Community- Engaged Learning Project

CEL 4955E
2024-2025

For my CEL capstone project, I have been working with a team of three other students (Tia Brasoveanu, Alfred Kwan, Katherine Chen).

We collaborated with the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) in London, Ontario during September 2024 to March 2025.

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2. Introduction to
My CEL Project

The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has been delivering high-quality care to patients and families across Southwestern Ontario for over 50 years (London Health Sciences Centre, 2025). To date, the Centre has managed approximately 1.5 million patient referrals and currently treats between 160 and 180 patients each day.

LHSC's geographical reach is very large, serving individuals from communities as far as Owen Sound, Kitchener, Sarnia, and Windsor (London Health Sciences Centre, 2025). For those living farther away, the Centre can offer accommodations such as shorter wait times or coordination with facilities closer to home.

The Centre includes two full floors dedicated to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, supported by a comprehensive network of services such as social work, diet and nutrition counseling, pharmacy services, and a Patient and Family Resource Centre (London Health Sciences Centre, 2025) . This holistic model of care ensures that patients receive well-rounded support throughout their treatment journey.

One floor is dedicated entirely to research, with 10 active laboratories working to expand knowledge and improve outcomes in cancer care (London Health Sciences Centre, 2025). This research hub is known as the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre, a space committed to innovation through clinical trials—an essential component of patient care that helps drive medical advancement.

However, many barriers limit patient recruitment to clinical trials. Identifying and bridging these barriers is the focus of my CEL project.

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)

From left to right: Katherin Chen, Rayyan Kamal, Mehrsa Feizi, Tia Brasoveanu, and Alfred Kwan

Patient recruitment to cancer clinical trials remains a significant challenge for many cancer centres—LHSC included (Swaby et al., 2021). Low enrollment not only limits the number of patients who can directly benefit from potentially life-saving therapies but also leads to unrepresentative trial samples, reducing the overall effectiveness and equity of cancer research.

These recruitment challenges stem from a variety of systemic and individual-level barriers (Swaby et al., 2021). Improving cancer care research and patient outcomes depends on our ability to identify and address these barriers with targeted, evidence-based strategies.

My CEL project focuses on identifying the existing barriers to equitable recruitment for clinical trials at LHSC. For this project, my team and I worked alongside Richard McClelland, clinical trial coordinator at LHSC, and Rayyan Kamal, CEL course coordinator, to complete the project.

During the literature review that my team and I conducted, we identified health literacy, misconceptions about clinical trials, and staff-patient miscommunication to be the major barriers to clinical trial enrollment of cancer patients (Swaby et al., 2025).

Additionally, the second component of the literature review examined successful strategies used by other research centres to target health literacy. Additionally, we conducted an environmental scan by reviewing the websites of Canadian cancer research centres to identify strategies used to make clinical trial information more accessible and engaging for patients. Drawing on insights from both the literature and our environmental scan, we developed a solution paper that proposes practical, evidence-based strategies to enhance clinical trial engagement at LHSC by addressing health literacy barriers. From these efforts, we also hope to produce a scholarly systemic review paper for publication.

The overall goal of the project is to promote health literacy about clinical trials within the community, with the aim of supporting more inclusive recruitment practices at LHSC and improving access to cutting-edge cancer care for all patients.

The intended impact of this project is to make access to cancer clinical trials more equitable and to ensure that trial outcomes are more representative of the diverse cancer population. Our hope is to encourage LHSC to adopt a more patient-centered approach to conducting clinical trials—one that involves grassroots initiatives to break down misconceptions about research and make science more humanized, transparent, and accessible to the broader community.

Skills I learned?

Research & Analytical Skills

Science Application: Real-World Solution Design Skills

Evaluating Health Equity and Systemic Injustices Skills

Oral and Written Scientific Communication Skills

Adaptability and Problem-solving Skills

Conducting a systematic review allowed me to critically evaluate the literature, identify the most relevant studies, and assess the quality of experimental designs. During the data extraction process, I analyzed both the impact and limitations of each study and considered how their findings could inform our project. Through this experience, I also learned to use research software such as Covidence and gained hands-on experience in systematically performing data extraction.

