My research focuses on childhood, adolescent, and young adult (CAYA) cancer survivorship, with a particular emphasis on improving healthcare experiences, transitions, and long-term outcomes for young people in British Columbia. I examine the healthcare challenges and barriers faced by AYA cancer patients and survivors, focusing on how they navigate and transition between pediatric and adult healthcare systems.

In collaboration with survivors and cancer care allies, my work seeks to identify gaps in current cancer care practices, aiming to provide actionable recommendations that will improve care coordination between pediatric and adult healthcare systems and enhance the long-term health outcomes for survivors of cancer and chronic illness.

Pediatric and AYA Cancer Care

My research explores the unique and evolving healthcare needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer, investigating how they affect their long-term health trajectories, quality of life, and life course outcomes. A significant focus of my dissertation work is on understanding the barriers and facilitators that young cancer survivors encounter when transitioning from pediatric to adult care systems. Through this research, I aim to support the development of integrated AYA oncology transition pathways, ensuring continuity of care as young survivors navigate these different healthcare environments.

Qualitative and Collaborative Approaches in Healthcare

My work emphasizes multi-stakeholder collaboration in cancer care research, engaging survivors, their families, and healthcare allies in the research process to develop patient-centered outcomes that reflect the priorities of those most affected by cancer. Additionally, I am interested in strengthening the rigor of qualitative research methods, particularly when integrating insider perspectives from researchers with lived experience.

I am also part of the Anew Research Collaborative, where I work alongside provincial healthcare organizations and young adults with lived cancer experiences to co-generate knowledge, relationships, and strategies aimed at improving cancer care in British Columbia. Additionally, I have worked under Dr. Caron Strahlendorf from the Division of Hematology and Oncology at BC Children’s Hospital on a clinical research project focused on validating a point-of-care diagnostic tool for childhood leukemia in both low- and high-income countries.

2024: Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF), The University of British Columbia

2023-2024: Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s (CGS M) by The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

2023: Kurt and Anne Paulus Memorial Scholarship for Sociology, The University of British Columbia

2023: Cordula and Gunter Paetzold Fellowship, The University of British Columbia

2022: Departmental Scholarship, Department of Sociology, The University of British Columbia

SOCI 101: Social Interaction and Culture

SOCI 250: Crime and Society

FMST 314: Relationship Development

SOCI 380: Sociological Methods: Survey Research

SOCI 320: Diversity in Family Forms