CAPO 2026: Highlights from Newfoundland

Four CERES Lab members attended the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) 2026 conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland on June 8-10, 2026. Among those who attended were Dr. Samara Perez, Georgina Cama, Rachael Harper, and Juliana Herrera who returned with a rich set of reflections from an engaging and thought-provoking meeting.  Their participation reflected the strong involvement of the CERES Lab in psychosocial oncology research and practice, as well as the lab’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and patient-centered cancer care.

At the conference, Samara presented preliminary results on an artificial intelligence information agent, AleC, designed to empower patients and support shared decision-making in lung cancer. She also presented work of implementation of fear of recurrence therapy (FORT), alongside Dr. Sophie Lebel and clinician-researchers across Canada. Rachael Harper presented results on the environmental scan of the implementation of the Feeling Heard and Understood Scale across North America. Georgina presented preliminary findings of Psychosocial and Functional Drivers of Quality of Life in Cancer-Related Lymphedema. The work presented highlights a broader focus on implementation science, knowledge translation, digital health, and integrated, equitable psychosocial interventions in routine cancer and palliative care.

A number of themes stood out across the meeting, including precision psychosocial care, distress screening and precise response pathways. Other points of discussion included the role of technology in supporting, not replacing, human connection in cancer care. The conference was also great opportunity to catch up with old and new colleagues and friends like Dr. Gary Rodin, Gilla Shapiro, Sophie Lebel, and Jackie Bender, to name a few. One particularly enjoyable moment was Rachael Harper taking the stage in a comedic showcase with The Spirit of Newfoundland’s performers.