2025 Clinical Excellence WinnerOver the course of 18 years, Celestina Martopullo has been the Psycho-Oncology Lead Clinician for the Gastrointestinal Tumor Group in the Department of Psycho-Oncology (formerly Tom Baker Cancer Centre now Arthur J. E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre). She holds an adjunct appointment with the Division of Psychosocial Oncology, Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Since 2021, Celestina serves as a Board Member of CAPO, Director of the Social Work Discipline, actively engaged with the CAPO Clinical Advisory and Education Committees. In her clinical capacity, Celestina is distinguished for providing advanced, evidence-based PSO clinical interventions aiming at enhancing patients’ healthy adaptive patterns of thoughts and behaviors, improving coping with psychosocial morbidity and their quality of life. She has established an integrative clinical profile - drawing upon most utilized and empirically supported PSO interventions: supportive-expressive, humanistic, existential, meaning-centered therapies; CBT interventions; psychodynamic oriented therapies; group and family interventions) – tailoring interventions to unique psychosocial contexts of people affected by cancer. Celestina has built and maintained an excellent record of integrating clinical service with academic research. Her service context remains a never-ending source of exploring, testing, investigating, and informing interventions. Direct work with patients has enabled her to translate clinically relevant questions into viable research projects. An example of this is the development of an innovative, evidence-based, gender sensitive, unique, supportive/expressive group therapy (SEGT) for male cancer patients with gastrointestinal cancers who identify as men. This is the only known, professionally led, men only, supportive/expressive group therapy of its kind, worldwide. Sustainability of this group intervention (running continuously since 2010) speaks to its relevance in meeting patients’ needs and clinical outcomes; it contrasts the popular belief that men, due to gender socialization, are averse to joining groups that emphasize emotional and existential exploration. The $43.000 patient-designated gift from a group member, (which supported her clinical research and evaluation of the group intervention) is yet another testimonial of its impact on group members. The evaluation of the group’s longitudinal impact on health outcomes (published in Health Qual Life Outcomes, journal, 2021) points to this intervention being associated with improved mood states (anxiety, depression, anger) and coping. Being formally trained in Adult Education enabled her to adapt a Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management and Relaxation workshop (a former psychoeducational control intervention for patients with breast cancer) into a mainstream departmental psychoeducational intervention, delivered in different formats to people affected by cancer and nursing staff. Through her practice, Celestina has been equally devoted to mentoring and teaching excellence, as a Supervisor/Field Instructor to MSW and other clinical trainees; and as a Lecturer of the MDSC 535/635, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. She has continuously achieved an average ranking of “excellent” for “quality of teaching” and “interaction” in any instructional roles (lecturer, supervisor, educator, presenter). Celestina has graduated with distinction from the University of Calgary obtaining a bachelor’s and master’s degree in clinical social work. She obtained her first graduate degree – Master of Arts (concentration in Education) from Central European University, in Europe. |
2025 Education Excellence WinnersMargo Kennedy, MSW, RSW, and Dr. Christian Schulz-Quach are leaders in psychosocial oncology, specializing in the care of 2SLGBTQ+ and GSRD communities. Together, they advance equity-driven, affirming cancer care through clinical innovation, research, and education. Margo Kennedy is the Clinical Lead of the Sexual and Gender Diversity in Cancer Care (SGDc) Program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a recognized expert in equity-focused psychosocial oncology. Her work focuses on reducing barriers to care, training healthcare providers, and advocating for systemic change to improve outcomes for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in cancer care. She co-develops innovative educational initiatives with Christian and their teams to enhance affirming care practices in oncology. Dr. Christian Schulz-Quach is the Program Director of the SGDc Program and an internationally recognized psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and palliative care physician specializing in GSRD-affirming psychosocial oncology. He integrates existential, psychoanalytic, and relational approaches to address the mental health needs of queer and gender-diverse individuals facing serious illness. His teaching and research foster interdisciplinary, inclusive oncology care, further advancing the mission of the SGDc Program |
To nominate a CAPO member for one of these Awards of Excellence, please see below:
Nominators do not need to be CAPO members. It is the responsibility of the nominators to obtain permission from the nominee to put their name forward for the award.
Application for the award will consist of:
Nominations and supporting documentation can be submitted in either French or English.
In the event of multiple nominees, the Awards Committee will invite members of the CAPO Board (barring those with conflicts of interest) to vote in order to attain a recipient of the award. In the event of a tie vote, the last three CAPO past presidents, excluding the immediate past president (who are clear of any conflict of interest) will review the tied nominations and vote amongst themselves to select a winner.
If no suitable recipients are nominated, no award will be given.
There is no monetary value to these awards.
Click here to view the Excellence Awards Terms of Reference.
This award shall be presented by the Awards Committee and the Board of Directors of the association to a CAPO member in recognition of outstanding clinical contributions to the field of psychosocial oncology in Canada.
The recipient will have made his or her contributions as a practitioner in applied psychosocial work in oncology;
Nominees must be registered or licensed to practice in their field, and have been practicing in the field of psychosocial oncology for a minimum of 5 years;
Nominees must demonstrate outstanding clinical contributions to psychosocial oncology. The award focuses on the distinctive contribution made in providing or developing services to patients and families; and/or in clinical supervision of others.
