Meet the PID Team!
By: Justine Ruffinetto
https://doi.org/10.82389/y2kg-fa19
This is our “Meet the team” series, where we introduce you to the teams that advance CRKN's mission.
Building Connections Through Persistent Identifiers
Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) are closely tied to CRKN's mission of advancing open and connected research. By helping researchers, institutions, and service providers adopt and use PIDs effectively, our small team supports a more discoverable, interoperable, and open research ecosystem in Canada by raising awareness of their value, supporting community engagement, and strengthening national and international collaborations.
If you're a member of ORCID-CA or DataCite Canada, or work with PIDs, chances are you've met one or more of us at a meeting, webinar, or conference. If so, you might enjoy learning a bit more about the people behind the work. If not, here's your opportunity to discover the members of the CRKN PID team and the diverse expertise they bring to Canada's PID community.
Before diving into the team members’ profiles, we asked them an icebreaker question to get to know them better on a personal level:
Which video game world would you want to live in?
James MacGregor
“If I could live in the world of any video game, I would choose Miegakure ("Hide and Reveal"), an as-yet unreleased game exploring physics-based four-dimensional puzzle environments. The game is, as far as I can tell, pretty much vapourware, as it was initially announced as in development in 2009 but has yet to be released. I have been really interested in four dimensional travel and planes of existence since reading Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time (and the movie Interstellar has been a favourite - I just rewatched it a few weeks ago), so when I came across reference to Miegakure almost 20 years ago in an XKCD comic I fell immediately in love. Watching the demo videos tickles my brain in the right ways. Fast forward to today and the game appears to be not really any further along to release. Still, one can hope.”
Nikolas Lamarre
“My heart says Assassin's Creed Syndicate. My brain says absolutely not. I've long dreamed to be a historical consultant on their games, and the Victorian era is my specialty. Unfortunately, Ubisoft beat me to it years ago by making the one game where I might have actually been useful. I even dabbled in Twitch streaming during the pandemic, where I enthusiastically examined the historical details of Anno 1800, another nineteenth century gem. Whether the audience was ready for my niche content on Victorian printing remains unclear. Sadly, knowing enough history means knowing that living in these settings would involve considerably more squalor, smallpox and cholera. Modern plumbing is also hard to beat. Perhaps, the past is more enjoyable through a screen, at a safe distance.”
John Aspler
“It’s probably easier to say where I wouldn’t want to live. I would already be dead in the stunning world of Expedition 33 (being tragically over the age of 33), Final Fantasy VII is set during an environmental catastrophe (though I would be sad to miss my chance to live as 90s Polygon John), and the moon is just too scary in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (though I do love a time loop). So where does that leave me? I would probably be happy with the small-town life of Persona 4 (ignoring the murders), but I think I would be most happy in the Magitek High Fantasy setting of Final Fantasy IX. There’s magic, there’s science, and I could probably live the librarian life without too much apocalyptic instability.”
Justine Ruffinetto
“Most of the games I loved are solo adventures set in post-civilization worlds. While I love those settings for their cosy atmosphere, I don’t think I could actually live outside of a society. As much as I’d love to borrow my colleague Nik’s answer and choose Assassin’s Creed Origins or Odyssey (my two favourites), I’m not sure those eras would be particularly enjoyable places to live as a woman. So, I think my answer would be Split Fiction. The idea of experiencing a multitude of worlds, whether set in the past, the future, or magical realms, sounds incredible. And unlike most of the games I play, I could share the adventure with someone.”
Meet the people who make up CRKN's PID team!
Next, we hear from each team member about their professional and personal backgrounds, and how their work at CRKN connects with and contributes to the broader researcher and library communities.
James MacGregor
Director, Research Infrastructure and Development
James joined CRKN in 2022 after nearly 25 years working in libraries, scholarly communication, and digital research infrastructure. Before CRKN, he spent many years at the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), where he became deeply involved with persistent identifiers (PIDs), collaborating with organizations such as ORCID, Crossref, and DataCite and supporting PID implementation for users around the world.
The transition to CRKN felt like a natural fit. "There was a natural congruency between what I was doing at PKP and what I am doing now at CRKN," he says. Although the PID program formally moved under his purview in the Infrastructure and Development department in 2023, James had already been involved with the program and the broader PID community for many years.
How does he describe his role? Simply: "I work for libraries, but on the internet. I make sure people can find information."
More broadly, James supports the development of Canada's digital research infrastructure, including technologies that preserve Canada's documentary heritage through Canadiana and Héritage, improve the discoverability and persistence of research through the PID program, and explore emerging applications of AI.
What does he enjoy most about his work? Seeing teams succeed. Whether it's delivering a program, securing a grant, or finding a better way to solve a technical challenge, James takes pride in helping projects move forward. Although leadership now occupies much of his time, he admits he still enjoys "mucking about with code" whenever he gets the chance.
