, and meaningful impact for families. She is driven by a desire to transform personal hardship into progress that reduces the burden of this disorder for others across Canada.
Dr. Mary Noseworthy (she/her)
Director
Dr. Noseworthy is a pediatric subspecialist and Clinical Assistant Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine. With advanced training in pediatric respiratory medicine and a strong focus on quality improvement, she has led provincial initiatives that enhance care pathways across Alberta’s healthcare system.
Her clinical expertise and research leadership bring valuable healthcare system insight to IBA’s Board. She supports the organization’s commitment to evidence-informed education, improved physician awareness, and strengthened outcomes for children and families.
Richard Deschenes (he/him)
Director & Co-Founder
Richard co-founded Inflamed Brain Alliance in 2020 with a vision of building a connected and resourceful Canadian PANS PANDAS community. He brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience in the nonprofit sector and currently serves as Leadership Giving Advisor at Wood’s Homes, a mental health organization supporting children, youth, and families.
Richard contributes expertise in governance, donor strategy, and sustainable organizational growth. His focus is on strengthening IBA’s long-term capacity to advance awareness, education, and funding for this often misunderstood condition.
Land Acknowledgement
Inflamed Brain Alliance is grateful for the opportunity to meet and work on many Indigenous homelands across this land we share, Canada.
As settlers, we acknowledge that our Calgary office is located on the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of Treaty 7 in Southern Alberta, including the Siksika, Piikani, Kainai, Tsuut’ina, and Îyârhe Nakoda First Nations (Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley). Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.
We express our respect for the territories we reside in and honour the diverse Indigenous Peoples who have lived and worked on this land historically and continue to do so today.
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