Award recipients must register and attend the annual CAPO conference (in person or virtually) in order to be eligible.
Innovation and sustained successful clinical service should be what distinguishes the recipient of this award.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT FOR CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
The 2024 CAPO Award Recipient for Clinical Excellence: Dr. Pamela Mosher
Dr. Pamela Mosher, MD, MDiv, is a staff psychiatrist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Ontario, in Psychosocial Oncology, Supportive Care, and the Adolescent Young Adult (AYA) Program. She co-founded and leads the psychosocial arm of AYA Supportive Care Clinic, an outpatient collaborative clinic between psychosocial oncology and palliative care that supports adolescents and young adults with advanced cancer and/or significant symptom burden. She is passionate about teaching and mentoring trainees of all levels, from a variety of disciplines, within the interdisciplinary model of the clinic. She is additionally a consultant psychiatrist to the Pediatric Palliative Care (PACT) and Oncology teams at Sick Kids Hospital, where she previously worked as a CL psychiatrist. She is the sole child/adolescent psychiatrist in Canada with pediatric palliative care background and expertise. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Prior to moving to Toronto, Dr. Mosher worked at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as both a pediatric palliative care physician and Consultation-Liaison/Emergency Psychiatrist.
Dr. Mosher’s professional areas of interest and focus include the psychological impact of life-limiting physical illness on children, adolescents, young adults and their families; building collaborations between palliative care and psychosocial oncology clinicians to better understand and reduce the emotional and physical suffering that younger adult/pediatric patients with advanced cancer experience; grief in pediatric and young adult populations, and within families; advocating for grief awareness and education in medical training; and educating trainees from various disciplines about these vital areas of need.
Dr. Mosher is originally from the US, where she obtained a Master of Divinity at Harvard University, a medical degree at Stanford University, and completed a combined residency and fellowship in Pediatrics, Adult Psychiatry, and Child/Adolescent psychiatry at Brown University. She is a 2011 recipient of the Laughlin Fellowship award from the American College of Psychiatrists.
2017 Recipient: Dr. Steven Simpson (BC)
2016 Recipient: Sarah Sample (BC)
2015 Recipient: Sheila Damore-Petingola (ON)
2014 Recipient: Dr. Marc Hamel (QC)
2012 Recipient: Dr. Michael Speca (AB)
2011 Recipient: Dr. Maru Barrera (ON)
2010 Recipient: Dr. John Robinson (AB)
This award shall be made to recognize a CAPO member who, in the opinion of the Awards Committee and the Board of Directors of the association, have made a significant contribution to education and training in psychosocial oncology in Canada. The recipient of this award must meet the following criteria:
Whose influence on psychosocial education and training has been exercised through excellence and/or leadership as a teacher;
Whose work as a teacher, supervisor and/or administrator has influenced the methods and settings utilised in education and training, in ways of significant benefit to psychosocial oncology;
Whose scholarship or accomplishments in education and/or training has brought about changes or enhanced the knowledge base in these areas.
Award recipients must register and attend the annual CAPO conference (in person or virtually) in order to be eligible.
In whatever form the individual’s contributions are regarded as distinguished, the impact of the work shall have been on education and training in psychosocial oncology in Canada.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT FOR EDUCATION EXCELLENCE AWARD
The 2024 CAPO Award Recipient for Education Excellence: Andréa Maria Laizner, RN, PhD
Andréa Maria Laizner, RN, PhD is a Nursing Practice Consultant for Research in the Nursing Directorate of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is an Assistant Professor (part-time) in the Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University as well as is an Associate Investigator in the Cancer Research Program of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. Her vast career in nursing, both in academic hospital settings and in the community, sparked a life-long interest in psychosocial oncology, clinical practice, education, administration and research. As a result, she mentors students, nurses and other clinicians in research related activities and knowledge translation. Believing in networks, her collaborations focused on family functioning, comfort and symptom management in vulnerable populations, using different interventions such as providing information and/ or stress reduction strategies either in-person, via information booklets or via web-based applications or the Opal patient-facing app.
Dr. Laizner’s contributions included volunteer work with a support group for parents with cancer and their school-aged children. This led to being a co-author on the Canadian Association for Psychosocial Oncology’s Start the Talk Modules for health care workers and teachers. Subsequently, she ensured that these modules were adapted for patients and their families in English and French. She collaborated with community organizations such as Leucan, and currently with Cedars CanSupport at the McGill University Health Centre, as well as with the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology and Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology. These endeavors have led to numerous conference presentations and publications.
Past Award of Education Excellence recipients:
2018 Recipient: Andrew G. Matthew (ON)
2017 Recipient: Joan Hamilton (NS)
2014 Recipient: Dr. Josée Savard (QC)
2013 Recipient: Susan Blacker (ON)
2012 Recipient: Dr. Doris Howell (ON)
2011 Recipient: Dr. Deborah McLeod (NS)
2010 Recipient: Dr. Carmen Loiselle (QC)