| SRC Research Staff Alumni |
Maria Cristina Barroetavena, MD, PhD
Epidemiologist,
Research Scientist |
Maria Cristina Barroetavena was a Research Scientist at the BC Cancer Agency Sociobehavioural Research Centre and is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. She has training in international health and occupational-related morbidity and mortality.
Maria Cristina was a co-coordinator of cross cultural research activities at the SRC and has an interest in quality of life issues, social and cultural determinants of health and well-being, and qualitative and quantitative methodology.
Maria Cristina's recent projects are aimed at improving our understanding of the barriers to equal access to cancer care. Her recent projects include Patient Navigation in Cancer Care, Psychosocial Needs of Chinese Cancer Patients and their Family Caregivers, and the PSSCAN. |
Kirsten Bell, PhD
New investigator for the NET |
Kirsten Bell was a New Investigator for the NET at the Sociobehavioural Research Centre and a Research Associate in the Anthropology Department at the University of British Columbia. She has training in cultural and medical anthropology and has held academic positions in universities in both Australia and the USA.
Her key interests lie in the sociocultural analysis of biomedicine and public health and the embodied experience of health and illness.
Kirsten was a member of the NET for Palliative Care in a Cross Cultural Context and she was developing a research program in the area of cancer survivorship. Current projects include an ethnographic study of cancer support groups, and several initiatives to develop a new conceptual framework for understanding ‘survivorship’ in relation to the cancer trajectory. |
Heather Bowden, MA
Adminstrative Research Coordinator |
Heather Bowden was a Research Coordinator for the Cancer Rehabilitation and Sociobehavioural Research Centre. Heather was the coordinator of MINDSET, a study comparing two psychosocial interventions for former breast cancer patients to determine if they have different effects on well-being and stress.
|
Andrea Con, PhD
Research Scientist
|
Andrea Con was a Research Scientist at the BC Cancer Agency Sociobehavioural Research Centre. She has training in behavioural medicine and health psychology with a specialization in counselling psychology. A doctorate graduate from the University of Calgary and postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular behavioural medicine at Brown University, she is part of the CIHR Cross-Cultural Palliatve NET and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia.
Her research interests include psychosocial predictors and gender differences in recovery, palliative and end-of-life care, and improving communication between healthcare professionals and patients. Andrea has experience working in the area of chronic illness including cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and fibromyalgia.
Andrea's recent research includes cross-cultural considerations in advance care planning, mental health and seniors and she has worked on the access to quality supportive cancer care and survivorship projects. |
Melissa Friesen, BA
Research Project Assistant |
Melissa Friesen was a Research Project Assistant at the BC Cancer Agency Sociobehavioural Research Centre.
Currently, Melissa is working as a coordinator at the UBC/BCCA Research Ethics Board. |
Joyce Lee, MA
Research Assistant |
Joyce Lee was a Research Assistant for Kirsten Bell, a new investgator for the NET, at the BCCA Sociobehavioural Research Centre. |
Michael Regier, PhD candidate
Trainee for the NET
|
Michael Regier is a graduate student from the Department of Statistics at UBC. His background includes a MSc in Statistics, a BSc in Mathematics and a BA in Religion.
His research interests include hierarchical models, biostatistics, data reduction and unsupervised learning, mathematical modeling of social systems, applications to determinants of health, probabilistic applications in fingerprinting.
As a member of the New and Emerging Team for Palliative Care in the Cross Cultural Context, he was working on a projects aimed at improving our understanding of the barriers to equal access to cancer care. |
Kirsten Smillie, MA
Research Assistant |
Kirsten Smillie was a Research Assistant with the Chinese Peer Navigator project at the BCCA Sociobehavioral Research Centre. Kirsten completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Her research interests include social and cultural understandings of health and illness, as well as the social consturction of childhood and identity. |
Shirley Tsang, BSW
Research Coordinator |
Shirley Tsang was a Research Coordinator for the BCCA Cancer Rehabilitation and Sociobehavioural Research Centre. Shirley was coordinating the Chinese Peer Navigator project.
|
Paul Weaver, MA
NET Research Coordinator |
Paul Weaver was the Research Coordinator for the NET in Palliative Care in a Cross Cultural Context at the Sociobehavioural Research Centre. He holds a Master degree in Political Science from Simon Fraser University where he specialized in intergovernmental relations, public administration, and health system evaluation.
While his thesis conducted an evaluation of British Columbia’s health system during the 1990’s, his research interests include health policy and health system sustainability.
|