Dr. Chioma C Asuzu: Program Chair

Prof. Chioma C. Asuzu is the current President of IPOS. She is a clinical psychologist and psycho-oncologist, and she was Head of the Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria (2017-2021). She also holds joint appointment with the Department of Radiation Oncology at the College of Medicine of the university as well as the University College Hospital in Ibadan. Her teaching spans the undergraduate and post- graduate programmes. At the Department of Radiotherapy, she runs the unit of psycho-oncology with a weekly clinic thereof. She is a co-author of some books on family life education and psycho-oncology. She has given several lectures and talks on family life, adolescent education and psycho-oncology, both in national and international arenas.

She is the Foundation President of the Psycho-oncology Society of Nigeria (POSON), Association for Psycho-Oncology in Africa and an executive member of the International Psycho-oncology Society (IPOS). She was the vice president for West Africa of Africa Organization for Cancer Research and Training (AORTIC, 2017-2021).  She is working hard to spread the practice of psycho-oncology throughout Nigerian Universities, Hospitals, Africa and globally.

Dr. Henry is an Associate Professor in the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology. She is a FRQS Clinician-Scientist Senior and a psychologist in the Department of Psychology and in the Louise-Granofsky Psychosocial Oncology Program of the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital. Her research program aims to better conceptualize early determinants of mental health in oncology, leading to the development and testing of interventions to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. Her work combines translational research with a major focus on advanced cancer and head and neck oncology. She developed the FACT/MBIS McGill Body Image Concern Scale — Head and Neck, part of the internationally known FACT Measurement System.

She is Co-Director of the FRQS-funded Quebec Research Group in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (RQSPAL) Axis I on optimizing quality of life, a group comprising of over 200 researchers and students across the province of Quebec. As part of this research network and in collaboration with the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices, she is heading a Pan-Canadian initiative to improve clinical and research capacity to address suffering in patients requesting Medical Aid in Dying. Dr. Henry has received funding from the Canadian Institute for Health Research, the Fonds de recherche Santé - Québec, Genzyme and Roche.

She is a board member of the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) and has received the IPOS Noemi Fisman Award for Lifetime Clinical Excellence. She has served on World Health Organization Committees. Her international work with IPOS and the World Health Organization involves chairing Training Academies designed to build capacity for psycho-oncology in Africa and — more broadly — for low-middle-income countries.

Philip Odiyo is a psycho-oncologist with vast experience in psychosocial oncology. He is currently representing Africa as the Director at International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS. He is currently studying for a research doctoral degree at Erasmus University (Netherlands).

Philip was selected for a Clinical Observership and training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Philip is also a fellow at the Association of Union for International Cancer Control Fellows and was awarded Naomi Stearns Fellow in 2018 for his role in developing psychosocial oncology in Kenya.

Philip is currently the Secretary for Prostate Cancer Support Association in Kenya and Board Member at the Kenyan Network of Cancer Organizations; he is also the founding Chairman of Psycho-oncology Society of Kenya and the founding Vice President of the Association for Psycho-Oncology Society in Africa.

Besides his work at the various cancer organizations, he is currently representing developing countries at the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM). Philip has presented in several IPOS meetings in Rotterdam (2013), Portugal (2014) and Berlin (2017). He has been actively involved in IPOS Academies in Durban (2013), Marrakech (2015) and Kigali (2016). He is a reviewer in the following journals: The Breast Journal, Supportive Care in Cancer, e-Cancer Journal and Psycho-Oncology: Journal of Psychological, Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Cancer.

Scott Nichols MD practises psychiatry, cancer psychiatry, and psycho oncology in California, USA. He completed undergraduate medical education at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he conducted laboratory research and coordinated clinical trials. His postgraduate medical education in Neurology and Psychiatry was completed at University of California San Francisco/Fresno, followed by a fellowship in Consult Liaison Psychiatry (Psycho Oncology/Cancer Psychiatry) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, USA.

Dr. Nichols practises at a rural cancer center in far northern California where he has a focus on interventions for emotional trauma at Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is a psychiatry consultant at the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte California. Scott and his wife, Sharon, have supported the growth of psycho oncology in Africa since 2013.

Dr. Joyce Mcivir Terwase

Joyce Mcivir Terwase is a Counselling/Clinical Psychologist and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. She is a passionate academic and has published several academic papers in both local and international journals.

Joyce Terwase has presented academic papers at both local and international conferences; International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) Conference in Washington, DC, USA; the 21st Century Academic Conference at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; the African Organization on Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), Conferences at Cairo Egypt, Marrakech, Morocco and Nairobi, Kenya among others. She has co-authored papers presented at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Rome, Italy, etc. She is a communications skills expert in psycho-oncology and has participated in several workshops locally and internationally; in Maputo, Mozambique, and at the UNTH, Enugu as well as at the Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu. She developed interests in communications skills and Meaning Centered Psychotherapy at the Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) during a one-month Fellowship in New York (NY) in 2018. Other research interests in addition to the above are counselling and psychotherapy, well-being and quality of life, adolescent and adult mental health, substance and sexual abuse, etc.

She is a member of a number of professional associations, including the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS), African Organization on Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), Association of Psycho-Oncology in Africa (APOA), Association of UICC Fellows, Union for International Cancer Control, and a current vice-president II of the Psycho-Oncology Society of Nigeria (POSON), as well as a member of the Nigerian Psychological Association (NPA). She is married to Dr. Isaac Terwase.

Dr. Elizabeth Akin-Odanye

Dr. Elizabeth Akin-Odanye is the current President of the Psycho-Oncology Society of Nigeria (POSON) and a Clinical Psychologist at the University College Hospital Ibadan. Her research focuses on psychosocial and behavioural dimensions of cancer, with emphasis on addressing factors that contribute to advanced stages of cancers and how cancer affects the overall wellbeing of the patients and their caregivers.

Dr. David Lounsbury

David W. Lounsbury, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health and Associate Director, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Training, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA. A community psychologist and psycho-oncologist, Dr. Lounsbury’s domestic and international research is directed towards implementation of health services interventions and community-based interventions in prevention and control of chronic health illnesses, including cancer, diabetes/obesity, and HIV/AIDS, with a focus on the needs of medically underserved populations. He applies ecologically-grounded social science methodologies, such as participatory action research and system dynamics modeling, as a means to explore and assess complex, multi-level, problems in health care delivery.

Dr. Sharon Nichols

Sharon Nichols is an accomplished coach, trainer, facilitator, and consultant in the areas of communication effectiveness, organizational culture and leadership development who has worked with clients in education, healthcare, technology, energy, pharmaceutical, management consulting, news media, and non-profit/non-government organizations.

Sharon earned a master's degree at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California and a doctorate in Psychology (PsyD), Organizational Development at California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University.

She is also a design enthusiast who has created inspiring workplace and residential spaces and is currently honing her craft through UCLA's Architecture and Interior Design program. Sharon and her husband, Scott, have supported psycho-oncology in Africa since 2013.

Emeka Odiaka, PMI-PMP (Jimmie Holland IPOS ECHO Program Coordinator)

Emeka Odiaka, PMI-PMP is a project manager licensed by the Project Management Institute (PMI). For many years, he has initiated and managed various projects in Africa in the field of oncology.

He has great communication skills and evolved experience in administration, human resource management and project management.

Emeka Odiaka is the Jimmie Holland IPOS ECHO Program Coordinator.