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Faculty

Mary Jane Esplen is inaugural director of the de Souza Institute, Clinician-Scientist at the University Health Network and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto with cross-appointment to the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. A CIHR scientist, Dr. Esplen has a strong interest in developing measurement tools and psychosocial and psychotherapy interventions for individuals with cancer and for cancer genetic populations. She leads a research program that focuses on psychological aspects of cancer and on the psychosocial impact of being at high risk for cancer.

Dr. Esplen completed a BScN (University of Toronto) and practiced nursing for several years in mental health. She then completed a Masters of Science in nursing (University of Toronto), later focusing on women’s mental health and the field of psychosocial oncology in her graduate work. Dr. Esplen holds a PhD in medical science, with a specialty in psychosomatic medicine from the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto. She completed a post-doctorate fellowship in cancer genetics and psychosocial oncology at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto.

Dr. Esplen continues to have a practice in psychosocial-oncology, conducting group therapy interventions and providing individual counseling to women and men at risk for, or who are dealing with, cancer or in palliative care. She is past-President of the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology.

Jiahui Wong has over 15 years experience in research and program evaluation in pharmaceutical, educational, and health care contexts. Prior to joining the de Souza Institute, she was research manager at the Change Foundation, and project lead of the Provincial Diabetes Strategy at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Jiahui is currently assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine from China, an MSc in Epidemiology (Laval University) and a PhD (Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto.)

Educators

Ashleigh began her nursing career in Palliative Care at Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie and then moved to Princess Margaret Hospital to work on a Medical and Radiation Inpatient Oncology Unit. She has a wide range of additional nursing experience ranging from forensic nursing to teaching in Seneca College’s Collaborative BScN program in both classroom and clinical settings. Her interests include nursing informatics, education, and psychosocial issues relating to nursing. Ashleigh holds an Honours BScN (York University) and completed her MN at the University of Toronto.

Laura Rashleigh has been an oncology nurse for the past 10 years. Since receiving her oncology specialty certification she has practiced as a clinical educator, supporting oncology nurses in malignant hematology, medical and radiation oncology, short term surgical care and palliative care at the Princess Margaret Hospital. As a clinical educator, Laura focused on inter-professional person-centred care, oncology nursing professional development and excellence, and leadership for quality, safe practice environments. Her current research explores the phenomenon of grieving as experienced by oncology nurses, with the belief that this is an essential step in supporting nurses’ work with dying patients and bereaved families. Laura has completed her Masters of Science in Nursing at York University, and is awaiting her convocation in June 2010.

Joanne Crawford has worked in oncology for over 14 years in numerous areas along the cancer continuum, including primary care in an ambulatory cancer center and more recently in public health promoting cancer prevention and screening. She is a session faculty member at McMaster University in the undergraduate nursing program. Over the last six years, Joanne's research interests have been directed at programs or interventions related to cancer screening, and in particular, tailored interventions that reduce barriers to access for breast and colorectal cancer screening with diverse populations. An active member of CANO since 2003, Joanne also contributes to her local chapter of the RNAO, and the Community Health Nurses Initiatives Group. She received her BScN, Oncology Nursing Curriculum Certificate and Masters of Science in Nursing at McMaster University, and is currently enrolled in the PhD program at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto.

Brad Walsh has been a pediatric oncology nurse for 10 years. Brad began his career as a staff nurse at the Janeway Children's Hospital in St. John's Newfoundland and moved to Toronto to specialize in Pediatric Haematology & Oncology. He has worked as an inpatient RN, outpatient RN and Outreach Nurse Coordinator at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. After completing his Master of Nursing at the University of Toronto in 2006, Brad took a faculty position in the School of Nursing at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He returned to Sick Kids in 2008 and joins the de Souza institute with a pediatric focus. His nursing interests include family-centered care, nursing leadership and pain reduction for invasive procedure through the use of anaesthesia.

Staff

Krishna Bhoutika brings over five years of experience in software development and IT project management & integration to the Institute. Before joining the de Souza Institute Krishna worked with the Applications Development and Project Services group at UHN Research where he was responsible for the development of several software projects for research operations. In his role with de Souza Institute Krishna is responsible for developing and managing IT solutions for the Institute’s initiative in knowledge management for oncology nursing across Ontario. Krishna holds a MMath in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Windsor.

Victoria Simone has many years experience in health care communications and public affairs. She worked with the Ontario Hospital Association for 22 years in a variety of roles, ranging from Public Affairs, Grants Administration, Web Master and Coordinator for International Study Groups. More recently, she held positions with The Change Foundation and in the Chief Administrative Office at St. Michael’s Hospital. Victoria brings significant experience in communications, project management, computer software and publishing/printing to her role at the de Souza Institute.

Stephanie graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a Minor in Spanish. She began her career working in the finance department at Bellwood Health Services managing client financial records. As the Business Support Assistant for de Souza Institute, Stephanie assists the Educators in developing new course material and managing financial reimbursements for the Institute.

Tracy Gifford brings over five years of both academic and hospital-based research experience to the Institute. She began her career at Queen’s University where she was an active member of a cardiovascular pharmacology lab. In addition to her research role, she also managed the undergraduate Pharmacology and Toxicology student teaching laboratories. More recently, Tracy was a member of a research group in the Division of Brain Imaging and Behaviour at Toronto Western Hospital that focused on the development of new treatments for Parkinson’s Disease. Her continued interest in health sciences research led her to complete the clinical research associate graduate certification program at the Michener Institute for Health Sciences.

David Willson is a Research Analyst who was involved in the initial AV/IT recommendations for the de Souza Institute. David has worked for over seven years in multimedia production, software development and IT project management. In his role with de Souza Institute David is involved in developing, implementing, and supporting several of the de Souza Institute's IT initiatives. David holds a BA in Communications and Psychology from the University of Windsor.

Rebecca began her career in the public relations industry where she planned and executed communications and media relations initiatives for numerous private and public sector clients. Rebecca brings a strong background in communications, marketing, event management and public affairs to de Souza Institute. Her previous track record includes roles as the marketing and communications assistant with Brock University, event publicist for an international awards show and marketing intern with CAA Niagara. Rebecca has served as the volunteer director of communications for the Brock Business Students' Association and has contributed her communication and event management skills to a variety of non-profit organizations and events. Rebecca holds an Honours BA in Business Communications from Brock University.

Liat Brudnoy is an instructional designer and writer with more than five years of experience in the higher education and corporate training spheres. Liat graduated with a B.A. in English Language and Literature from The University of Western Ontario and an M.A. in English from McMaster University. A combination of post-graduate teaching experience and professional editing and writing experience led Liat to embark on a career in instructional design. In her previous roles, Liat worked closely with subject matter experts (SMEs) from a variety of fields to develop innovative eLearning solutions for their training needs. In addition to designing and overseeing the development of distance education courses, her roles involved curriculum development, research, authoring of custom course content and communications consulting. Liat has also designed and written courses for the corporate mentoring and financial industries.

As an Instructional Designer, Leah will be assisting the de Souza Institute Educators with the development of engaging and interactive eLearning courseware. Leah possesses over eight years of experience in designing and delivering robust eLearning solutions, specifically as an Instructional Designer. In her previous position Leah presented many solutions and strategies and personally designed thousands of hours of eLearning courseware for schools such as Vanderbilt University, Northeastern University, Boston University, The George Washington University, and New England College. During her six years in that position, Leah collaborated with many respected Subject Matter Experts resulting in high praises, long-term professional relationships, and satisfied clients. Leah attended the Bachelor of Arts program at The University of Guelph, majoring in English with a minor in Computer Science.

Faculty and Staff