In Our VoICES

How can data and community partners work together to shape the future of dementia care? In this episode of In Our VoICES, ICES’ Dr. Susan Bronskill and the Alzheimer Society of Ontario’s Christina Stergiou-Dayment discuss how partnerships, data analytics, and community-based data are improving support for people living with dementia and their care partners while informing the future of dementia care across Ontario and Canada. 

Susan E. Bronskill, PhD is interim Chief Science Officer and a Senior Scientist at ICES where she leads the Life Stage Research Program. She is also a Professor in the Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Dr. Bronskill is a national expert in health services research using administrative databases with a focus on older adults, pharmacoepidemiology and neurodegenerative diseases. In collaboration with policymakers and health system stakeholders, she studies transitions between health care sectors and focusses on improving quality of care, medication use, health services utilization and health care outcomes — particularly in people living with dementia from Alzheimer’s disease or other causes.  

Christina Stergiou-Dayment is the Chief, Programs & Clinical Operations Officer with the Alzheimer Society of Ontario and is a Healthcare Professional with experience working across community, hospital, and long-term care sectors. Christina’s key areas of focus include healthcare management, program planning, partner engagement, and evaluation. Most importantly, Christina is dedicated to promoting client-centred approaches to care with improved health outcomes and increased quality of life.  

Resources

Alzheimer Society of Ontario

ICES | Applied Health Research Questions | AHRQ

ICES | Health system utilization and outcomes for clients of the Alzheimer Society First Link Care Navigation

ICES | Dementia prevalence by FSA in Ontario

ICES | Profile of community-dwelling older adults with dementia in Ontario LHIN regions, 2007-2017

EPISODE CREDITS:
Produced, edited and mixed by Will Mcintyre, Richard Villeneuve and Pop Up Podcasting
Artwork designed by Stella-Luna Ha
Music licensed through Melodie Music
LINKS:
Be sure to follow and tag ICES on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. To find out more about our organization, visit us at ices.on.ca

What does the latest data say about ADHD and pregnancy, and how should those findings be understood without stigma or fear? In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Zipursky discusses why supportive, personalized care and informed decision-making are key for people navigating pregnancy with ADHD. This episode is a shorter, refreshed take as we try out a new format that zooms in on a single study, giving us the chance to explore it in more depth while still delivering the key insights in a quick, focused way. Let us know what you think! 

More than 90% of pregnant individuals will use at least one medication during pregnancy, and at least half of those who breastfeed will continue to use medications. Despite this, there remains a paucity of data on the safety of drugs in pregnancy and lactation. Dr. Jonathan Zipursky’s research uses population-based administrative health data to investigate the maternal and neonatal safety of drug use in pregnancy and postpartum. One of his primary interests is investigating controlled substance use in pregnancy and lactation.  

Resources

ICES | Maternal attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and adverse obstetrical and perinatal outcomes: a population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada

EPISODE CREDITS:
Produced, edited and mixed by Will Mcintyre, Richard Villeneuve and Pop Up Podcasting
Artwork designed by Stella-Luna Ha
Music licensed through Melodie Music
LINKS:
Be sure to follow and tag ICES on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. To find out more about our organization, visit us at ices.on.ca

How can linked genetic and health data transform cancer research? In this episode, we explore how the Ontario Hereditary Cancer Research Network (OHCRN) works with patients and researchers to improve prevention and care, and how linking with ICES data supports a better understanding of hereditary cancers across Ontario. 

Dr. Raymond Kim is a Medical Geneticist and hereditary cancer syndrome researcher.  He is the Medical Director of Cancer Early Detection at the Princess Margaret, University Health Network, and a staff physician at Mount Sinai Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Kim’s research employs technologies like cell free DNA (cfDNA) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), with the overarching goal of advancing oncology diagnostics and therapeutics towards precision care, often through application of these genomics technologies.  He serves as the Head of the Provincial Genetics Program at Ontario Health and leads the Ontario Hereditary Cancer Research Network (OHCRN) at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR).  

Tamara Braid, MS, CGC, is a board-certified genetic counsellor and Clinical Program Manager of the Ontario Hereditary Cancer Research Network (OHCRN) at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR). She earned her Master of Science in Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College in 2017. Prior to joining OICR, Braid worked as a cancer genetic counsellor at NYU Langone Health in New York, and as a laboratory coordinator and paediatric genetic counsellor at the Hospital for Sick Children. Braid is an active member of the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors (CAGC), and serves as member and previous co-chair of the Education Committee.

