January 1, 2011

PedPalASCNET Team

The network’s inter-disciplinary team of investigators, plus affiliated collaborators, represents a broad range of organizations, including hospitals, hospices, and universities.

The team brings together clinical and research expertise in nursing, social work, medicine, and anthropology.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:

Hal Siden, MD, MHSc, FRCPC

Hal Siden

  • Medical Director, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, Vancouver
  • Clinical Associate Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia
  • In addition to his clinical work in pediatrics, palliative medicine and complex pain, Dr. Siden’s recent research has focused on pain management in pediatrics and palliative and end-of-life care. He is specifically interested in new and emerging areas in biological markers of pain in children as well as imaging.
  • Learn more about Dr. Siden’s research interests and recent publications.

 PROGRAM MANAGER:

Gail Andrews, RN, M.ed.

Gail_Andrews_2016

  • Program Manager, PedPalASCNet
  • Based out of the B.C. Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR)
  • Gail Andrews holds a Master’s degree in Human Development & Applied Psychology from University of Toronto. She has coordinated and managed various large research projects, including a multi-site, interdisciplinary study called “Charting the Territory,” applying a mixed-methods approach to investigating   the experiences of families with children in pediatric palliative care. Gail’s research interests focus on quality of life improvements for families of children with life threatening conditions as they navigate the often complex decision making processes and service deliveries of pediatric palliative care. She is currently enrolled in the accelerated Nursing Program (RN) at the University of British Columbia.
  • Learn more about Gail Andrew’s recent pediatric palliative publications.

CO-INVESTIGATORS:

Susan Cadell, MSW, PhD

Susan Cadell

  • Professor, School of Social Work, Renison, University of Waterloo
  • Affiliate Investigator, Centre for Community Child Health Program, Child & Family Research Institute, BC Research Institute for Children’s & Women’s Health, Vancouver
  • Susan Cadell is a social work researcher and Professor in the School of Social Work at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Susan’s research concerns positive aspects of stress and coping in various health situations, particularly post-traumatic growth. She focuses on making meaning, spirituality, and palliative care; on informal caregivers of people who are seriously ill; and on positive outcomes of trauma and grief. Susan’s most recent focus is on memorial tattoos.
  • Learn more about Dr. Cadell’s interests and recent publications.

Betty Davies, RN, PhD, FAAN

b_davies

  • Adjunct Professor and Senior Scholar, School of Nursing, University of Victoria
  • Professor Emerita, Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco
  • Co-founder, Canuck Place Childrens Hospice
  • Dr. Davies’ research in palliative and end-of-life care focuses on the psychosocial aspects of caring for children with life-threatening illness and their families, sibling bereavement, and on the role of nurses and other health care providers in palliative care. Her current project is on what makes for excellence in provider/parent interactions.
  • Dr. Davies has published widely, contributed to various professional organizations and is the recipient of Pediatric Award of Excellence from the Canadian Network of Palliative Care for Children and the Canadian Hospice and Palliative Care Association.
  • Having retired twice, Dr. Davies continues to write, conduct research, present her work and mentor students and clinicians.
  • Learn more about Dr. Davies’ recent publications.

Marie-Claude Grégoire, MD, MSc, FRCPC

gregoire_marie

  • Clinical Director, Division of Pediatric Palliative Care, IWK Health Centre
  • Assistant Professor, Dpt of Pediatrics & Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University
  • Founder, Pain Medicine, Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada
  • Dr. Grégoire’s research focuses on assessment and management of symptoms in pediatric palliative medicine, especially pain and breathlessness, and on the delivery of pre-hospital care to pediatric palliative care patients.
  • Learn more about Dr. Grégoire’s interests and recent publications.

Stephen Liben, MD

liben_stephen

  • Director, Pediatric Palliative Care Program, Montreal Children’s Hospital
  • Professor ​ of​ Pediatrics, McGill University
  • Faculty Member, McGill Programs in Whole Person Care
  • ​Involved with mindfulness-based healthcare education.
  • Dr. Liben’s research interests are in post traumatic growth in parents of children with life limiting illnesses, experiences of families of the most ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit, and better understanding the illness trajectory and lived experiences of children with neurological genetic disease and their families.
  • Learn more about Dr. Liben’s interests and recent publications.

Mary Ellen Macdonald, PhD

MEM

  • Associate Professor, Division of Oral Health and Society, McGill University.
  • Program Head, Pediatric Palliative Care Research, Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre
  • Dr. Macdonald is a medical anthropologist with postdoctoral training in Pediatric Palliative Care at Montreal Children’s Hospital.
  • Dr. Macdonald’s palliative care research focuses on family bereavement after the death of a child, and medical assistance in dying. Recent work includes understanding how the deceased remain present in our lives.
  • Dr Macdonald is also involved with health professions education, and research involving cultural aspects of health and illness with Indigenous community.
  • Learn more about Dr. Macdonald’s interests and recent publications.

Adam Rapoport, MD, FRCPC, MHSc

Formal Adam

  • Medical Director, Paediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT), The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto
  • Medical Director, Emily’s House Children’s Hospice, Toronto, ON
  • Assistant Professor, Departments of Paediatrics and Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto
  • Dr. Rapoport has a Masters of Health Sciences in Bioethics from the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics. His academic work focuses on the intersection of his 3 primary interests: pediatrics, palliative care, and ethics.
  • Learn more about Dr. Rapoport’s interests and recent publications.

Marli Robertson, MBChB, FRACP

marli

  • Section Chief, Palliative Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary
  • Medical Director, Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Service and Rotary Flames House
  • Dr. Robertson previously worked for 15 years as a specialist in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition with particular research interests in children with developmental disabilities and infants with short bowel syndrome.
  • Learn more about Dr. Robertson’s interests and recent publications.

Rose Steele, RN, PhD

Rose Steele profile_picture

  • Professor, School of Nursing, York University
  • Dr. Steele has had a broad and eclectic career for over 40 years in nursing and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her research, teaching, and professional activities. Her current research focus is pediatric palliative care and she has presented and published extensively in this area. Dr. Steele’s research takes a holistic approach to families’ bio-psycho-social-spiritual experiences.
  • Learn more about Dr. Steele’s interests and recent publications.

Christina Vadeboncoeur, MD, FRCPC

Vadeboncoeur, Christina

  • Pediatrician, Associate Lead Physician, Palliative Care Team, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa
  • Dr. Vadeboncoeur provides care to children at CHEO, at Roger’s House Children’s Hospice and in the community
  • Dr. Vadeboncoeur’s research interests include medications, hydration and nutrition at end-of-life, and pain and symptom management in children with life-limiting illness.
  • Learn more about Dr. Vadeboncoeur’s interests and recent publications.

Kimberley Widger, RN, PhD, CHPCN(C)

Kim Widger

  • Assistant Professor, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
  • Nursing Research Associate, Hospital for Sick Children
  • Dr. Widger’s research focuses on identifying and measuring structures, processes, and outcomes that are indicative of high-quality pediatric palliative and end-of-life care and finding ways to ensure optimal care is provided regardless of setting or diagnosis.
  • Personal website
  • Learn more about Dr. Widger’s interests and recent publications.

RESEARCH COORDINATOR:

Anne-Mette Hermansen

  • Research Coordinator, PedPalASCNet
  • Based out of the B.C. Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR)
  • Anne-Mette Hermansen holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Victoria. She coordinates various projects within PedPalASCNet and organizes joint meetings between our geographically dispersed team members.
  • Learn more about projects that Anne-Mette is currently coordinating.

 EMBEDDED LIBRARIAN:

Colleen Pawliuk, MLIS

ALUMNI

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