IPOS News

Dr. Veronica Cardenas is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Psycho-Oncology Care. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous role as Professor and Medical Director at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and as Director of Psychiatry and Psychology Services at Moores Cancer Center. Dr. Cardenas completed an NIH Predoctoral Clinical Research Fellowship at Stanford University and an NIH Postdoctoral Geriatric Psychiatry Research Fellowship at UCSD. She joined the UCSD faculty in 2011, where she became a pivotal figure in psycho-oncology, serving as Director of Psycho-Oncology Education and Training at Moores Cancer Center. In this role, she mentored psychology trainees, interns, and medical students, focusing on cancer survivorship, end-of-life, and palliative care. Her research has been dedicated to developing, testing, and implementing psychosocial treatment interventions, with funding support from the National Cancer Institute, the UCSD Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, and the American Cancer Society. In 2023, Dr. Cardenas founded the Center for Psycho-Oncology Care to address the growing need for high-quality psycho-oncology services. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and dancing

Interested in being profiled?

Please email the following to [email protected] with the subject line “IPOS member profile submission”:

1. Name
2. Employment position
3. Employer/Institution
4. Country
5. Twitter handle (if available)
6. Jpg photo of yourself
7. 50-to-200-word description that notes details on your practice, involvement with IPOS and something “fun or interesting” about yourself.

Do you want to take active part in international collaborations on implementation research and practice?

OPEN TO ALL CURRENT IPOS MEMBERS!

Please, join our Special Interest Group (SIG) onImplementation Science and Practice (ISP) and attend the first online meeting on Tuesday November 19, 2024 at 2-3 p.m. CET

Sign-up by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ImplementationSIG

Pernille Bidstrup, (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

Carmen Loiselle, (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Dr. Jie Li holds the position of Associate Research Professor at the Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, Shandong University, China. She is a dedicated educator, specializing in social medicine, and is responsible for the instruction of courses within this field. In addition to her teaching duties, Dr. Li also serves as a mentor for master's students majoring in social medicine and health management.

Her research expertise lies in the critical examination of psychosocial aspects related to cancer. She is particularly focused on developing and evaluating interventions designed to address these complex issues. Through her work, Dr. Li aims to enhance the quality of life and psychological well-being of individuals affected by cancer. Her contributions to the field are significant, offering valuable insights that inform both clinical practice and public health policy.

Interested in being profiled?

Please email the following to [email protected] with the subject line “IPOS member profile submission”:

1. Name
2. Employment position
3. Employer/Institution
4. Country
5. Twitter handle (if available)
6. Jpg photo of yourself
7. 50-to-200-word description that notes details on your practice, involvement with IPOS and something “fun or interesting” about yourself.

During the 25th IPOS World Congress at Maastricht, Netherlands, it was inspiring to meet participants from around the globe, sharing their research and clinical work in psycho-oncology. Innovative ideas for optimizing psychosocial cancer care were particularly exciting. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) forecasts over 35 million new cancer cases by 2050, a 77% increase from 20 million in 2022, significantly raising the cancer burden. As emphasized in the opening remarks, a multidisciplinary team approach is essential for psychosocial cancer care. Specialists like psychiatrists and psychologists are crucial for patients needing intensive support. However, most cancer patients do not require this level of specialist care; patient-centered care can address their psychosocial needs. IPOS advocates that psychosocial care is a human right. To meet this standard, patient-centered care must involve frontline healthcare professionals such as general practitioners, oncologists, nurses, social workers, patient advocates, and allied health professionals in providing psychosocial support. Additionally, the rising cancer burden makes a sustainable model, like the social-medical collaboration model increasingly necessary. We will never have enough highly trained mental health and other healthcare specialists working within a conventional medical care paradigm to meet the demands for psychosocial oncological care that are coming. A wider approach is needed. Many supportive care services are community-based and operated by non-government or charity organizations. Strengthening medical-social collaboration can potentially offer seamless, bidirectional support to help meet this rapid growth in demand. IPOS fosters multidisciplinary collaboration in research, clinical practice, and professional training, as sees inclusivity as a key to optimizing cancer care.

