Meet the Team
LEADERSHIP TEAM
CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:
DR. KRISTEN HAASE, RN PhD (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing at UBC and an Affiliated Scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute. Her research program centres on supporting older adults as they manage cancer, chronic disease, and wellbeing, in domains of symptom science, self-management, and technology-enabled interventions.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Cappuccino
Professional Memberships:
International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG)
2024-2026 Board of Directors
2024-2026 Chair (Elected) – NAH Interest Group
Canadian Network on Aging and Cancer (CNAC)
2024 Co-Chair
Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO/ACIO)
Member
Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)
Member
DR. CAROLINE MARIANO, MD is a medical oncologist at BC Cancer. She holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of British Columbia and completed her Internal Medicine residency and Medical Oncology fellowship at UBC. Dr. Mariano is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCPC) and is committed to advancing cancer care through clinical practice, research, and education. Her interests include personalized treatment approaches and improving the patient experience across the cancer trajectory. Dr. Mariano completed specialized training in geriatric oncology at UNC with Dr. Hyman B. Muss.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Black Coffee; Decaf Latte
Professional Memberships:
BONNIE LEUNG, MN-NP(F) is a nurse practitioner in oncology at BC Cancer – Vancouver and PhD student at the UBC School of Nursing. She has been working with both medical and radiation oncology, caring for patients with lung cancer since 2014. Her research interests include psycho-oncology, palliative and end-of-life care, health disparities of racialized or culturally and linguistically diverse older adults, geriatric oncology, and improving the care of people living with cancer-related spinal cord injury.
Bonnie was the recipient of a 2022 CIHR Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship to study the disparities in care and care outcomes of cancer-related spinal cord injury. She was also awarded the CIHR Canadian Graduate Scholarship for her doctoral studies for her work on identifying barriers to cancer treatment-related decision-making among older immigrants with cancer. In her new role as Nurse Practitioner Clinician Scientist, she will continue her work on examining the barriers in care for people living with cancer-related spinal cord injury and implementing geriatric oncology nurse-led initiatives within team-based care.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Extra Spicy Chai Latte
Professional Memberships:
International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG)
Nursing and Allied Health Group, Member
Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO/ACIO)
Doctoral Students Network, Member
COLLABORATORS
LAUREN CURRY
Clinical Fellow, Medical Oncology and Geriatric Medicine, BC Cancer
TRACY RUEGG
Assistant Professor of Nursing
WellStar School of Nursing
GRADUATE STUDENTS
AILSA SIROIS
PhD in Nursing
Research focus: Healthy aging, health promotion, and frailty among older adults living with and beyond cancer.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Strawberry Tea
BONNIE LEUNG
PhD in Nursing
Research focus: Racialized older immigrants with cancer and treatment decision making.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Extra Spicy Chai Latte
FRANCIS KOBEKYAA
PhD in Nursing
Research focus: Health Information Technology, Human-centered, Nurse Involvement in Design, Geriatric Oncology.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Ginger Tea
KYMBERLEY BONTINEN
PhD in Nursing
Research focus: Inclusive educational practices and co-design.
Favourite Hot Beverage:
Oat Milk Latte
KAYOUNG LEE
PhD in Nursing
Research focus: Precision health in nursing.
Favourite Hot Beverage:
Anything sweet with caffeine
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
PRAGTI VARSHNEY
BSc, Food Nutrition and Public Health
WorkLearn Student: Supporting communications and knowledge translation projects.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Ube Matcha Latte
GURLEEN KAUR NIRWAL
BSc, Biology
Undergraduate RA: Helping with the LLSC project.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Coffee
SUKHMAN KAUR DHILLON
BKin, Multidisciplinary Science
Undergraduate RA: Helping with the LLSC project.
Favourite Hot Beverage: London Fog
CARISSA CHAN
PharmD
Undergraduate Academic Assistant: Helping with the LLSC project.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Matcha Latte
ALUMNI/RECENT GRADUATES
AILSA SIROIS
MSc in Nursing
Thesis: Living with and beyond cancer: What older adults tell us about healthy aging.
Years of Study: 2
MEGAN HUNGERFORD
MSc in Nursing
Thesis: The Role of Internal and External Barriers and Facilitators in Dyadic Coping with Self-Management for Older Adults with Cancer and Multimorbidity
Years of Study: 2
MADISON BAN
MSc in Nursing
Thesis: Nurse Navigation in Geriatric Oncology: A Scoping Review
Years of Study: 2
Thesis: Assessing Physician Patients for Suicide Risk in a Virtual Care Setting: An Exploratory Literature Review
Years of Study: 2.5
GILLIAN LABRIE
MSc in Nursing
Thesis focus: Gender and older adults’ self-management of cancer.
Years of Study: 2
OLIVIA LEE
MSc in Nursing
Thesis: Psychosocial Challenges in Adolescents and Young Adults Affected by Cancer: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Research
Years of Study: 2
DOMINIQUE BOSWELL
BSc in Nursing
Research focus: Oncology
JOANNE CALLOW
BSc in Nursing
Research focus: Exercise and Rehabilitation
REILLY SINCLAIR
BSc in Nursing
Research focus: Socialization + Technology
KATHLEEN FOLEY
MSc in Nursing
Research focus: Adult critical care.
STAFF
MICHELLE CHEONG
Research Program Manager
Michelle joined ACCESS Lab in August 2024. Her background is in program and event planning, administration, and coordinating the complicated.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Black teas with milk
SANDEEP DHILLON
Postdoctoral Fellow, Gerontology
Research focus: Exploring culturally sensitive cancer self-management practices for older South Asians using community-engaged research.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Matcha Latte
ISHITA HAQUE
Software Engineer
Ishita joined the ACCESS Lab briefly in August 2022 and has been a member since January 2025. She holds a Master’s in Computer Science from UBC, with experience as a UX researcher designing social media interfaces for older adults and as a full-stack software engineer. Currently, she is developing and evaluating the usability of a symptom-tracking iOS app to help older adults manage cancer symptoms.
Favourite Hot Beverage: Matcha Latte