Outside of work, James spends much of his time with his two young children and enjoys staying active outdoors. Fishing, biking, and family adventures top the list, making for the perfect weekend in his eyes.
John Aspler
Manager, Canadian Persistent Identifier Program
John has been with CRKN since 2019, joining as the ORCID-CA Community Manager years before the broader PID program took shape. With a background in research, he holds a PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University.
When he first joined CRKN, John's familiarity with PIDs was limited to using DOIs in his own research. What began as an opportunity to continue supporting the research community outside academia soon grew into a passion for the infrastructure that connects scholarly information. Combining his long-standing commitment to public service and knowledge sharing, shaped through years of working in public libraries, with his interest in research made CRKN and the PID program a natural fit.
"I was looking for a role that would allow me to continue supporting academic life and research without pursuing a career in research itself, something that would let me have an impact and help make the world a better place."
Today, John manages CRKN's PID program, overseeing both the ORCID-CA and DataCite Canada consortia while helping develop and advance Canada's National PID Strategy in collaboration with partners across the research ecosystem.
He describes his work with two words: service and strategy. Much of his time is spent building relationships, supporting communities of practice, collaborating with partners across Canada and internationally, and helping organizations make better use of PIDs. One of the aspects of his role he enjoys most is bringing together diverse perspectives to tackle shared challenges.
Outside of work, John is passionate about television, both as an art form and as a lens through which to explore culture and society. A dedicated TV critic and podcaster, he spends much of his free time analyzing storytelling, reviewing series, and discussing what he considers the greatest television show of all time: LOST.
Nikolas Lamarre
Officer, Canadian PID Community
Nikolas joined CRKN in 2023 through the Young Canada Works program as a Cataloguing Intern on the Heritage Services team, working on the Canadiana collection. After a year as an intern and then as a Metadata Technician, he transitioned to the role of Canadian PID Community Officer in early 2025.
Before joining CRKN, Nikolas worked primarily in archives and special collections. He holds a master's degree in Book History and Material Culture from the University of Edinburgh. Through previous roles in libraries, archives, and cultural heritage institutions, he developed expertise in archival description, cataloguing, digitization, project management, and public engagement.
Initially drawn to CRKN for its metadata and cataloguing work, Nikolas soon discovered its broader role in supporting Canada's scholarly ecosystem. Joining the PID program gave him the opportunity to combine his technical background with a growing interest in community engagement and research infrastructure.
Before taking on his current role, his familiarity with PIDs was limited.
"It wasn't until I joined the PID team that I fully understood the depth, intricacy, and embeddedness of PIDs within the research ecosystem."
Today, Nikolas supports Canada's PID community through member services, governance support, outreach activities, and communications. Much of his work involves collaborating with researchers, librarians, institutions, funders, and infrastructure providers across Canada and internationally to promote PID adoption and best practices.
One of the aspects of his work he enjoys most is connecting directly with people through presentations, conferences, guest lectures, and community events. He particularly enjoys introducing students and early-career researchers to PIDs, helping them understand tools and practices he wishes he had known about earlier in his own academic journey.
Outside of work, Nikolas is an avid reader and currently coordinates CRKN's internal book club. He is also pursuing a second master's degree in Educational Technology and Design at the University of Saskatchewan, giving him a unique perspective as both a participant in and supporter of the research ecosystem.
Justine Ruffinetto
Communications Specialist, Canadian PID Community
Justine joined CRKN in January 2026 after working at UNESCO from 2021 on a communications campaign focused on connecting scientific research with citizen action. With a background in international politics and bilingual communications, she moved from France to Canada looking to continue working in a mission-driven environment where she could help make complex topics accessible and meaningful. Joining CRKN was a natural next step, combining her passion for communications with her commitment to supporting research and public engagement.
When she joined the PID program, persistent identifiers were entirely new to her. While she had used DOIs as part of her master's studies, she had little awareness of the infrastructure and community behind them. Even now, she continues to learn about PIDs every day. Coming to the field without prior knowledge has actually been an advantage, allowing her to approach the topic from the perspective of someone encountering PIDs for the first time and helping her communicate their value in accessible terms.
She is part of both the PID program and the Engagement team, a position that gives her the opportunity to learn about the technical dimensions of PIDs while creating compelling and informative content about them. She particularly enjoys engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and gaining insight into the opportunities and challenges involved in advancing PID adoption across the Canadian research landscape. In short, her work focuses on making PIDs and their value easier to understand, supporting their broader adoption across the Canadian research ecosystem.
As a member of both the PID program and the Engagement team, she also appears in the Meet the Engagement series.
Projects & initiatives the PID Team is currently involved in:
National PID Strategy ORCID-CA Consortium DataCite Canada Consortium
Stay tuned for our next “Meet the Team” article, to meet more team members who drive forward the work of CRKN.
Justine Ruffinetto (https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5723-5439)