“Neighbours helping neighbours age well at home”

This talk was sponsored by the William J. Henderson Foundation

Dr. Catherine Donnelly
Associate Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy and Department of Family Medicine
Director, Health Services and Policy Research Institute

We often take the idea of community—and the health benefits of belonging to one—for granted. However, Dr. Catherine Donnelly would tell you that community becomes even more important to your overall health as you age. In her talk, you’ll hear about her research exploring a simple idea that has spawned a movement helping older adults age well within their homes, among neighbours.

“Only the lucky survive cardiac arrest”

This talk was sponsored by the William J. Henderson Foundation

Dr. Steven Brooks
Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

As an ER physician and scientist, Dr. Steven Brooks knows that every second counts when trying to save someone’s life—especially during a cardiac event. His research examines what happens in an emergency before someone reaches the hospital, and how to improve the odds of survival so it’s not largely based on luck. In his talk, you’ll learn about new strategies and technology that can provide fast, ready access to life-saving resuscitation and defibrillation for everyone.

"The Gift of a Better Death"

This talk was sponsored by: The City of Kingston

Dr. Katie Goldie
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing 

Dr. Katie Goldie answers a critical question: what is a good death? Dr. Goldie’s research reveals why Canadians need universal and equitable access to palliative care. As you will hear in her engaging and at times deeply personal talk, palliative care not only provides compassionate end of life care but can sometimes help people live longer and better. She tackles some of the myths and misconceptions around dying and death and why we all need to talk about it. 

"Pursuing a Miracle in Modern Day Medicine"

This talk was sponsored by: The City of Kingston

Dr. David Lillicrap
Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Canada Research Chair in Molecular Hemostasis 

For Dr. David Lillicrap, blood isn’t just part of the job—it is the job. For decades, world-renowned scientist Dr. Lillicrap has been at the forefront of precision medicine and working to develop life-changing therapies for people with hemophilia and von Willebrand diseases. In his talk, you will hear about his research journey and how he is getting closer to this miracle with the help of genomics and a pack of dogs.

"Why family caregivers are unsung heroes"

This talk was sponsored by: The City of Kingston

Dr. Afolasade Fakolade
Assistant Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy
Co-lead, Caregiver Wellness Research Collaborative (CARE Co)

Caregivers are worthy of care. That message is at the heart of Dr. Fakolade’s research and her urgent call for us to support these unsung heroes.

She examines how caregivers don’t receive nearly enough recognition and display extraordinary courage to provide ongoing, unpaid care that is critical to our overall health system.

Her work is helping people who live with multiple sclerosis and their family caregivers build resilience, improve health, and achieve a better quality of life. The implications for all caregivers, and our health and social systems, are profound.

Dr. Fakolade knows what it feels like to be standing in the shoes of a family caregiver and brings that empathy and warmth to her Research Talk and its prescription for change.

"Critical care, precisely delivered"

This talk was sponsored by: The City of Kingston

Dr. David Maslove 
Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Critical Care Medicine

Every patient is unique. Dr. Maslove takes us to the ICU of the future as he explores the tremendous potential benefits of precision medicine.

This new, radical approach is transforming critical care at the individual patient level. Along with a precise diagnosis, tailoring treatment specific to the patient helps improve outcomes and saves more lives. But being precise is not always easy, he explains, especially when dealing with the myriad of syndromes, symptoms, and complications that present themselves in the ICU.

Dr. Maslove is a clinician scientist who practices internal medicine in the ICU at Kingston Health Sciences Centre. His research applies physiologic and genomic data to advance precision medicine and is helping usher in a new era of customized critical care.

"Reading the Book of Life"

This talk was sponsored by: The Davies Charitable Foundation

Dr. Charlie Hindmarch
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Scientific Operations Director, Translational Institute of Medicine
Genomics Core Director, Queen's Cardiopulmonary Unit

Dr. Hindmarch is Queen’s Health Sciences’ resident genetics genie. His riveting Research Talk explores the past, present, and future of discovery science. What has the deciphering of the human genome – our genetic code – brought to researchers?

Dr. Hindmarch specializes in the neurological basis of cardiovascular diseases, blood volume control, and hydromineral homeostasis. While a gifted scientist, he is also an enchanting storyteller.

The Book of Life is opened wide in his riveting Research Talk. Time travel with Dr. Hindmarch as he journeys from a little-known, 19th-century monk – who just happens to be the “father of genetics” – to how our understanding of genetics has assisted in the fight against COVID-19, and on to the future of genetics. Discover how this exciting field helps us to understand the human body and diseases, and how we can leverage the two to find treatments and cures that we never thought were possible.

"Let's Talk Period"

This talk was sponsored by: The Davies Charitable Foundation

Dr. Paula James
Professor, Department of Medicine (cross-appointed to the Departments of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and Pediatrics)
Hematologist

Dr. James is an expert on bleeding who believes we all need to talk. Period. Her groundbreaking research helps identify women with inherited bleeding disorders – identifying the red flag symptoms, and the barriers women face in getting an accurate, timely diagnosis and care.

Dr. James is not just about the science – she's also about solutions. Her work helps to advance the understanding of disease and enables system-wide changes to diagnosis and treatment.

In her Research Talk, Dr. James delves into her work as a clinician-scientist and her incredibly successful Let’s Talk Period initiative, which offers an online diagnosis and digital resources that have helped tens of thousands of people around the world.

