About the CNG Initiative
The Canadian Nursing and Genomics Initiative
The Canadian Nursing and Genomics (CNG) Steering Committee was formed in early 2020. Member of the CNG come from different regions in Canada.
The CNG aims to support Canadian nurses to develop genomic literacy and accelerate the integration of genomics into nursing practice.
Why did we start this initiative?
Nurses represent the largest body of healthcare professionals and are well positioned to champion the adoption of genomics and personalized health care.
To optimize nurses' impact in genetics and genomics, a concerted effort to develop infrastructure that supports genomic literacy is required.
The CNG Steering Committee developed a National Engagement Framework. The framework includes six key priorities for action that can be used by nurse leaders in each domain of practice to support genomic literacy and accelerate the adoption of genomics into nursing.
We invite you to collaborate with us to develop education and infrastructure that will enhance nurses’ genomic literacy and clinical practice in genomics.
The CNG Steering Committee
Dr. Jacqueline Limoges, PhD RN
Associate Professor
Faculty of Health Disciplines
Athabasca University
Dr. Jacqueline Limoges holds a PhD and MScN from the University of Toronto and a BScN from Queen’s. She is an associate professor with Athabasca University. Dr. Limoges is the chair of the Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board and the co-lead of the Canadian Nursing and Genomics group. Her research examines inter and intraprofessional collaboration, the impact of technology such as genomics and real time location systems on professional practice, and how nurses develop and use knowledge. She concluded a large study exploring the impact of the pandemic on professional practice across two health sectors: mental health and acute care. With over 30 years of nursing experience, Dr Limoges has partnered with many organizations to support quality patient care, professional development and advancements in nursing practice. Dr. Limoges is dedicated to forming networks of collaboration to conduct research that advances healthcare, patient outcomes and the quality of work life for healthcare providers.
Dr. Lindsay Carlsson, HBSc, MN, PhD RN
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Phase 1 Drug Development Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Lindsay Carlsson is a Clinical Nurse Specialist with the Phase 1 Drug Development Program at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM). She is leading a virtual care project supporting patient access to clinical trial opportunities at PM with promising new drug treatments when standard of care is no longer effective. Lindsay began her oncology nursing career at PM in 2007 working in different clinical areas, including the inpatient hematology and BMT unit, ambulatory breast cancer site group, and clinical research nurse.
Prior to entering the world of nursing, Lindsay graduated at the top of her class in 2005 at Western University in the Honours Bachelor of Science program, where she specialized in molecular biology and genetics. Lindsay graduated in excellent standing from the University of Toronto from both their Bachelor of Nursing Science program in 2007, and their Master of Nursing program in 2009. She holds PhD in Nursing from the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto. Her thesis project focused on evaluating the impact of multi-gene panel testing on the psychological functioning and clinical decision-making of women high risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Lindsay is dedicated to advancing nursing practice in the area of genetics and genomics, and co-leads the Canadian Nursing Genomics initiative.
Dr. Sarah Dewell, MSc, PhD RN
Assistant Professor of Nursing
School of Nursing,
University of Northern British Columbia
Dr. Sarah Dewell is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Northern British Columbia. Her research explores the development of precision health through scholarship focused on nursing education, research, and practice with an emphasis on foundational genomics knowledge for all nurses. Additionally, Sarah has experience in curriculum innovation and evidence-based nursing education. Sarah completed a Bachelor of Nursing (with Distinction) and PhD in Nursing at the University of Calgary. Sarah was a postdoctoral associate with a focus on curriculum renewal in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary where she is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor. Prior to becoming a nurse, Sarah completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Cell Biology and Genetics and a Masters degree in Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia. Alongside her work on the Canadian Genomics Initiative, Sarah is a member of the steering committee for the Global Genomics Nursing Alliance (G2NA) and a member of the International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG).
Dr. April Pike, PhD RN
Acting Dean, Associate Dean Research
Memorial University Faculty of Nursing
Dr. Pike holds a Master’s degree in Nursing and a PhD in Medicine: Community Health and Humanities. Her research expertise is in the field of genetics, hearing loss, cardiovascular disease, and qualitative research methods. Dr. Pike has a strong record of public engagement, community service, and education related to cardiovascular health.
Dr. Ann Meyer, PhD
Director, BioInnovation Scientist Program
Dr. Ann Meyer is the Director of the BioInnovation Scientist Program at adMare Bioinnovation. The program aims to provide early-career science professionals with the foundational drug development knowledge and skills to succeed in the commercial Canadian life sciences industry. Previously, Ann was Manager, Sector Innovation and Programs at Ontario Genomics where she supported the implementation of strategic initiatives aimed at bringing new genomic-derived solutions to Ontario’s key sectors and prior to that, she was the Manager, Knowledge and Research Exchange at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research where she oversaw the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops series. Ann was a postdoc in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph and holds a PhD in Plant Agriculture, Crop Breeding and Genetics, and a BSc Honours in Biological Science from the University of Guelph.
Rebecca Puddester, MN, RN
PhD student Memorial University of Newfoundland
Rebecca Puddester is a PhD student at the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) Faculty of Nursing and is supervised by CNG Steering Committee Member, Dr. April Pike. Rebecca also completed her Master of Nursing in 2020 at MUN. For her final practicum project, she developed a policy proposal for a dedicated hereditary breast and ovarian cancer navigation program in Newfoundland and Labrador. She has been a Registered Nurse since graduating with her Bachelor of Nursing in 2014 and continues to work part-time as a direct-care RN in adult acute care. She completed the City of Hope intensive course in cancer genomic risk assessment, through the City of Hope Cancer Center in the US in 2022. She has been a research assistant for the Canadian Nursing and Genomics Steering Committee since Spring 2021 and is passionate about this important Canadian nursing initiative.
Dr. Nicole Letourneau PhD RN FCAHS FAAN
Professor in the Faculty of Nursing and Cumming School of Medicine (Depts. of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Community Health Sciences) at the University of Calgary.
Professor Letourneau holds a Research Chair in Parent and Child Mental Health and is Director of RESOLVE (Research and Education for Solutions to Violence) Alberta. She is Principal Investigator of the Child Health Intervention and Longitudinal Development Studies Program (www.CHILDStudies.ca) and APrON (https://apronstudy.ca/), the Alberta pregnancy cohort of 2200 families funded until children reach 12 years of age. Her research focuses on predictors of and intersections between parental mental health, violence and child health as well as gene-by-environment interactions. She founded the ATTACHTM (https://attach.teachable.com) and VID-KIDS (http://childstudies.ca/node/85#overlay-context=node/85parenting) parenting programs, attained more than $65 million in research funding, authored three books and 210+ peer-reviewed papers, and numerous op-eds appearing in major news outlets. She is the most followed nurse on Twitter in the world. She has received many honours including the Canadian Nurses Association’s highest honour—the Jeanne Mance award for career achievement. She is Board Chair of the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta, regulating 38,000 registered nurses in Alberta, and serves on the Canadian Nurses Association Board of Directors.