We bring voices together from all areas to the World Congress and backgrounds as proof that a medical-social collaboration is very much needed. We share knowledge, best practices, new research and paths forward focussed on patients. Sometimes opinions may differ, but the importance of every person and their value to patients should not be undervalued.

Wendy Lam, PhD, RN

President, IPOS

Integrative Approach to Working with Grief and Loss

With Dr. Virginia Boquiren, Ph.D. Psychologist

Working with grief is an integral part of psychotherapy. While typically associated with the death of a loved one, grief is also experienced in other situations such as major life transitions, illness, aging, broken relationships, or the loss of a goal (e.g., unfulfilled career aspirations or inability to start a family). Grief is a normal emotional response, but it can be complicated by challenges that interfere with its natural course. For example, clients may struggle with overwhelming emotions such as sadness, anger, guilt, or anxiety, which can be difficult to manage.

In this workshop, Dr. Boquiren presents a flexible, integrative approach to working with grief. Using theoretical principles and evidence-based interventions from different psychotherapeutic approaches, you will learn to assess various grief processing challenges and apply targeted techniques. Skills will draw from several evidence-based modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness.

Date: November 15, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Eastern Standard Time)
10% off for IPOS members. Use the code: IPOS10 at checkout

REGISTER NOW

Please note this is a paid advertisement. For more information on advertising with IPOS, please go to https://ipos-society.org/ads

Karishma Pavaskar is an Experiential Therapy enthusiast with a foundation in psychology and creative art mediums. As an Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT) practitioner from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and a Clinical Psycho-Oncologist from Christ University, Bangalore, she brings rich experience working with diverse groups—cancer patients and caregivers, children with special needs, geriatrics, and more.

Karishma has trained at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, and Karunashraya Hospice, Bangalore, and is currently associated with the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) Mumbai, focusing on paediatric oncology in public hospitals. Beyond her clinical work, she enjoys facilitating workshops and embodies roles as a researcher and professional theatre/movement artist. Her research on EXAT's role in paediatric oncology has been presented at the 16th CCI Conference in Japan.

She is known for her infectious energy and ability to strike up a conversation with just about anyone. She’s a Maggi-with-ketchup fan and an adventurous foodie. She’s also a travel enthusiast, always looking for her next destination. Recently, she joined the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) to connect with like-minded professionals and dive into global initiatives. Karishma's unique blend of expertise, curiosity, and a love for life makes her someone you can’t help but enjoy being around!

Interested in being profiled?

Please email the following to [email protected] with the subject line “IPOS member profile submission”:

1. Name
2. Employment position
3. Employer/Institution
4. Country
5. Twitter handle (if available)
6. Jpg photo of yourself
7. 50-to-200-word description that notes details on your practice, involvement with IPOS and something “fun or interesting” about yourself.

On the clinical level, I have over 23 years of experience in providing psychological care for all patients. Around 16 years, providing specialized care for cancer, multi-organ- transplant patients, and their families. Worked in multiple tertiary care hospitals within a multidisciplinary team.   Applying the biopsychosocial model of care to understand, evaluate, educate, and assess psychological outcomes in patients with cancer, caregivers, their families, and its impact on their quality of life. On the administration level, I established and took the lead of the Clinical Psychology section for 9 years, and participated in the training for phycologists and psychiatry residents in the mental health department.

Interested in being profiled?

Please email the following to [email protected] with the subject line “IPOS member profile submission”:

1. Name
2. Employment position
3. Employer/Institution
4. Country
5. Twitter handle (if available)
6. Jpg photo of yourself
7. 50-to-200-word description that notes details on your practice, involvement with IPOS and something “fun or interesting” about yourself.

Brief Summary:  The IPOS Fundraising and Marketing Committee (hereinafter referred to as “Committee”) invites undergraduate and graduate students to apply for a one-year volunteer internship to collaborate with the Committee in identifying and reviewing potential funding sources for IPOS.  

Key deadlines:

• The application deadline is October 15, 2024. 

• Applications will be reviewed by the Committee with final selection being confirmed by November 15, 2024.

• The start date of the position is December 1, 2024.

• The expected end date is November 30, 2025, with the potential option of renewal.

Activities: Committee interns will learn how to conduct an environmental scan of potential funding sources, including identifying and reviewing international and national governmental and non-governmental funding agencies, foundations, corporations, and industries (e.g. pharmaceutical).

