CCSRC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Research Fellow, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin / Executive Board Member European Oncology Nursing Society
Biography
Amanda Drury is a Research Fellow in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin. She is a registered general nurse, with clinical experience in radiation and medical oncology settings. Amanda holds a PhD in Nursing, an MSc in Cancer Care, a BSc (Hons) in General Nursing. She completed her PhD in Trinity College Dublin in 2018, where she was awarded the Health Research Board Research Training Fellowship for Healthcare Professionals. Amanda is experienced in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research, and is currently involved in the design and conduct of several research projects in the areas of cancer care, palliative care and chronic illness.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- BC Cancer in 2009 As a Nurse
- Director, Nursing & Allied Health Research & Knowledge Translation Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia - Okanagan
Biography
Andrea graduated with a BSN from UBC-Okanagan in 2006. Andrea joined BC Cancer in 2009 as a nurse in the Radiation Therapy program in Kelowna, quickly moving into a provincial role with Professional Practice Nursing. Andrea completed specialty oncology training through the Cross Cancer Institute in 2010 and acheived national certification in oncology nursing in 2011. Andrea completed her Master of Science in Nursing program at UBC-O in 2019 and received the Bryce Carnine Memorial Award for her graduate work in outpatient nursing role optimization in oncology. Andrea holds provincial and national leadership positions with the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) as a board member and president of the BC CANO Chapter.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Group Manager, Oncology Nursing and Transitions in Care, Ontario Health ( Cancer Care Ontario )
Biography
Anita's unique education and experience fuel her passion to improve the quality of health care delivery and patient experience. Over the past 8.5 years, Anita has held diverse and increasingly senior roles with Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) including the Ontario Renal Network, Access to Care, the Quality Management Partnership and currently is the Group Manager for Oncology Nursing and Transitions in Care (with a specific focus on Survivorship). Prior to joining Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), Anita was a Program Manager for a major teaching hospital and has practiced extensively as an Occupational Therapist in different care settings and with different patient populations. In addition to having completed her Master in Business Administration, Anita also holds degrees in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto and Psychology from McMaster University. In 2019, she also obtained her Certified Healthcare Executive (CHE) designation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Co - Lead )
- Professor and Interim Head
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Professor of Psychosocial Oncology and Director of the Macmillan Survivorship Research Group
Biography
Claire Foster is Professor of Psychosocial Oncology and Director of the Macmillan Survivorship Research Group, University of Southampton, UK. Her research programme focuses on advancing understanding of the health outcomes and experiences of people diagnosed with cancer and self-management support. This includes large prospective UK wide cohort studies [CREW; HORIZONS; Movember Global Registry] including collection of clinical and patient reported data to understand the consequences of cancer from diagnosis and over time, how this can impact on people's daily lives, and identifying areas for intervention. Claire's research team has developed and tested web-based resources to support self-management of fatigue following cancer treatment [RESTORE macmillanrestore.org.uk] and decision aids to support younger women with breast cancer facing decisions about surgery and genetic testing [Breast Cancer Choices]. Her research team is leading the evaluation of practice-based transformation projects to improve access to nursing and self-management support from the point of cancer diagnosis and following treatment in primary and secondary care.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Clinical Research Coordinator III / Rehabilitation Consultant, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, on
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Associate Professor in the University of Toronto, Department of Radiation Oncology
Dr Meredith Giuliani is an Associate Professor in the University of Toronto, Department of Radiation Oncology and a radiation oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. She received her MBBS qualification from the University of London, England and her Master's of Education from the University of Toronto. She completed her residency training at the University of Toronto. She is the Chair of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology's Education Committee, the Medical Director of Education for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education for the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto and the Cancer Care Ontario Smoking Cessation Champion for Toronto Central South. Her research interests include the influence of globalization on education with a specific focus on curriculum design and implementation. In addition she is the PI on a longitudinal study on survivirosip care needs of head and neck cancer patients. Her clinical interests are in lung and head and neck cancers
