Why did you get involved in your specific area of research or academic program, and what interests you about it?

My research interests have been largely influenced by my experiences working as an oncology nurse. This inspired me to return to graduate school to find ways that researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience can work together to improve the care patients and their families receive for common and distressing cancer-related symptoms, such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression. This led me to pursue research with a focus on implementation science and supportive cancer care. My interests in patient-oriented research and experience-based co-design flowed naturally from my passion to do research that engages and meaningfully impacts patients, their caregivers, nurses, and the broader health system. 

Why do you think patient-oriented research is important in the research you are involved in?

I think patient-oriented research is important in every area of research! Within the field of implementation science, it has become clear that there is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach to translating research evidence into real-world practice settings. In fact, most of our “go-to” strategies have not always been very successful. To meaningfully bridge ongoing research-to-practice gaps, we need to focus our efforts on understanding the perspectives of end-users, and then actively engage them to identify novel, contextually relevant strategies to improve care. 

What experiences or advice would you like to share with prospective/new trainees?

I once heard this saying used in the context of patient-oriented research: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Participatory research methods can definitely require more time, resources, and flexibility than other approaches. This can be particularly challenging in the context of graduate research. However, I believe this type of work is absolutely vital to ensure our research efforts are relevant and impactful.