For close to 40 years, I have had the opportunity to develop a robust clinical and research program that has focused on critical clinical issues such as parental coping, lone parenting, transnational parenting, sibling and sibling donor experiences, graph versus host disease, and end-of-life planning. Spending a substantial part of my career dedicated to applying knowledge from clinical experience and psychosocial studies, allowed me to create innovative resources such as books, workbooks, therapeutic games and an advance care planning guide for children, adolescents, and young adults. Each of these resources are distributed worldwide and widely utilized in pediatric centers.

Having an impact on the quality of care provided to patients and families has been my greatest motivation. I was honoured to lead the team that developed the first evidence-based psychosocial standards of care for children with cancer and their family members. Seeing how these are being culturally adapted worldwide brings me tremendous pride and joy. Other notable publications, include co-authoring the IPOS/APOS books Pediatric Psycho-Oncology: A Quick Reference on the Psychosocial Dimensions of Cancer Symptom Management and Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology: Textbook for Multi-disciplinary Care, a storybook, The Gift of Gerbert’s Feathers, to help children through the psychological and behavioural process of preparing for a natural end of life, and most recently in CANCERS on Advances in Pediatric and Adolescent Psycho-Oncology (2025).

Collaboration and connections are the keystone to a meaningful career. Our POPPI newsletter (IPOS, APOS, SIOP) keeps members informed of new and exciting resources and research. I have tremendously valued how teamwork and involvement in organizations such as IPOS can promote personal and professional growth and nurturance.

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