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Dr. Carmen G. Loiselle holds a Ph.D. degree in Psychology and Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is Professor in the Department of Oncology and the Ingram School of Nursing at McGill University. She is Co-Director (academic) of the Segal Cancer Centre and Scientific Director of Hope & Cope. Dr. Loiselle is the twice recipient of the Christine and Herschel Victor/Hope & Cope Research Chair in psychosocial oncology and was principal investigator for a 13-year CIHR Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research called PORT, which linked top researchers from 6 leading universities to offer state-of-the-art research training in psychosocial oncology. The PORT students produced over 340 peer-reviewed publications and 400 scientific presentations. Dr. Loiselle has received research funding in the form of operating grants from CIHR, FRQ-S, SSHRC, CPAC, GRIISIQ, and other funding sponsors, totaling over $70.8 million. Of this amount, $9.7 million was obtained as Principal Investigator. She has received numerous awards including a book prize from Québec's ministry of education, best scientific paper of the year, and APOS nomination for an Excellence in Education award. Dr. Loiselle is an Elected Fellow in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) and has published more than 160 journal articles, book chapters, books, and reports. Her program of research focuses on how to best support individuals affected by cancer through the use of innovative digital health.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Physician
- Staff Physician at the University Health Network and SickKids Hospital / Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Biography
Dr. Chana Korenblum is a physician specializing in psychosocial support for adolescents and young adults across all phases of the cancer trajectory. Chana earned her BSc and MD at the University of Toronto, and completed a residency in Pediatrics and a fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at SickKids, followed by a Psychiatry fellowship in Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Psychosocial Oncology at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. She is cross-appointed as a staff physician at Princess Margaret and SickKids, and is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include evaluating the effectiveness of psychosocial assessments and interventions in AYA with cancer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Nurse Practitioner
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary
Biography
Dr. Colleen Cuthbert has worked in Oncology as a Nurse Practitioner since 2008. Her clinical practice focused on follow-up care and symptom management in a variety of solid malignancies with a keen interest in survivorship issues. She has extensive experience with colorectal cancer patients.Dr. Cuthbert is also an assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. As a health services researcher, Dr. Cuthbert is focused on evaluating health needs and health outcomes of cancer survivors to inform models of care to meet survivors needs. Using multiple research methods, her program of research includes patient-oriented research approaches, integrated knowledge translation strategies, qualitative research, and the use of administrative health data sets to ultimately improve health and wellbeing in cancer survivors and their families. Dr. Cuthbert is currently working on a national study with patient partners to identify priorities for future research about colorectal cancer. She also has ongoing projects related to patient reported outcomes and self-management in cancer survivors.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Assistant Professor and Clinical Investigator
Dr. David Langelier is an Assistant Professor and Clinical Investigator in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2018 with additional certification in Electrodiagnostics (EMG) from the Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists. He completed his fellowship in Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship from the University of Toronto in 2019 and is currently one of only a few cancer rehabilitation physicians in Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- University Research Associate, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Dr. Helen McTaggart-Cowan is a University Research Associate in the Faculty of Health Sciences at SFU. She is also a Senior Health Economist at the BC Cancer Agency. Her research interests include cancer survivorship, quality of life, preference elicitation techniques, and health state development. She received her MSc from the Department of Health Care and Epidemiology at UBC and her PhD from the School of Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield. Her research has been funded by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and the Canadian Cancer Society.Academic and Research Interests
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Research Scientist, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, CancerControl Alberta, Alberta Health Services
