Staff Contacts

The CSI President is the chief operating officer of the Institute and is responsible for the day to day management of CSI activities. CSI staff provide important technical expertise and direction in the areas of nutrition science and communications and international trade policy and communications.

President's Office

Sandra Marsden, MHSc, RD
President

Nutrition Communications

Tristin Brisbois Clarkson, PhD
Manager, Nutrition & Scientific Affairs
tbrisbois@sugar.ca

Erin Colburn, MHSc, RD
Coordinator, Nutrition Communications
ecolburn@sugar.ca

Trade Policy and Communications

Julia Di Renzo
Trade Policy Analyst
jdirenzo@sugar.ca

General Inquiries

info@sugar.ca

Address:

Canadian Sugar Institute
10 Bay Street, Suite 620
Toronto, Ontario  M5J 2R8

Tel:  (416) 368-8091
Fax: (416) 368-6426

Staff Biographies

Sandra Marsden, MHSc, RD

Ms. Marsden is President of the Canadian Sugar Institute, the trade association representing Canadian manufacturers of refined sugar. The Institute's key strategies focus on public policy advocacy in the areas of international trade and nutrition. In addition to her overall management responsibilities, Ms. Marsden serves as the industry spokesperson, providing industry consensus to government on trade policy, international agreements and disputes. She liaises closely with other members of the agri-food industry in Canada and internationally. Ms. Marsden was instrumental in establishing the Institute's nutrition communications program including its scientific Nutrition Information Service and Scientific Advisory Council.

Ms. Marsden has been with the Institute since 1987, first as the Director, Nutrition Affairs, then Vice President and since 1992, President. Prior to her work with the Canadian sugar industry, she held various regional and municipal government positions in the field of public health nutrition. She has a BSc (Food Sciences) and an MHSc (Community Nutrition), from the University of Toronto. She is also a Registered Dietitian, having completed her dietetic internship at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Continuing university education has focussed on marketing and international marketing to support the Institute's international trade mandate.

Ms. Marsden has made numerous presentations on trade policy issues in Canada and the United States. In 1999 she was appointed to Canada's Sectoral Advisory Group on International Trade and is a founding member of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance and Global Alliance for Sugar Trade Reform and Liberalization.

Ms. Marsden is well recognized in the nutrition community for her past involvement in national and provincial dietetic and public health associations. She is still active in the health and research fields and is a member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario and Dietitians of Canada.

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Tristin Brisbois Clarkson, PhD

Dr. Brisbois is the Manager of Nutrition and Scientific Affairs at the Canadian Sugar Institute. In this position she is responsible for ensuring the scientific integrity of CSI’s nutrition communications. Responsibilities include national and international research and policy monitoring and input, professional and academic collaboration, sponsorship, presentations, and resource development. She also provides expert input and support on food and nutrition policy and guidelines related to sugars consumption and health and acts as the Institute’s media spokesperson on nutrition-related issues.

Dr. Brisbois completed her PhD and BSc (Nutrition and Food Science) at the University Alberta. Her PhD investigated food intake behaviour in cancer with a focus on appetite stimulation and improvement of taste and smell perception. Prior to her work at the CSI, she was a sessional instructor teaching advanced courses in both Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Alberta. Dr. Brisbois’ research experience includes a systematic review of early markers of obesity, a clinical trial in advanced cancer patients, a food intake behaviour study in a tumour-bearing animal model, and the modification and validation of a Macronutrient Preference Checklist. As a graduate student, Dr. Brisbois received numerous awards, including Federal (NSERC, CIHR) and Provincial (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, Alberta Cancer Board) scholarships

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Erin Colburn, MHSc, RD

Ms. Colburn is the Coordinator of Nutrition Communications at the Canadian Sugar Institute. In this position, she coordinates all activities related to CSI’s Nutrition Information Service, the CSI website, and the Scientific Advisory Council. She is responsible for the maintenance of CSI’s scientific database, resource development, promotion and distribution, sponsorship, and responding to requests for information.

Ms. Colburn obtained a Master of Health Science degree in Community Nutrition from the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto. She also holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Food and Nutrition from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Western Ontario. She is a member of both the College of Dietitians of Ontario and the Dietitians of Canada.

Ms. Colburn held a Danielle Haasz Graduate Scholarship during her MHSc and has won several other awards including the School of Nutrition NCFS Alumni Awards and Merit Award at Ryerson.

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Julia Di Renzo, MA

Ms. Di Renzo is the Trade Policy Analyst within the Canadian Sugar Institute. In this position, she assists the President to be an effective advocate for the industry in the area of trade policy and economics and supports other staff and members. Key responsibilities include: monitoring global/bilateral trade agreements, statistics and other information sources in order to detect and report trends; policy research and analysis; and supporting CSI’s government relations and communications objectives.

Ms. Di Renzo obtained a Masters in International Economics and Finance from the Department of Economics at Ryerson University in Ontario in 2008. For each semester completed, Ms. Di Renzo received a Ryerson Graduate Award. She is also a graduate of the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Affairs, including a Double Major in Economics and Italian Studies. She graduated on the Dean’s High Distinction List for maintaining a GPA greater than 3.5; was placed on the Economics Honour Roll for 2006 and 2007; and received the Manuela Bastone Scholarship Award in 2005 for obtaining one of the highest grades in Italian Studies.

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