Postdocs in the Spotlight: Simonne Collins

Welcome to our blog series highlighting the work of our postdoctoral fellows!

Postdoctoral fellows play a crucial role within CHILD-BRIGHT's research projects underway. These fellows are passionate about implementation science (IS) and patient-oriented research (POR) and its potential to improve health outcomes for children and youth with brain-based developmental disabilities and their families. 

Today, we’re delighted to introduce Simonne Collins, the newest member of CHILD-BRIGHT's IS Research Program. 

IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE PROGRAM

Simonne Collins (she/her)

Postdoctoral fellow, STIC Lab

IWK Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia

From Melbourne to Halifax

Simonne, our newest postdoctoral fellow, hails from Melbourne, Australia. In the summer of 2024, propelled by her commitment to patient-oriented research (POR), she relocated to Halifax to start a CHILD-BRIGHT research fellowship based within the Strengthening Transitions in Care Lab at the IWK Health Centre. Her position with CHILD-BRIGHT is being supported by the IWK Foundation. Simonne has quickly become a pivotal member of the network’s Implementation Science (IS) Research Program!  

Simonne has been a proponent of POR since being introduced to the concept during her doctoral studies in Psychology at Monash University, in Melbourne. Her doctoral studies focused on children at risk of brain-based developmental disabilities. “There were things that we weren’t sure about,” she recalled. “We didn’t know whether we were asking the right questions or if they were even relevant to our population.” 

Ultimately, she and her team decided to consult with parent research partners, and the experience was truly illuminating: “It was so valuable to hear their insights! Hearing from PWLEs allowed us to get at the heart of the barriers they face.” 

Now, Simonne is delighted to be broadening her skillset in POR and implementation science—and the move to Canada adds to the adventure! 

“All our research should be with patient-partners and PWLEs!”

— Simonne Collins, CHILD-BRIGHT postdoctoral fellow

Simonne’s role at CHILD-BRIGHT

As part of CHILD-BRIGHT's Phase 2, the IS Research Program is working to better understand how evidence can be systematically applied in routine practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of pediatric health services in Canada. 

Under the supervision of co-leads Steven Miller and Janet Curran, Simonne is supporting two of the IS Research Program’s main goals: 1) review which IS methods are being used across the network’s Phase 2 projects and identify the unique factors that should be considered by IS project teams when implementing treatments and interventions for children with brain-based developmental disabilities; and 2) understand how pan-Canadian research networks like CHILD-BRIGHT can build IS skills among postdoctoral research fellows. Simonne reviews the projects’ research protocols; conducts interviews with researchers, partners with lived and living experience (PWLEs), and youth partners; analyzes the data; and disseminates the findings.  

Simonne also organizes regular meetings for the network’s postdoctoral fellows, giving them the opportunity to discuss the challenges they’re facing, form connections, and build a community within CHILD-BRIGHT. Experts in the field are invited to some of the meetings to share insights on implementation science methodologies and career development. 

Looking to the future

When asked how she thought her time at CHILD-BRIGHT would impact her career, Simonne was effusive: “Oh, quite considerably!” 

She's particularly excited to be immersed in IS research. “I’m really developing those skills,” she said. She’s also grateful to have the opportunity to work with such a diverse group of health experts, which includes researchers, clinicians, and PWLEs. “I’m building a great network across Canada!” Since her arrival, Simonne has also found it eye-opening to learn about another country’s health care system and its challenges. “And I’m bringing my own cultural insights to the network,” she added. 

Today, Simonne hopes that her research will always incorporate POR methodologies. “I think researchers are getting better at understanding the impact of POR on health outcomes,” she said. “It allows us to address the needs and challenges that actually matter to patients and families.” 

Summer Studentship Program offers 'a new perspective' on POR

Summer students look back on their time at CHILD-BRIGHT 

This summer, we were delighted to welcome 11 undergraduate students to our 2024 CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program (SSP): Shannon Walsh, Parya Borhani, Natalie Wong, Muhammad Saim, Megan Liang, Lola Irelewuyi, Hanna Huguet, Anton Santos, Nina Chang, Shannon Tse, and Abigail Hansen. 

Every year, CHILD-BRIGHT helps train a new cohort of students in patient-oriented research (POR) by supporting our project and program teams as they hire students for the summer. In 2024, we earmarked $38,250 to support these undergraduates, who worked with nine program and project teams. 

At the end of the summer, each student was asked to share what they’d gained from the SSP and how they think it will impact their career in health research. Here’s what they had to say!

“The importance of POR is my greatest takeaway from this research experience.”

— Abigail Hansen, 2024 CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Student

A new perspective on patient-oriented research

The 2024 summer students arrived at CHILD-BRIGHT with varied backgrounds and levels of experience. But by the end of the program, they were all strong believers in the value and importance of POR! 

Students who were already proponents of collaborative research, like Hanna, felt that the SSP strengthened their commitment to POR and helped them develop a deeper understanding of its benefits: “My views on the importance of POR remained consistent both before and after the program, as I continue to believe in its value and potential,” Hanna shared.  

Conversely, those who had little knowledge of this research approach agreed that the SSP provided a comprehensive introduction to the principles and practices of POR. Namely, they felt that it clearly presented how the creation of meaningful partnerships with patients, families, communities, and partners with lived and living experience (PWLEs) increases the research’s real-world impact. 

“I was most surprised to learn just how significant the gap is between health research and impact, only further underscoring the importance of POR to the future of research,” wrote Parya. 

For Muhammad, the experience fundamentally changed how he views health research: “My perspective has shifted significantly. I now see POR as a pathway to more ethical and effective research that is deeply attuned to the needs of those it seeks to help.” 