Dr. Lin Yang is an epidemiologist in the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research at CancerControl Alberta, Alberta Health Services. Her research primarily focuses on the role of energy balance in cancer prevention and survivorship. Prior to joining the department, she was an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Medical University of Vienna. Dr. Yang has a multidisciplinary background including kinesiology (MS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA), statistics (NS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA), epidemiology (PhD, University of Cambridge, UK) and transdisciplinary research in cancer (Postdoc, Washington University School of Medicine, USA). She has conducted studies within varies studies including the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk study (UK), Nurses' Health Study (US), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (US nationally representative), and one of the first large scale quasi-experiments - Commuting and Health in Cambridge study (UK) - investigating the impact of major transport infrastructural intervention on health outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Medical Director, Palliative Care, William Osler Health System
Medical Director, Palliative Care, William Osler Health System - Brampton and Etobicoke, Toronto Regional Clinical Co- Lead, Physician for the Central West Palliative Care Network, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences , McMaster University, Site Lead, Residency program for Royal College Palliative Medicine Program, University of Toronto Affiliate Investigator, Bruyere Research Institute, Ottawa Associate professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Biography
Dr. Martin Chasen, born in Pretoria, South Africa completed his undergraduate training at the University of Pretoria in 1983, later obtaining a specialist degree in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and Master of Philosophy (Palliative Medicine) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is a founding member of the palliative care working group European Society of Medical Oncology and faculty member of ESMO education. He is currently the Medical Director of Palliative Care, at William Osler Health System in Brampton. He was previously the Medical Director, Palliative Care, at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre and the Palliative Rehabilitation Program at Élisabeth Bruyère Ottawa. He currently holds professorships at the Universities of Toronto, McMaster, Ottawa and McGill. He received the Elizabeth J Latimer Prize in Palliative Care from Mc Master University and Kay Blair Community Service Award, William Osler Health System. He has in excess of 100 peer reviewed publications, abstracts and book chapters. He is the principle investigator of Canadian Institutes of Health Research. MENAC (The Multimodal Exercise/Nutrition/Anti-inflammatory treatment for Cachexia), trial. He is also one of the chief investigators for clinical trials using Rolapitant-a novel NKI inhibitor in the treatment of chemo therapy induced nausea and vomiting. He is on the Editorial Board, SA Journal of Oncology and Editor in Chief, Current Oncology. Dr. Chasen has lectured internationally and nationally - and appeared on media including as invited Speaker "Palliative Care", House of Commons, Parliament of Canada, Dr Chasen was the Regional Palliative care physician lead for Palliative Care- Champlain LHIN and is presently the Medical co-lead for the Palliative Care Network in the Central West LHIN. Dr. Chasen is a teacher and mentor to his peers, including being a LEAP Facilitator. He was recently appointed to be an executive member of the CCTG Supportive Care Committee. When Dr. Chasen is not lecturing, teaching, mentoring or researching, he enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, two daughters and two grandchildren. His enjoyment of arts and theatre are one of many of his passions.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Scientist
- Healthcare Management Executive
- Physician Scientist / Corporate Manager of Research, William Osler Health System
Dr. Ravi Bhargava MD is a Physician Scientist and a healthcare management executive. He completed the Advanced Health System Leadership program from the Rotman School of management, University of Toronto. Dr. Bhargava is the Corporate Manger of Research at the William Osler Health System where he is successfully creating research teams, authoring clinical trial protocols; facilitating Investigator initiated studies and liaisioning with Pharmaceutical industry. Recently, he received the prestigious William Osler Award of Excellence in Management. For the past 15 years, Dr. Bhargava has been fostering collaborations, cultures of innovation and breakthrough clinical research to improve healthcare management, access and delivery. He has presented his work at conferences worldwide, authored ESMO clinical practice guidelines on fatigue and exercise in patients with cancer. In addition, he has authored many book chapters and numerous peer reviewed articles on topics relating to Oncology, survivorship and Palliative Medicine. Dr Bhargava is a co-investigator, having grants awarded in innovative clinical trials which address medical, psycho-social, cultural, ethical, palliative and supportive care of individuals with advanced and terminal diseases. He was also an integral member of the core-team that developed the Cancer Nutrition and Rehabilitation Program at the McGill University Health Center in Montreal and the Palliative Rehabilitation Program at the Elisabeth Bruyere Hospital affiliated to the University of Ottawa. Furthermore, Dr Bhargava is also involved in research training, teaching, mentoring of students and supervising of Master's thesis and projects relating to survivorship, psychosocial and end of life care. Dr. Bhargava has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and more then 50 abstracts and presentations in national/international conferences. He currently has multiple clinical trials underway in Oncology and Immuno-Oncology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Biography
