On
#NationalPhilanthropyDay, I am deeply humbled and grateful to have received the 2024 Public Impact Award at last nightâs Discovery Awards, presented by the
@DiscoveryCntr and supported by @_researchNS .
This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of building communities of patient empowerment and active blue zones. This award belongs to everyone who has been part of this journeyâpatients, first and foremost, alongside clinicians, medical residents, budding epidemiologists, research staff, and generous supporters who share a vision of improving the lives of people diagnosed with cancer worldwide. Last night was truly special, filled with inspiration from the finalists and recipients who demonstrated the power of creativity, ingenuity, and hard work.
I was deeply moved to celebrate this event with members of our community, including several cancer support groups and patients.
Today, onÂ
#NationalPhilanthropyDay , I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our donors and funders. A special thank you to Frank and Debbi Sobey, whose creation of theÂ
@DalhousieU Soillse Prostate Cancer Research Fund laid the foundation for this work. I am also grateful to @_researchNS ,
@NSHealthHub , Aberdeen Health Foundation, Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute,
@MovemberCA ,
@cancersociety , Tolmar, Bayer, Knight Pharmacy, Amgen, TerSera Therapeutics, and many others. The seeds they planted have grown into a thriving forest, transforming lives in Nova Scotia and beyond.
The journey of the Patient Empowerment Program (PEP) began as a vision to empower cancer patients and has since grown into a global movement, expanding to programs for all cancer types and showing promising results for chronic disease patients. This success would not have been possible without my incredible team: PEP co-author and Program Clinical Lead,
@RobRutledgeMD , our International Project Coordinator, Cody MacDonald, and so many othersâMarkos Tsirigotis, Moody Louise,MD, Cassidy Bradley, Lia Massoeurs, Alexandra Nuyens, Tarek Lawen, Jesse Spooner,MD Wyatt MacNevin,MD, Charlie Gillis,MD, Josh White,MD, Ricardo RENDON, Greg Bailly, David Bell, our clinical and site leads both in Canada and internationally (e.g.,
@prostatenz - Te KÄhui Mate Pukupuku Repe TÄtea o Aotearoa ManatĹpĹŤ, Peter Dickens, Medisprof ),
@DalUrology .
As we continue to build on this workâincluding the development of specialized programs for all cancers, chronic diseases, and, more recently, breast cancerâI feel so fortunate to be part of a team that is truly changing lives and creating communities of empowerment and healthy living.
Thank you to everyone who made this award and this journey possible. Together, we are transforming patient care. Stefan Leslie, Marli MacNeil, Laken Crowell ,
@DalhousieU @DalMedSchool @AndyFillmoreHFX @DalEpidemiology