Our Team
ABC-SC Team
The research team is comprised of innovative, young researchers and experienced cancer researchers, who span research and clinical boundaries.
Principal Investigators
Grace Johnston
MHSA, PhD
Positions: Professor and Graduate Coordinator, School of Health Administration, »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥; Senior Epidemiologist, Surveillance and Epidemiology Unit, Cancer Care Nova Scotia; and Principal Investigator, Network for End of Life Studies: Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement (NELS ICE), Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant
Expertise: Epidemiology, health services research using administrative databases, cancer control, screening, palliative and end of life care, interdisciplinary learning, knowledge exchange, advocacy, mentoring
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Focused data analyses on supportive care (SC) for women with advanced breast cancer; Greater understanding on the forms and cost of SC, and predictors of who has access to SC; Refinement of interdisciplinary research team development methods and knowledge exchange
Robin Urquhart
PhD
Positions: Assistant Professor (Primary Research Scientist), Department of Surgery, »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥
Expertise: Knowledge exchange and translation, health services research, linked administrative data methods, qualitative methodologies
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Improved understanding of effective knowledge exchange processes toward building interdisciplinary research teams and whether a participatory model is useful toward expediting SC research capacity; Greater depth of knowledge on access to and quality of SC services for women with advanced breast cancer using administrative data
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Researchers
Fred Burge
MD, FCFP, MSc
Positions: Professor, Department of Family Medicine, »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥; and Co-Principal Investigator, NELS ICE
Expertise: Family medicine, primary care, palliative and end of life care, survey and linked administrative data methods
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Perspectives on SC by next of kin of women dying of advanced breast cancer; Insights into the redesign of community based primary care; New grant proposal to CIHR for community based primary care
Judith Fisher
PhD
Positions: Manager of Drug Technology Assessment for Pharmaceutical Services in the Nova Scotia Government, Department of Health and Wellness
Expertise: Systematic literature review, appropriate use of medications
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Medication use for the management of pain and other symptoms among persons with advanced cancer; Framework for medications guideline development for SC, focusing on women with advanced breast cancer
Janice Howes
PhD
Positions: Psychosocial Oncology Clinical Leader and Chair, Supportive Care Site Team, Cancer Care Nova Scotia
Expertise: Clinical psychology, Psychosocial oncology
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Refinement of distress screening by cancer patient navigators; Improving SC for women with advanced breast cancer
Melanie Keats
PhD
Positions:Assistant Professor, School of Health and Human Performance, »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥
Expertise: Behavioural medicine, exercise psychology, physical activity, oncology, survivorship, quality of life
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Exploring the SC role of physical activity for women with advanced breast cancer
Bev Lawson
Lynn Lethbridge
Maureen MacIntyre
Jennifer Payne
PhD
Positions: Assistant Professor, Departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Community Health and Epidemiology, »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥; and Senior Epidemiologist, Capital District Health Authority
Expertise: Epidemiologic methods, chronic disease surveillance, indicators of care, administrative data analysis, health services research
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Screening for need for SC; Data analysis and knowledge translation related to SC for chronic disease co-morbidities for women with advanced breast cancer
Geoff Porter
MD FRCSC, FACS
Positions: Professor of Surgery, Ramia Chair in Surgical Oncology, »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥; and Surgical Oncologist, QEII Health Sciences Centre
Expertise: Surgical oncology, health services research, outcomes research, quality indicators
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Improved understanding of factors influencing access to and quality of SC services for women with advanced breast cancer; exploring opportunities to build a NET ACCESS-like team in breast cancer
Danny Rayson
aMD, FRCPC, FACP
Positions: Professor, Division of Medical Oncology, »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥; and Medical Oncologist, Nova Scotia Cancer Centre
Expertise: Clinical trials, breast cancer, health services research, wait times, cancer genetics, translational research
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Clinical trial development with focus on SC for advanced breast cancer (e.g., pain and symptom control, management of side effects from systemic therapies); understanding of factors (e.g., co-morbidities) that influence quality SC for women with advanced breast cancer
Chris Skedgel
Ingrid Sketris
Tallal Younis
MBBCh, FRCP (UK)
Positions:Assistant Professor, Division of Medical Oncology, and Clinical Research Scholar, »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥; and Medical Oncologist, Nova Scotia Cancer Centre
Expertise:Economic/cost analysis, health services research, outcomes research, breast cancer, clinical trials
Anticipated Findings/New Knowledge: Examining costs of various forms of SC, including medications for women with advanced breast cancer
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Trainees
Highly Qualified Personnel
Hillary Woodside
In 2012, Hillary commenced her MA in Kinesiology with Dr Melanie Keats; a co-investigator on the ABC-SC. Hillary is studying the perspectives of youth and young adults with advanced cancer on the value of yoga as a form of palliative support. Hillary and Melanie have published:
H. Woodside & M. Keats. (2012) Exploring the Role of Physical Activity During Palliative Care for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
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