Dr. Stuart Peacock holds the Leslie Diamond Chair in Cancer Survivorship at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. He is Co-Director of the Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control (ARCC) - Canada's national research centre that focuses on health economics and cancer - and Head of the Department of Cancer Control Research at BC Cancer - the agency responsible for cancer care for almost 5 million British Columbians. Stuart is an internationally renowned expert in the economics of cancer control and quality of life for those impacted by cancer. His main research interests include developing more effective cancer services, making health system funding decisions fairer and more transparent, and improving the quality of life of cancer patients and survivors. He sits of the Board of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health and is currently leading several national initiatives on deliberative public engagement in decisions about funding cancer drugs.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Health Student, Dalhousie University
Biography
Emily is a passionate and innovative public health leader. A graduate of Acadia University's Honours Psychology program, and Dalhousie University's Master's in Health Promotion program, Emily demonstrates high levels of health services and knowledge translation/implementation science acuity. A former contributor to the Huffington Post (US) and invited public health speaker, her writing and public speaking skills have been sought out by non-profit organizations, healthcare providers and the private sector in Canada, the United States and Australia.Emily currently lives in Halifax where she runs her own consulting business (EmilyDrake.ca), and is a PhD in Health student at Dalhousie University. She is a Killam Laureate, a Healthy Populations Institute Scholar and a former Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute Cancer Research Training Program trainee. Prior to this she was working with Hope & Cope at the Jewish General Hospital/McGill University as the Director of their young adult cancer support program. A social innovator, in 2013, Emily co-founded and continues to grow Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Societal Movement (#ayacsm) - an active, multi-disciplinary community that is changing the way stakeholders interact and share information regarding young adults with cancer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Dr. Howard's program of research examines the health service needs of vulnerable, high-risk survivors of acute life-threatening illness, specifically, cancer survivors and survivors of critical illnesses. She conducts qualitative and mixed-methods research to understand patient-perspectives of the essential components of quality care. Using an integrated knowledge translation approach that involves partnering with health care professionals, health care decision-makers and patients, she contributes to patient-centered health care solutions that are responsive to the long-term burden of illness. Her ultimate aim is to enhance the accessibility and quality of health services and improve patient and family outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Co - Lead )
- Director, Cancer Rehabilitation
Director, Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship Program Butterfield/Drew Chair in Cancer Survivorship Research ELLICSR Centre for Health Wellness and Cancer Survivorship Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Research Institute Associate Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry Dalla Lana School of Public Health (cross-appointment) University of Toronto
Biography
Dr. Jones has a PhD in Medical Sciences from University of Toronto. Her research platform specifically focuses on examining new approaches to predict, prevent and manage long-term adverse effects of cancer and its treatment and evaluating innovative models of follow-up care and support. Including: i) Assessment of the prevalence and impact of long-term and late adverse effects of cancer and its treatment; ii) Development and evaluation of sustainable and cost-effective interventions for patients and innovative models of survivorship care; 3) Implementation of evidence into clinical practice through the development of integrated KT models and education.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Professor of Psychology at Université Laval
Josée Savard, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Université Laval (Québec, Canada) and researcher at Université Laval Cancer Research Center. Her diverse research projects are mainly centered on the psychological aspects of cancer and the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural interventions for improving patients' quality of life. More specifically, she has worked on cancer-related insomnia and she is recognized as an international leader in the study of this issue. She has also done research on depression and fear of cancer recrurrence. In 2014, she received the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology Award for Education Excellence and in 2015 she was elected fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association for her significant contribution to the advancement of the science of psychology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Chief Mission Officer, Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia
Kristin Campbell, BSc, PT, PhD is a licensed physical therapist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia. She also holds an appointment in the Cancer Control Program at the BC Cancer Research Centre. She is a member of the Oncology Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. She completed her PhD in exercise physiology at the University of Alberta and a Fellowship in Public Health at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre. Her research focus is on the role of exercise in cancer prevention, rehabilitation and survivorship has been funded by the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada and others. She is the co-lead of the 2019 exercise guidelines for cancer survivors from the American College of Sports Medicine and an associate editor for Physical Therapy, the journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Research Services Lead, BC SUPPORT Unit, BC Academic Health Sciences Network
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Nurse in Calgary
- Research Gate
- Scientific Director, Applied Research and Patient Experience, Cancer Research and Analytics, Alberta Health Services
Dr. Linda Watson has been an oncology nurse in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for nearly 30 years. She has held a variety of nursing and inter-professional leadership roles within the CancerControl Alberta (CCA) provincial program and is currently the Scientific Director for Applied Research and Patient Experience. Dr. Watson holds an adjunct professor position with the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary, but her passion for improving the patient experience has kept her committed to her full time position as an embedded Implementation Scientist within the Alberta cancer system. She has led provincial implementations in the area of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs), provincial cancer patient navigation program, and a provincial post-treatment transitions program. Dr. Watson is the past President of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO), which provides national leadership to the specialty area of oncology nursing across Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto
- Enbridge Research Chair
Dr. Linda Carlson holds the Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology, is Full Professor in Psychosocial Oncology in the Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology. She is the Director of Research and works as a Clinical Psychologist at the Department of Psychosocial Resources at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC), where she has worked since 1997. She also holds a CIHR SPOR-funded mentorship chair in innovative clinical trials, which funds the TRACTION program (Training in Research And Clinical Trials in Integrative Oncology), supporting a multidisciplinary group of University of Calgary fellows studying Integrative Oncology. Dr. Carlson received the Kawano New Investigator Award from the International Psycho-Oncology Society in 2006; the William E. Rawls Prize in cancer control from the National Cancer Institute of Canada/Canadian Cancer Society in 2007; a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Psychological Association Health Section in 2009, the inaugural Research Excellence award from the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology in 2010, the Arete Award for Research Excellence from the Department of Oncology at the University of Calgary in 2012, the Bernard Fox Memorial Award from the International Psycho-Oncology Society in 2019, and was shortlisted for the Dr. Rogers Prize in Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019. She is also a fellow of the Society for Behavioral Medicine and the Mind and Life Institute, is the President-Elect of the Society for Integrative Oncology, and is Co-Editor-in-Chief for the official International Psycho-Oncology Society journal: The Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice. Dr. Carlson's research in Psychosocial Oncology, Integrative Oncology and Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery has been published in many high-impact journals and book chapters, and she published a patient manual in 2011 with Michael Speca entitled: Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery: A step-by-step MBSR approach to help you cope with treatment and reclaim your life, in addition to a professional training manual in 2009 (2nd Edition 2017) with Shauna Shapiro entitled The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating mindfulness into psychology and the helping professions. She has published over 200 research papers and book chapters, holds several millions of dollars in grant funding and is regularly invited to present her work at international conferences, most recently in Netherlands, Switzerland, China, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Israel and all across Canada and the USA. She presented a TEDx talk called Mindfulness for Personal and Collective Evolution in 2016, you can find the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgZd5GvZ5Qs
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- BC Cancer Provincial Director, Patient Experience Program
- Provincial Director of the Patient Experience Program
Lisa McCune is Provincial Director of the Patient Experience Program and acting provincial director of research, innovation and education at BC Cancer. She introduced BC Cancer's Framework for Patient & Family Engagement and Experience and launched the Network of Patient and Family Partners in 2017. The Patient Experience Program works with patients, families and community organizations to ensure that the patient voice is reflected in the development, implementation and evaluation of BC Cancer's programs and services.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Education Program Lead
