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Scientific Planning Committee


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Olivia Nguyen works in palliative medicine at CIUSSS Nord-de-l'Île de Montréal. She is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the Université de Montréal, and a Fellow of the Royal College in Palliative Medicine. She's also the president of the Quebec Society of Palliative Care Physicians.

Olivia Nguyen has a keen interest in the systemic improvement of palliative care, including integrated palliative care, best practice education, training, research, partnership, governance and policy change, and culture change.

Dr. Janel Walsh, MD, CFPC (PC) is a palliative care physician at St. Mary’s Hospital since 2021. Additionally, she is a faculty lecturer with ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. Dr. Walsh has a keen interest in physician-patient communication. She completed a Quality Improvement project on communication of death and dying with children. Also, she is involved in ongoing research with the Serious Illness Conversation Guide at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. Dr. Walsh received her medical degree from Université de Montréal and completed an Enhanced Skills Program in Palliative Care at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. Outside of medicine, Dr. Walsh enjoys travelling and cooking with her family and friends.

Orel Skuker is a practicing internal medicine doctor, with a subspecialty in Palliative care. I also provide care to sexual assault victims as part of the Montreal Sexual Assault Centre. I presented at the American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2022, and participate in ongoing research projects. I am a proud member of the Scientific Planning Committee member of the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ National Grand Rounds Series-Palliative Care Medicine.

Zelda Freitas is a Professional Social Worker and Clinical Senior Advisor with Multidisciplinary Services at the CIUSSS Center-West Montreal [the regional health and social services network] She is an Adjunct Professor and course lecturer at the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ School of Social Work. Zelda’s expertise involves caregivers and caregiving, psychosocial practice, including palliative and end of life care, countering adult mistreatment and older adults. She presents at international and national conferences and participates on research projects and publications. She is a founding member and part of the coordination team of the Caregiver Grief Connexion project. She serves on several advisory boards and is a volunteer member of the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Council on Palliative Care. Zelda is a member of the Scientific Planning Committee member of the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ International Palliative Care Congress.

Dr. Tsimicalis holds two scientific appointments in Clinical Research, Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Canada and Injury Repair Recovery Program, Montreal University Health Centre Research Institute (MUHC-RI). Further, Dr. Tsimicalis serves as the: Bone Axe Coordinator, Bone and Oral Health Research Network (RSBO); Co-lead of the Knowledge Mobilization Hub, Canadian Pediatric Cancer Consortium; National Collaborator, Pain in Child Health (PICH); and Mentor, Empowering Next-Generation Researchers in Perinatal and Child Health (ENRICH). Her program of research strives to collaboratively create new programs, structures, and resources to transform the delivery of children's health services locally and globally. In 2021, Dr. Tsimicalis was ranked Top 0.33% in the world for her expertise in the care of children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and their families by ExpertScape. Since her arrival at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ in 2012, Dr. Tsimicalis has supervised students from an astonishingly wide range of backgrounds including: nursing, medicine, psychology, music, education, biochemistry, epidemiology, engineering, and business administration. She also supervises students with childhood onset illnesses. Dr. Tsimicalis strives to ignite the research spark in her trainees, which finds its expression in award-winning supervision [Carrie M. Derick Award for Graduate Supervision and Teaching (2022) and Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) Graduate Faculty Teaching Award (2023)], and many ongoing collaborations she maintains with her former students.
Dr. Naomi GoloffÌýis Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and an Associate Member of the Institute of Health Sciences Education at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. She works as an attending Pediatric Palliative Medicine physician at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and Le Phare Enfants et Familles. After completing a Pediatric Palliative Medicine fellowship at the University of Minnesota, Naomi worked at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and the affiliated Fairview Homecare and Hospice to help build both hospital- and home-based Hospice and Palliative Care programs, and served as the medical director for six years. In 2018, Naomi received the prestigious designation of Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine after demonstrating significant commitment to the field of Hospice and Palliative Medicine through clinical practice, education, and scholarship. Naomi is passionate about medical education and is currently pursuing a Master of Health Professions Education through Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Her main research interests are improving and integrating serious illness and end-of-life education for interprofessional learners and clinicians, as well as using co-design techniques to involve patients and caregivers with lived experience in education creation and dissemination.

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