January 2025

 

Celebrating Successes

Written By: Carla Southward, PhD

I was recently in a meeting with patient partners who talked about the importance of sharing successes and celebrating small wins. This idea stuck with me for a few days and I realized there are so many successes to celebrate for POPCORN patient engagement and what better medium to share them than here. Below are a list of achievements and activities involving youth and parent partners. As POPCORN 1.0 comes to a close, it is worth reflecting on what has been accomplished and what more can be done to continue to bring in the voices of patients and families in research.  

2022:

  • POPCORN involves patient partners in grant writing, review and approval of study protocol and consent material

2023:

  • Knowledge Mobilization and Patient Engagement teams join forces and work with youth and parents to design a family friendly POPCORN website

  • POPCORN Youth partners consult on data from the Indirect Consequences studies, share interpretation of the findings, and one youth supports writing of the manuscript published in JAMA

  • Sarah Mooney, youth partner, joins POPCORN Scientific Committee

2024:

  • Suzanne Deliscar, parent partner, joins the POPCORN Scientific Committee

  • Youth partners collaborate and write a commentary on their experiences during the pandemic and recommendations for eating disorders support (currently under peer review)

  • POPCORN abstract on meaningful patient engagement is accepted as an oral presentation at the Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum and co-presented with youth partner, Isra Amsdr

  • Isra Amsdr, receives a standing ovation at the Pride In Patient Engagement Conference for their talk on “Reciprocal Research with Youth”

  • POPCORN Youth Partner, Sunny Yimeng Dong and Dr. Nadia Roumeliotis submit an infographic for the CIHR IHDCYH Talk Competition on COVID-19 Restrictions and the Surge in Eating Disorders

    • This infographic continues to be used in POPCORN grants, webinars, and at decision making tables including a meeting of Canadian Ministers of Health/Mental Health

  • POPCORN Youth Partner, Abby McClusky co-presents with Drs. Nadia Roumeliotis and Holly Agostino at a Children Healthcare Canada webinar, and shares the empowering effect of meaningful engagement in research

  • Launch of Patient Engagement Training project to co-design education for researchers, clinicians, and clinical coordinators

2025:

  • Drs. Patricia Tak Sam Li and Amy Shawanda co-design and submit a CIHR Healthy Youth Grant with Sarah Mooney (youth partner), Becky Conia (parent of Indigenous youth), and two other youth partners to create a toolkit with Indigenous and racialized youth for culturally safe engagement in research

This is an amazing list and we are so proud of our youth and families that are involved in POPCORN activities! Thank you for your contribution to improving health outcomes for children and youth!

 

To learn more about ways to get involved in POPCORN research, please email the POPCORN team at popcorn@micyrn.ca.