- Professor ( Adjunct ) Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto Editor - in - Chief - Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal
Biography
Dr. Fitch has a Bachelor of Nursing (Dalhousie University) and Masters of Science in Nursing and Doctorate (University of Toronto). Dr Fitch is Professor (Adjunct) in the Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and Professor in the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto. Dr. Fitch is Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal. She maintains a research program in supportive cancer care. Dr. Fitch was the Founding President of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology and served as the President of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care. Throughout her career Dr. Fitch has maintained a research interest in supportive cancer care and oncology nursing. Recent foci include cancer survivorship, peer support and navigation, screening for distress, and care of older adults with cancer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Univeresity of Toronto and Project Scientist, Women 's College Research Institute
Mary Ann is an Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, and a Project Scientist with Women's College Research Institute. From 2011 to 2019, she was the Scientific Associate with the Knowledge Translation Research Network, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.Mary Ann obtained her PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McMaster University.She is an Associate Editor with the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Review Group, Knowledge Translation Section Editor for the journal Current Oncology.Her research focuses on knowledge translation and implementation of interventions related to cancer treatment and cancer prevention.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Member of the Steering Committee
Professor Michael Jefford is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac), Director of the Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre, a Richard Pratt legacy (ACSC, also at Peter Mac) and is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne.He completed medical oncology training (FRACP) in 1999. He holds a PhD (2002) and Graduate Certificate in University Teaching (2013) from the University of Melbourne and Masters degrees in Health Services Management (2003) and in Public Health (2006) from Monash University. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. His major clinical focus is on the management of people with gastrointestinal cancers. His research focuses primarily on interventions to improve psychosocial wellbeing, reduce patient unmet needs and improve post-treatment survivorship care. In addition he is co-investigator on several studies of novel therapeutics. He has been awarded over $14m in grant funding as a chief / principal investigator.Michael has made significant contributions to research, policy and program development and to the international literature regarding cancer survivorship.He has been heavily involved with professional education and university teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level. In 2007 he established the Specialist Certificate in Clinical Research (Oncology), an award course of the University of Melbourne, which he coordinated for 8 years. Michael was Deputy Director of Medical Oncology from February 2009, stepping down in July 2017. He was a clinical consultant with Cancer Council Victoria for over 12 years, until 2015. There he worked with the Office of the CEO and across the Strategy and Support Division. He has held several other senior roles, including being a member of the Board of Directors of BreastScreen Victoria. He is widely published and has presented work at numerous international meetings covering clinical oncology, survivorship, cancer control, and psycho-oncology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Provincial Program Manager, Prostate Cancer Supportive Care ( PCSC ) Program
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Dr. Gagnon, MD, FRCPC, is a psychiatrist specializing in psycho-oncology, psychosomatic medicine, and geriatric psychiatry. He is a clinical researcher at the Centre for Cancer Research, and is director of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University. In addition to being a clinician at the CHU of Quebec - Laval University, CIUSSS-CN and Maison Michel-Sarrazin, he began his research career in 1994 a psycho-oncology fellowship at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He received a research fellowship from the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) and received the NCIC's Dorothy J. Lamont Award for his significant contribution to psychosocial oncology research. He has been the lead investigator of major operating grants for the Canadian Cancer Society, and of a grant for a new emerging palliative care team from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Since 2000, Dr. Gagnon has led the Michel-Sarrazin research team in psychosocial oncology and palliative care at Laval University, and has been the director of the Quebec Research Network in Palliative and End-of-Life Care at FRQS since its creation in 2017.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Manager - Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control Research Lead - Cancer Care Ontario ( Ontario Health )
- Network Manager for the Canadian Centre for Applied Research
Biography
