CAPO - Program

KEYNOTE

SPEAKERS

"The Next Frontier – Human-Centered Innovation in Psychosocial Oncology"

Fred Ashbury, BA, MA, PhD FMASCC

30+ Years of Cancer Leadership Experience
Chief Scientific Officer, VieCure (Colorado USA)
Former Senior Executive with Cancer Care Ontario
Former Senior Executive with the Alberta Cancer Board
Adjunct Professor, Division of Psychosocial Oncology, University of Calgary and Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University
Editor-in-Chief, Supportive Care in Cancer; Editorial Boards of British Medical Journal Open and SN Clinical Comprehensive Medicine.
175 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts and major reports in oncology, cancer care quality and supportive oncology
Member of the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO), including past Board Member and currently a member of CAPO’s Research Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and International Psychosocial Oncology Society. Fred is currently a member of the Board (ex officio) for the Multi-National Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and Chair of the MASCC Guidelines Committee.
CAPO 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted as a Fellow of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (June 2025).

Michelle Audoin

Michelle Audoin is an experienced and passionate patient advocate and community collaborator. She uses her living experience of cancer to shine a light on some of the disparities Black women experience when navigating a breast cancer diagnosis. Her advocacy work has also brought her to the research community where she contributes her knowledge and experiences to support clinical trials, cancer research, and collaborative intiatives including roles at CCTG as the Patient Representative Committee Chair, OICR PFAC, 3CTN, All.Can Canada, Princess Margaret and Women’s College Hospital, and as a planning committee member of the inaugural 2025 International Breast Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care Conference held in Toronto.

After attending her first cancer conference several years ago, Michelle understood the importance of partnerships between both the research and patient advocate community, noting that knowledge empowers patients to not only understand cancer biology, but also to help set priorities regarding the future of cancer research, treatments and care. She also sees the impact these relationships have on healthcare providers who gain insights into the experiences of people living with or supporting someone with a cancer diagnosis and how to make their work more inclusive and accessible to diverse communities.

Michelle uses her background as an elementary school teacher to educate others by sharing her story and experiences on podcasts, panels, and awareness campaigns. She is most proud of raising two amazing and compassionate kids who support her cancer advocacy and patient engagement work.

"Is There a Place for Psychedelics in Psychosocial Oncology?"

Linda E. Carlson,PhD, R.Psych, FCAHS, FABMR (she/her)

Session Description:

Dr. Carlson will address the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy for treating psychosocial symptoms such as demoralization and spiritual distress experienced by people with cancer. She will describe the work of the Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy (CAN-PACT), tasked with capacity building, determining research priorities, training researchers and clinicians, conducting clinical trials and influencing policy around psychedelics in cancer.

Biography:

Dr. Linda Carlson holds the Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology and is a Full Professor in the Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She directs the Alberta Complementary Therapy and Integrative Oncology (ACTION) Centre and has provided clinical care at Cancer Care Alberta since 1997.

A globally recognized leader in mindfulness-based cancer recovery and integrative oncology, Dr. Carlson has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers, co-authored influential books, and received numerous prestigious awards, including the 2023 Dr. Rogers Prize in Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the inaugural CAPO Research Excellence award in 2010. She also serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice (the official journal of IPOS), is Past-President of the Society for Integrative Oncology and Treasurer for the International Society for Contemplative Research.

INVITED

SYMPOSIUMS

"Navigating a road without a map: The psychosocial impacts of hereditary cancer syndromes"

Hereditary cancers account for up to 10% of the global cancer burden. In this invited symposia, we will explore the psychosocial impacts and challenges faced by individuals and families living with hereditary cancer risk. Designed for healthcare providers, researchers, and patients and families, the session will provide an overview of hereditary cancers— what they are, their prevalence, associated risks, and current approaches to risk management and counseling.

The symposia will feature a multidisciplinary panel including a genetic counselor, a researcher, and a patient partner who will share lived and professional experiences. Topics will include:

Emotional and psychological impacts of living with inherited cancer risk
Decision-making around risk management, including prophylactic surgeries and family planning
Managing lifelong uncertainty and coping strategies

Participants will gain practical insights into integrating psychosocial considerations into clinical care and research. The session will conclude with an open Q&A to foster dialogue and collaboration.

Panelists: A genetic counselor from the Provincial Medical Genetics Program

Dr. Holly Etchegary is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University. She has an active research program in hereditary cancers, genomics health services research and patient-oriented research, particularly in oncology. She can speak to a wide range of psychosocial impacts faced by patients with cancer predisposition syndromes, informed by her involvement in local and national research projects and her work with patient partners.

Vanessa Francis is a patient partner and registered nurse who has been working in the area of family practice and primary care for over two decades. She has lived experience of hereditary cancer and has often been a patient partner for research projects focused on cancer predisposition syndromes. Vanessa can attest to the challenges of managing inherited cancer risk both as a carrier of a pathogenic variant and as a health care provider.