I also developed my ability to apply scientific knowledge to real-world problems by focusing on the translation of evidence into actionable solutions. The purpose of our literature review and environmental scan was to produce evidence-based, feasible recommendations for LHSC. To support this goal, I carefully evaluated both American and Canadian strategies implemented at institutions of similar caliber, ensuring their relevance and applicability. I prioritized high-quality sources and focused only on projects that had demonstrated measurable success in other centres. Through this process, I gained valuable insight into how research moves from theory to practice, and how scientific evidence can directly inform real-world solutions.

Through my CEL project, I developed a deeper understanding of how historical and structural inequities continue to shape access to care. I learned that individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often have less access to education, contributing to lower health literacy—a major barrier to participation in cancer clinical trials. These disparities lead to the underrepresentation of marginalized communities in research, ultimately perpetuating unequal outcomes in cancer care. CEL taught me to critically examine these systemic issues and consider how equity-focused strategies can improve both access and representation in healthcare.

While completing my CEL course, I navigated the challenges of various forms of scientific communication and successfully co-delivered an oral implementation presentation, a poster presentation, and co-authored an official solution paper for LHSC. Additionally, I collaborated with my team to create a patient pamphlet, learning how to translate complex scientific information into clear, accessible language. In this way, my CEL project strengthened my oral and written communication skills—both within the scientific community and for broader, laymans audiences.

When our team faced the unexpected challenge of our initial project coordinator being let go, we had to quickly adapt and find new ways to move forward. I worked closely with my teammates to brainstorm alternative approaches, and we consulted our thesis course coordinator, Rayyan Kamal, for additional guidance. Through this process, I learned to stay adaptable in the face of unforeseen changes and to think strategically about the next best steps. By adjusting the project’s direction and making the most of our limited time, we were able to bring the project to a meaningful and impactful completion—drawing on the strength of our collaboration and the support we received from Rayyan.

Reflections on
these Skills & how they will impact my future career...

Each of the skills I’ve gained through my CEL project is invaluable to my development as both a future scientist and healthcare professional. Specifically, having strong research and analytical skills, alongside the ability to apply science to real-world contexts, will allow me to make meaningful contributions in the future. I’m particularly passionate about medical research, and the skills I’ve built will enable me to carry out scientifically rigorous projects that are not only well-designed but also deeply informed by the real needs of patients. This alignment between science and lived experience is essential to bridging the gap that so often exists between research and clinical practice. These skills I have developed through CEL will help me ensure that the work I do meaningfully enhances the lives of the patients I aim to serve.

In addition, developing the ability to evaluate health equity and understand the systemic injustices that shape access to care is critical to becoming a compassionate and effective healthcare provider. A first step to addressing these challenges is to recognize and critically question long-standing systems and structures. Just because something has been done a certain way for a long time doesn’t mean it is the best way. I realized this when I learned about how current clinical trial recruitment practices often exclude marginalized communities and contribute to disparities in cancer care outcomes. I now feel better equipped to identify and challenge these barriers in my future career, and to advocate for more equitable approaches in research and care.

Moreover, strengthening my scientific communication skills has been essential to my growth, not only as a future researcher but also as someone who wants to engage meaningfully with patients. Through my CEL project, I learned how to communicate complex scientific concepts in a clear and accessible way. This skill will allow me to collaborate effectively with other researchers while also ensuring that patients can understand, engage with, and benefit from the work I do. I now see communication as a tool for breaking down barriers, inviting participation, and making science more inclusive and representative of patient voices. The communication skills I developed through CEL have taught me how to make science more open, collaborative, and grounded in the communities it serves.

Finally, I learned the value of adaptability in the face of unforeseen challenges. When unexpected changes arose in our project, I had to help my team quickly pivot and find the next best steps. This skill is crucial not only in research and healthcare—where literature, data, and patient needs are constantly evolving—but also in my personal life. Whether it’s relocating, shifting plans, or facing uncertainty, adaptability gives me the resilience and creativity to keep moving forward. The adaptability I fostered through the CEL experience will continue to support me in navigating both academic and personal challenges with confidence and perseverance.

From left to right: Tia Brasoveanu, Alfred Kwan, RIchard McClelland, Katherine Chen, Mehrsa Feizi

Knowing what I know now,
What would I have done differently?

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If I had the chance to do the project over again, I would take five major steps to ensure success.

First, I would create a more rigorous plan from the very beginning of the project period.