Rebecca Mercer is the Network Manager for the Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control (ARCC), and a Research Lead with Cancer Care Ontario at Ontario Health. Rebecca previously worked with the Canadian Obesity Network, and the Canadian Obesity Network Student and New Professional group. She has significant experience with knowledge translation, and an interest in facilitating information transfer among stakeholders. Rebecca received her PhD in Medical Genetics from the University of Alberta in 2012, and also holds an Honours BSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Guelph.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University / Senior Scientist, Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute Affiliate / Scientist, Nova Scotia Health Authority
Biography
Dr. Urquhart has a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from Dalhousie University. She is a cancer health services researcher and implementation scientist. Her research spans the entire cancer continuum, from cancer risk assessment to survivorship and end-of-life care. Her prime foci relate to access to, quality of, and equity in cancer care, and improving patient and health system outcomes. Dr. Urquhart is the Nova Scotia Lead for the Terry Fox Research Institute's Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network and Scientific Lead, Patient Engagement for the Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit. In 2016, Dr. Urquhart led the development of the Pan-Canadian Framework for Cancer Survivorship Research for the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance, an alliance of >35 cancer research funders in Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Postdoctoral Fellow, McMaster University
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Associate Professor, Discipline of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Manager of Continuity of Care
- Manager, Continuity of Care, CancerCare Manitoba
Biography
Tara Carpenter-Kellett Tara Carpenter-Kellett is the Manager of Continuity of Care at CancerCare Manitoba and leads the Transitions of Care Program and Advance Care Planning Initiative. She holds certifications from the University of Winnipeg and Red River College in Health Services Management and Human Resources Management. She is an executive member and team lead for the Canadian College of Health Leaders and her research interests include health services delivery evaluation and improving patient experience. Tara has 18 years' experience working in various areas of the health care continuum, and specializes in program planning and management, business analysis, change and transition management, strategic planning, project implementation, and public health education. She has volunteered her expertise with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, World Breast Cancer Organization, Canadian Cancer Society, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Palliative Manitoba.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Nursing Leader
- Prior Director of Research, Education and Innovation, BC Cancer Agency, Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia School of Nursing
Dr. Truant is an oncology nursing leader who has held a variety of clinical, education, research and leadership roles over the past 30 years at local, regional, national and international levels. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with Honors, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a Clinical Specialization in Oncology, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD), all through University of British Columbia School of Nursing. In addition to contributions as a clinical oncology nurse and then educator, Dr. Truant's subsequent roles as a Professional Practice Leader and then Director of Research, Education and Innovation at BC Cancer provided tremendous opportunities for researching and enhancing person centred cancer care. For example, she co-established the Complementary Medicine Education and Outcomes (CAMEO) program, a collaborative BCCA/UBC School of Nursing knowledge translation research program. Dr. Truant has worked nationally to develop, implement and evaluate nursing standards, competencies, guidelines and practice tools; internationally to build capacity in oncology nursing practice in Latin America using knowledge translation strategies. She recently completed her term at the President of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) where she led the advancement of strategic initiatives nationally, including establishing international partnerships and collaborations. Dr. Truant has held over $3.75 M in research funding as Co-I/PI, and her research focuses on equity within cancer survivorship care systems; cancer symptom management interventions; enhancing patient nutrition and exercise counseling by oncology nurses; complementary medicine decision making; exploring early integration of palliative care; and exploring opportunities for evolving nursing's role to foster high quality, equitable care for people and their families experiencing cancer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the Hospital for Sick Children
Biography
Dr Forster gained her PhD in leukemia genetics in the UK and now works as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Tabori lab at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. She currently works on a number of projects involving DNA repair-deficient cancers, mainly focused on children with germline cancer predisposition disorders. She has also previously published work on the neurotoxic effects of chemotherapy and as a childhood cancer survivor herself, is passionate for more work on late effects and the development of kinder, less toxic treatments as well as more care for cancer survivors.