• Familiarize with current Committee documents.

• Update and track in Committee documents in excel Google sheets.

• Search Websites of potential funders in each region/country.

• Be mindful of any major Federation member funding sources, to not compete or negatively impact members.

• Work closely with fellow student intern.

• Draft applications to funding sources under direct supervision of a Committee member. 

• Support Committee members in contacting potential funding sources. 

• Assist in creation of presentations to potential funders and donors.

• Participate in monthly virtual Committee meetings.

• Presentation to Committee every quarter on actions.

Product:  The final product of the Committee Internship will be a comprehensive Funding Source Environmental Scan Report, which will be presented to the IPOS Fundraising and Marketing Committee and at an upcoming IPOS Congress. 

Terms:  

• IPOS Fundraising Committee Interns will serve a 1-year term with the option to extend. 

• • Two or more interns will be confirmed, with a minimum of one from an LMIC country.

• Workload is expected to be up to eight (8) hours per month.

• The internship is a volunteer position without financial compensation.

• Supervision and mentorship will be provided by a Committee member.

• Interns will receive a certificate of completion and may be eligible to receive a letter of recommendation from the Committee specific to work being done.

• If any work is presented as an abstract to the Congress, it may be listed as a co-author depending on contribution.

Skills and Qualifications

1. Research Skills:

   - Experience in conducting literature reviews, data collection and analysis.  

   - Proficiency in using research databases and tools (e.g., Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus).

2. Analytical Skills

   - Ability to assess and synthesize large amounts of data.  

   - Critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.

3. Technical Skills:

   - Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).  

   - Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).  

   - Familiarity with statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, or STATA).

4. Communication Skills:

   - Strong written and verbal communication skills.  

   - Experience in preparing reports, presentations and/or research papers.

Apply by October 15!

To be considered for the IPOS Fundraising Committee Internship, please complete the online application. Please have the following ready when applying online:

1. **Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV)**

2. **Cover Letter** *(Highlighting your interest in the internship and relevant experience)*

3. **Writing Sample** *(Optional but recommended, related to research or analysis work)*

For any questions or further information, please contact Dr. Melissa Henry.

APPLY TODAY! https://funnelcom.typeform.com/to/fxU0N12i

Born in the Netherlands, working and living in Georgia (Europe) for 28 years where I was mainly active in humanitarian roles and where I had the unique opportunity to intensively work on healthcare policy as the first lady of the country (from 2004-2013). I focused mainly on mother and child health as well as infectious diseases and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. After my MSc in Global Health Policy I made an exciting career move (study of psychology), which led me to psychological counseling for oncological patients, a satisfying and noble occupation, meeting adults of all regions, ages, backgrounds, beliefs and existential viewpoints. 2024 will be my very first IPOS conference, in my home country.  I plan to work with IPOS on the specifics of LMIC countries, on palliative care and on health promotion and prevention.

Interested in being profiled?

Please email the following to [email protected] with the subject line “IPOS member profile submission”:

1. Name
2. Employment position
3. Employer/Institution
4. Country
5. Twitter handle (if available)
6. Jpg photo of yourself
7. 50-to-200-word description that notes details on your practice, involvement with IPOS and something “fun or interesting” about yourself.

Brenda joined IPOS in 2023. She is a Chartered Psychologist (British Psychological Society) and member of the British Psychosocial Oncology Society. As a researcher, she conducts clinical trials on the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions on psychospiritual distress in patients with advanced cancer. She also studies the impact of social support and self-stewardship practices on patient outcomes. Brenda also conducts multidisciplinary research with molecular and cellular biologists who study HPV-positive head and neck cancer. As a psychologist and Buddhist chaplain, she facilitates cancer support groups and retreats internationally. https://www.contemplativecare.co.uk/. In her free time, she loves to run long-distance trail races in the Peak District. 

Interested in being profiled?

Please email the following to [email protected] with the subject line “IPOS member profile submission”:

1. Name
2. Employment position
3. Employer/Institution
4. Country
5. Twitter handle (if available)
6. Jpg photo of yourself
7. 50-to-200-word description that notes details on your practice, involvement with IPOS and something “fun or interesting” about yourself.