Key Operational Members of Our Team

Alicja Wojewnik, M.Sc. | President
Alicja Wojewnik has been providing expert advice on issues related to the safety, quality and efficacy of natural health products for the last 25 years. She has been extensively involved with the industry throughout this time and has fought hard for the evolution of a well-recognized, respected and trusted natural health products industry. Alicja was appointed by Health Minister Allan Rock to serve as an industry representative to advise Health Canada on the development of a revised policy and regulatory framework for health products and to assist in setting up the federal government’s new office for natural health products. She currently serves as President of dicentra and as a board member of various industry associations.

Peter Wojewnik, B.Sc., M.B.A. | Director of Business Development
Peter Wojewnik holds an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, with a double major in Psychology and Biology. Peter also has a Master of Business Administration from Ryerson University with a specialty in International Business Development. His responsibilities at dicentra include helping clients develop strategies to meet international regulatory requirements, help import products into and distribute products throughout Canada, and coordinate dicentra’s online training courses.

William Morkel, B.Sc. | Senior QA/RA Specialist
William Morkel holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology and Physics from the University of Toronto with minors in Human Physiology and History. He completed a one year Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance Certificate Program at Seneca College and has over ten years of experience working in the field of pharmaceutical and natural health products quality assurance. His background includes professional teaching, training and auditing to both GMP and ISO standards. William regularly attends professional development courses and workshops and often delivers lectures on GMP issues.

Clara Di Tella, B.Sc., Pharm. Q.A. | Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Clara Di Tella is a Regulatory Assistant. She coordinates the product license registration process. She also prepares product license application forms and label texts for the product license submissions. Clara earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from York University. She attended the Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology where she obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Clara is also a member of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Group.

Martin Downorowicz, B.Sc., N.D. | Scientific Regulatory Specialist
Dr. Martin Downorowicz is a member of expert consultants in the field of regulatory affairs at dicentra, filling the position as scientific reviewer and regulatory associate. As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, Martin brings a wealth of knowledge with a solid expertise in natural health products and additional research experience in the field of molecular developmental genetics. His recent achievements include being a contributing author to the book Naturopathic Standards of Primary Care. Martin’s responsibilities at dicentra include thorough evaluations of scientific evidence for product compositions in relation to safety and efficacy profiles, new product developments and reviews, and regulatory affair compliance in product registrations.

Regan Tessis, B.A., N.D. | Scientific Regulatory Specialist
Dr. Regan Tessis is a scientific reviewer and regulatory associate. As a Naturopathic Doctor, she is able to use her expertise in the field of natural health products to effectively assess their safety and efficacy. Regan attained her Bachelor degree in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario and graduated as the recipient of the Governor General's Silver Medal, awarded to the top graduating student at the University. She went on to study at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) and became licensed to practice as a Naturopathic Doctor after completing North American and Ontario licensing exams. Regan is a member of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors and the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. In addition to her responsibilities at dicentra, Regan currently maintains a part-time private family practice in Toronto, is a frequent contributor to various health publications, and enjoys volunteering for a variety of organizations including the Jewish Women's International Council and Hadassah-Wizo.

Erin Riggs, B.A. | Consumer and Public Relations Associate
Erin graduated with Honours from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec with a B.A. Joint Specialization in Communications Studies and Journalism. In addition to this she has completed several graduate level business courses towards her MBA. Over the past 11 years, she has worked for industry-leading companies in a customer service and managerial role in several fields including retail, finance, telecommunications, and tourism. Native to Montreal, she is fully bilingual in English and French. Her responsibilities at dicentra include coordinating their consumer response service in addition to assisting with their web content and newsletter.