Katie Lark is a BRCA1 carrier and an impassioned cancer-awareness advocate dedicated to bridging the gap between clinical research and the patient experience. Since 2021, she has served as a Patient Partner in Research for the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and OHCRN, where she contributes to research steering committees and collaborates with scientists to ensure study designs remain relevant to the community.

 

Resources: 

OHCRN

Misty’s movie reference: Innerspace (1987) - IMDb

EPISODE CREDITS:
Produced, edited and mixed by Will Mcintyre, Richard Villeneuve and Pop Up Podcasting
Artwork designed by Stella-Luna Ha
Music licensed through Melodie Music
LINKS:
Be sure to follow and tag ICES on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. To find out more about our organization, visit us at ices.on.ca

How is social prescribing reshaping modern healthcare—and what could it mean for patients and caregivers? In this episode Dr. Kate Mulligan and Liv Mendelsohn discuss what social prescribing is, its impact on health care, and the need for investment and policy change to embed the practice in care systems. 

Dr. Kate Mulligan is an award-winning health geographer, implementation scientist, and policy advisor who helps to grow systems that strengthen community and neighbourhood leadership for health, equity, and resilience around the world. She is Canada's 2025-2026 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Healthcare Policy and Practice with Stanford University and the City University of New York. Kate is also the founding Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, and a member of the ICES Scientific Advisory Committee.

Liv Mendelsohn, MA, MEd, is Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, where she leads research, innovation, policy, and co-design to strengthen support for caregivers and care providers across Canada. A lifelong caregiver with lived experience of disability, Liv is committed to building a Canada where caregiving is recognized, valued, and shaped by those with lived experience. A senior fellow at Massey College, she serves on the City of Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee and on the boards of the Kids Brain Health Foundation and the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto.

Resources

Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing

Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence – Supporting Family Caregivers and Care Providers

Strengthening Care: A Toolkit for Caregiver-Focused Social Prescribing

The Ontario Caregiver Organization

The Case for Social Prescribing - Macleans.ca

Toronto Public Library expanding social, crisis support services to more branches | CBC News

EPISODE CREDITS:
Produced, edited and mixed by Will Mcintyre, Richard Villeneuve and Pop Up Podcasting
Artwork designed by Stella-Luna Ha
Music licensed through Melodie Music
LINKS:
Be sure to follow and tag ICES on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. To find out more about our organization, visit us at ices.on.ca

What if reframing palliative care as an early, community‑rooted approach could transform how Canadians navigate serious illness? In this episode Dr. Hsien Seow and Sheli O’Connor discuss how education, public engagement, and patient‑centered care can reduce stigma and ensure more compassionate support for patients and families.

Dr. Hsien Seow is the Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care and Health System Innovation and a Professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University. He is an ICES scientist who publishes health care research focused on palliative care and serious illness. He is the cohost of the Waiting Room Revolution podcast, and author of the book, Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest.  

Sheli O’Connor’s more than 30‑year career in community‑based work has focused on educating, supporting, and empowering people to advocate for themselves within the health care system, including developing an elder abuse response network and strengthening supports for vulnerable older adults. She went on to lead a three‑year Advance Care Planning initiative and, as Director of Community Engagement for Hospice of Waterloo Region, worked to reduce stigma around dying, death, and grief through cross‑sector collaboration and public engagement. Most recently, she founded “Dying to Learn,” a consultation and project‑based business dedicated to building compassionate, community‑rooted approaches to palliative care. Guided by her conviction that “if it doesn’t happen in the community, it doesn’t happen,” Sheli focuses on building compassionate communities where people are supported where they live, work, pray, and play. She holds a Master of Social Work degree in Community Development and brings over three decades of experience collaborating with the public and community partners in creative, evidence-informed ways to strengthen collective understanding and confidence in caring for one another.  

ICES Research you heard about

ICES | Timing of palliative care, end-of-life quality indicators, and health resource utilization

ICES | Identification of the physician workforce providing palliative care in Ontario using administrative claims data

ICES | Effect of early palliative care on end-of-life healthcare costs: a population-based, propensity score-matched cohort study

ICES | Community-based specialist palliative care teams and health system costs at end of life: a retrospective matched cohort study

ICES | End-of-life outcomes with or without early palliative care: a propensity score matched, population-based cancer cohort study

EPISODE CREDITS:
Produced, edited and mixed by Will Mcintyre, Richard Villeneuve and Pop Up Podcasting
Artwork designed by Stella-Luna Ha
Music licensed through Melodie Music
LINKS:
Be sure to follow and tag ICES on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. To find out more about our organization, visit us at ices.on.ca