Our team had initially hoped to develop next steps as we progressed, but this approach at times slowed our momentum. If we had created even a tentative schedule for the entire duration of the project, it would have helped keep us on track, minimize wasted time, and ensure consistent productivity throughout the term.

Second, I would be more proactive in seeking additional responsibilities and opportunities. I remember feeling a bit underwhelmed at the beginning of the project—I wanted to do more than was initially expected of me. However, I didn’t speak up right away, thinking I might naturally take on more as the project evolved. While this did happen eventually, and a progress meeting with Rayyan helped us redirect our efforts into work I felt genuinely passionate about, I now recognize the importance of advocating for meaningful involvement from the start. If I were to do it again, I would voice those interests earlier and seek out activities that felt deeply impactful.

Third, I would advocate for our group to meet with the Patient and Family Advisory Council to present our findings from the literature review and environmental scan, and to discuss the potential of introducing a new patient pamphlet about clinical trials in the LHSC waiting rooms. Engaging directly with this council would allow us to better gauge the feasibility of the solutions we’ve developed and ensure that our work aligns with patient needs and perspectives. These conversations could also help bring our ideas to life more quickly and meaningfully, allowing us to see our efforts translated into tangible improvements.

Fourth, I would advocate for better standardization of LHSC’s online content across its web pages and social media platforms, such as Instagram. During the course of my CEL project, LHSC launched a new Instagram account dedicated to highlighting ongoing research at the centre, including researcher profile videos and updates on recent findings. While this kind of science communication was one of our original project goals, we were unable to pursue it further due to administrative constraints placed on our project coordinator. However, another effective way to make science more accessible to the public would have been to align and integrate content across platforms—for example, by ensuring that the Instagram updates are also shared on the LHSC website. This would help streamline messaging and broaden the reach of LHSC’s research communications.

Lastly, I would aim to complete the literature review in the fall term, giving us more time to conduct a thorough review of over 1,000 articles—potentially making our findings strong enough for publication. With this additional time, I would also be open to exploring additional barriers beyond health literacy. For example, our initial project coordinator mentioned how patients from rural towns often cannot participate in clinical trials due to distance and the lack of accommodations. If given the chance to revisit this project, I would love to explore rural patients’ access to clinical trials and identify feasible, LHSC-driven solutions to better engage those communities in cancer research.

CEL Project Artifacts

1. Environmental Scan

please scroll through the slides to see the content we collected.

Check out our team's environmental scan so far:

2. Environmental Scan Findings Summary Table

Table 1. Summary of 7 key online patient engagement strategies, identified through an environmental scan of the websites of 6 major Ontario cancer centers: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, SickKids Garron Family Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Odette Family Cancer Centre, Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation, Ottawa Hospital Cancer Program, and Schulich Research. Common themes and techniques used across sites were examined to determine effective practices.

3. Solution Paper

Based on findings from both the literature review and environmental scan, my team and I are finalizing a solution paper for LHSC aimed at improving clinical trial participation by addressing health literacy barriers.

The paper outlines five key recommendations to support patients in better understanding and engaging with cancer clinical trials:

Create accessible, layperson-friendly materials — such as posters, flyers, and brochures that clearly explain what clinical trials are and why they matter.
Develop community-engaged initiatives — by partnering with local churches, mosques, libraries, and community centers to host casual, educational workshops.
Implement patient navigator programs — matching cancer patients with knowledgeable staff who can guide them through the clinical trial process and answer their questions.
Produce educational videos — short, clear videos that explain the purpose, process, and benefits of various clinical trials.
Enhance LHSC’s website design and accessibility — by integrating strategies identified in our environmental scan, such as clear navigation, simplified language, trial search tools, and multimedia content.

These solutions are designed to make clinical trials more approachable, human-centered, and inclusive—ultimately improving patient access and representation in cancer research.

Final document coming soon...

4. Paptient Pamphlet

This patient pamphlet aims to debunk four common misconceptions patients often have about clinical trials. In the future, we hope to distribute this pamphlet in LHSC waiting rooms to help promote greater awareness and participation in clinical trials.

Note: The language of this pamphlet has been adjusted to a grade-9 reading level, the average literacy of a Canadian.

5. Academic Poster

This poster was prepared for our final project presentation to the CEL class ans well as the community members.