In 2022, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) launched a to support the establishment of a national pediatric cancer consortium that would change the way childhood cancers are researched and treated in Canada. I was听one of the successful principal applicants who brought together a pan-Canadian team of key partners including researchers, clinicians, advocates, patients and families to realize their shared vision of improving the lives of children with cancer and their families in Canada.
Called ACCESS, (Advancing Childhood Cancer Experience, Science & Survivorship) this community-driven networked organization, is composed of 7 themes and 2 cross-cutting groups. I co-leads the Knowledge Mobilization Group with Dr. Michel Duval, and Karen Haas and Stephanie Reid, two persons with lived experience (PWLE). The efforts of Knowledge Mobilization Group catalysed with the recruitment of trainees, researchers, and persons with lived experiences. Members include postdoctoral fellow听Emily Drake, PhD, now an Adjunct Professor at the Ingram School of Nursing; Ingram School of Nursing Faculty Lecturers Sonia Castiglione, RN, PhD, and YiQing L眉, PhD, and Associate Professor, Christine Maheu. To date, our Knowledge Mobilization Group has trained students from varying disciplines, from undergraduate to postdoctoral raining, as well as persons with lived experiences. Together, we are seeking to understand the knowledge mobilization needs of the childhood cancer community, from the perspectives of adults and children alike. (See below for opportunities to participate in these studies.)
Results from our student-led reviews, environmental scans, and ongoing studies will aid in the collaborative creation of knowledge mobilization activities; bringing together the 25 not-for-profits in Canada, and 145 not-for-profits identified globally. Opportunities to further maximize the online visibility, reach and impact of ACCESS, will be sought, learning from past social media campaigns, uniting social media profiles, and partnering with the not-for-profits to co-create and share knowledge. Finally, we will spearhead the creation of child-centric knowledge mobilization products. Among the projects currently underway include the graduate project of Ekaterini Damoulianos, RN, MSc(A) Advanced Practice Nursing Student, enrolled in the research stream, who will help identify the knowledge dissemination preferences of children with cancer, their siblings and friends (Video 1). Postdoctoral fellow, Sahar Fazeli and psychology trainee Samantha Cristallo are identifying, analyzing, and establishing quality indicators for the use of the 115 picture books currently available for understanding childhood cancer, in collaboration, with leading not-for-profit, , and their expert librarian Patrick Cossette. Finally, doctoral trainee Jade Desforges is leading a team to create a knowledge mobilization kit for a children`s book currently used in practice at CHU Sainte Justine, and to share this unique practice globally.
We also train students from the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology and the 黑料网爆吃瓜 School of f Global and Public Health, in addition to benefitting from their respective bursary programs.
Study Title: Describing, Prioritizing & Supporting the KMb Needs of the CPCC, CIHR, $330,845, 2024-2027.
Study Title: Collaboration Creation of Knowledge Mobilization Activities, CIHR, $525,750, 2025-2027
The most rewarding part of working in oncology research
We are grateful for the opportunity to create new partnerships, build capacity, and make meaningful transformations in the equitable access to cancer care for children and their families.
Most recent scientific publications
Moussa, S., Drake, E. K., Castiglione, S. A., Laporte, G., Duval, M., Tsimicalis, A., & ACCESS (Advancing Childhood Cancer Experience Science and Survivorship) network. (2025). Knowledge mobilization in childhood cancer: A scoping review and content analysis. Digital Health, 11, 20552076251397433.
Drake, E. K., Lui, A., Damoulianos, E., Cossette, P., Duval, M., Arora, R. S., ... & Tsimicalis, A. (2025). Knowledge Mobilization Efforts by Global Pediatric Oncology Civil Society Organizations: An Environmental Scan Protocol. Sage Open Pediatrics, 12, 30502225251383342.
Recruitment is ongoing for the following studies
Knowledge Mobilization Needs Assessment of the Broader Canadian Pediatric Cancer Community
- People with lived experience
- People with lived experience :听
- People who ENG
- People who
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