New Patient/Family Representative on the CCRA Advisory Board
Effective January 1st, 2024, CCRA welcomes Dr. Rosilene Kraft as the incoming patient/family representative on the CCRA Advisory Board. Most recently, Rosilene served on the 2023 PIP Working Committee and was cross-appointed to the conference Scientific Program Committee. She co-chaired the plenary, “AI Across the Research Spectrum.” Professionally, she has an MBA, and MSc and PhD in computational mechanics, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship to further her research in engineering. Rosilene was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer and since experiencing disease progression, and losing both parents to cancer, she has worked as a patient partner and patient advocate. She is involved with several cancer organizations: Canadian Breast Cancer Network, Canadian Cancer Society, Rethink Breast Cancer, Dense Breasts Canada, Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network/Terry Fox Research Institute, and CADTH.
Rosilene replaces Ruth Ackerman, who was the first patient representative recruited to the CCRA Advisory Board from among the PIP participants. Ruth was a pivotal leader for both the 2021 and 2023 PIP programs, helping to launch the PIP grant. In fact, she was the lead author on an article that described the grant process – the world’s first cancer research funding opportunity adjudicated solely by patient partners. Ruth has been an enthusiastic support of PIP and the value of lived experience. Ruth you will be missed!
The CCRA members also thanked long-time representative, Patrick Sullivan, who was the catalyst for PIP, and really shaped the CCRA’s commitment to patient engagement in research. Patrick had served on the CCRA Advisory Board since 2014. He received the CCRA Award for Exceptional Leadership in Patient Involvement in Cancer Research in 2019 for his tireless advocacy for better research, innovative cancer therapies as well as better regulatory oversight of and improved access to clinical trials for children, adolescents and young adults. Thank you Patrick!