"Nurses and midwives: Sharing the humanity of birth"

Dr. Danielle Macdonald
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Registered Nurse

The humanity of birth – and the power of collaboration between nurses and midwives – is front and centre in Dr. Macdonald’s research. She takes us on a journey through the experiences of global birthing care as it relates to midwifery, nursing, women and birthing people, and their families.

Dr. Macdonald is interested in how midwives, nurses, and other health-care providers collaborate, and how collaboration can lead to equitable access to midwifery care in Canada and around the world. To that end, she has been involved in research with nursing and midwifery colleagues in Canada, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Qatar.

Framed by her own wealth of clinical experience in postnatal care, her passion for birth and person-centered care shines through in her revelatory Research Talk.

"You can’t fix what you can’t see"

Dr. Stephen Scott
Professor, Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (cross appointed to the Department of Medicine) 
Incoming Vice Dean Research for Queen’s Health Sciences

Dr. Scott stars in the role of researcher – and inventor – in this exploration of the impact of his robot, Kinarm, which is changing the way we understand the brain. The groundbreaking robot allows researchers to perform clinical testing to assess a broad range of brain functions including motor skills, perception, memory, and decision making.

Trained in systems designs engineering, and with a background in physiology, Dr. Scott has combined two areas of expertise into something incredible. Kinarm is used to assess neurological impairments related to stroke, MS, ALS, Transient Ischemic Attacks, Parkinson’s disease, kidney dialysis, and more. 

Dr. Scott holds the GSK Chair in Neuroscience and has won several awards for innovative research. He is widely respected in Canada as a forward thinker and a team researcher, with a huge number of collaborations across disciplines; you’ll see why through his Research Talk.

"The Power of Stories: Using Podcasts to Treat Ageism"

This talk was sponsored by:  Jane Philpott Medicine Professional Corporation

Dr. Mohammad Auais
Assistant Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy 
Registered physical therapist

From the clinic to the classroom, Dr. Auais understands how common ageism is in our health system, and society. He also firmly believes that better healthcare starts with better health education.

That vision led Dr. Auais to create GeroCast, a pilot project to examine whether storytelling can motivate students to care for older patients. His class explored real cases in a podcast – each episode focused on one powerful patient interview. The unique teaching method proved widely effective at improving students’ attitudes towards learning about, and working with, older adults. 

Dr. Auais’ research expertise includes geriatric rehabilitation, mobility, community-based intervention, and observational studies. Two unifying goals run through his work: the optimization of care and better patient outcomes. 

In his Research Talk, Dr. Auais takes us to the place where the patient experience truly begins to take shape: in students’ hearts and minds. Discover how changing their attitudes may hold the key to improving the health of older patients.

"On Gratitude, Impatience, and Cell Therapy"

This talk was sponsored by:  Jane Philpott Medicine Professional Corporation

Dr. Annette Hay 
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Senior Investigator with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG)

Dr. Hay is a hematologist and clinician scientist exploring CAR T-cell therapy, a revolutionary way of treating cancer.

In her talk, Dr. Hay has us imagine a world where cancer can be cured by a person’s own immune system. Instead of chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, the work is done by a patient’s immune blood cells – removed, engineered to recognize cancer, and returned to the body. 

Dr. Hay’s work with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group at Queen’s could help make that vision a reality. Her role as Senior Investigator includes testing new types of cell therapy products and new means of manufacturing them. Her areas of expertise also include hematological malignancies, data sharing, health economics, and adolescents and young adults with cancer. 

Dr. Hay is committed to discovering new, groundbreaking approaches to treating cancer – and her Research Talk outlines the promise of cell therapy as a future game-changer. 

"The Emperor Has No Clothes: Finding Our Way Again in Cancer Care"

Dr. Chris Booth
Professor, Department of Oncology, Department of Public Health Sciences
Canada Research Chair in Population Cancer Care

An internationally-recognized cancer researcher and medical oncologist, Dr. Booth is uniquely positioned to explain how our health systems – and patient care – can be dramatically improved. He presents cancer care’s biggest challenges and solutions, drawing upon groundbreaking research in the value, access, and quality of cancer care in Canada and globally.

Dr. Booth serves as part of the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicine List Cancer Working Group and as an Advisor (Health Services Research) to the National Cancer Grid of India. In his clinical practice, he provides care to patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

From his research focus to his frontline duties, Dr. Booth is a determined advocate for compassion and quality in cancer care.

"The Ten Stories: Intergenerational Conversations"

Dr. Mary Ann McColl

Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy
Associate Director, Health Services Research and Policy Institute

Patient advocacy is at the forefront of Dr. McColl’s research – whether her primary work around people with disabilities or her special Ten Stories project, which helps caregivers better understand and connect to their older loved ones.

Caregivers may lament them, but there is power and purpose in the stories older people tell over and over again – and there really are just 10 stories they tell repeatedly. Based on interviews with caregivers, her research has found that the values and symbols in those retold stories hold the secret to making our loved ones feel validated, remembered and understood in the late stages of their lives – and can help us connect to our loved ones on a deeper level.  

A professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. McColl is nationally recognized for her expertise on disability. A prolific writer who has authored 16 books, Dr. McColl’s research interests include health services and policy, community integration and social support, and rehabilitation.