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“The experience of engaging in discussions with professionals and PWLEs alike has been transformative.”

— Lola Irelewuyi, 2024 CHILD-BRIGHT summer student

An opportunity to learn from health experts across Canada

This summer’s cohort unanimously agreed that one of the biggest benefits of the SSP was the wealth of knowledge and tools they acquired from various health experts across the country. They were thrilled to be able to work alongside and learn from a wide range of individuals, including physicians, nurses, researchers, and PWLEs. 

“[The program] offered an opportunity to connect with experts in the field every other week,” wrote Anton, noting that these were “invaluable connections”. 

Many students were especially grateful for the opportunity to work directly with patient and parent advisory committees, as it gave them a new perspective on the population’s unique experiences, concerns, and needs.

Natalie wrote: “I’m committed to applying these insights to future projects, ensuring that the voices and experiences of PWLEs remain central to the research journey.” 

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“I’ve learned that POR is a vital approach to making health care more inclusive.”

— Lola Irelewuyi, 2024 CHILD-BRIGHT summer student

Newfound expertise in KM, IS, and EDI-DI 

In addition to their work embedded with a CHILD-BRIGHT research project and team, CHILD-BRIGHT summer students follow a curriculum that introduces them to key POR concepts. This year’s training series explored the intersections between POR, knowledge mobilization (KM), and implementation science (IS), topics that were deeply appreciated by the 2024 cohort. Muhammad wrote that the curriculum inspired him “to think more creatively about how to disseminate research findings in ways that are accessible and actionable for the communities involved.”

Several other students mentioned that the KM and IS modules gave them new insights on how to bridge the gap between health care practices and research. 

Hana wrote: “I developed a deeper understanding of the many factors that influence research implementation [...] and the importance of ensuring that findings are integrated in a way that’s both approachable and efficient for practitioners.” 

Similarly, many students noted that the program had solidified or sparked their commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and Indigenization (EDI-DI) in health research. They learned about the significance of building meaningful partnerships and how to achieve them while avoiding tokenistic inclusion in POR. 

“I’ve seen firsthand the distrust many marginalized communities have toward the health care system,” wrote Lola. “So, I appreciate how this studentship emphasized how PWLEs enhance research with a personalized approach.” 

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“This process has allowed me to develop a keen interest in clinical research and makes me excited to continue my learning journey in child health POR!”

— Megan Liang, 2024 CHILD-BRIGHT summer student

A program with long-lasting impacts 

Overall, the 2024 cohort's reflections clearly illustrate that the SSP has had a profound influence on their research philosophies, goals, perspectives, and abilities, and will undoubtedly have a long-lasting impact on their careers in pediatric health. 

“As I look ahead to graduate studies, I’m eager to continue my involvement in KM efforts,” concluded Anton. “The skills and knowledge I’ve gained through this program will be invaluable in my future endeavors.” 

Many noted that the program had further encouraged their passion for research and given them new momentum as they looked to the future.  

“This program has shaped me into a more thoughtful and patient-centered research trainee,” wrote Natalie. “I’m excited to continue contributing to health care advancements!”

Interested in learning more about CHILD-BRIGHT's training initiatives and opportunities? Become a newsletter subscriber!

Webinar Retrospective series: Life Beyond Trauma Program

Creating productive working relationships between researchers and partners with lived and living experience (PWLEs) doesn’t happen from one day to the next. It takes time, trust, and mutual respect. But as the following story shows, it’s through these relationships that PWLEs have the power to shape the course of research. 
 
The Life Beyond Trauma Program emerged from one such collaboration. 

Parent research aprtner, author, and advocate Donna Thomson

Co-Principal Investigator Patrick McGrath

In Phase 1 of the CHILD-BRIGHT Network, the Strongest Families Neurodevelopmental Program studied whether emotional and behavioural regulation could be improved in children with brain-based developmental disabilities by providing education, telephone support, parent-to-parent connections, and resource information to the parents. 
 
But as parent research partner, author, and advocate Donna Thomson pointed out, parents in these situations often need support as well. 
 
Donna, who partnered with the Strongest Families ND Program, spoke candidly about her experience on the project in our February 2022 webinar, Life Beyond Trauma Program for Parents of Neurodiverse Children with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, provided as part of Children’s Healthcare Canada's SPARK: Live series. 
 
In the webinar, co-Principal Investigator Patrick McGrath (who now co-leads the Phase 2 project Bridging the Gap from Science to Uptake), gave Donna full credit for coming to him with the idea. His lab, affiliated with IWK Health in Nova Scotia, was turning its focus to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it was Donna who suggested they study parents of children living with neurodevelopmental disabilities. “Just think about it,” she told him. “We have a lot of PTSD!” 

While PTSD is a mental health problem, Patrick also described it as a disturbance in memory. “High emotional events [...] get coded in a very fragmented way, and there is a whole network of fear that develops.” He explained that this is exactly what occurs in parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. From the moment their child is born, health emergencies and interventions are ongoing and become part of their reality. “That’s what our life is,” Donna told Patrick. “One medical crisis after another.” 
 
It’s a reality Donna is all too familiar with. When her son, who has severe cerebral palsy and medical complexities, was only three, she received a phone call from his school. “Nicholas had had a seizure,” she recalled. For years after this event, Donna felt extreme panic every time she heard the phone ring. But she had no idea that it was a manifestation of PTSD.  
 
According to Patrick, this isn’t uncommon. “PTSD is a hidden problem among parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities,” he said. 
 
To shed light on the unique traumas experienced by parents in this population, and to explore avenues for virtual and in-person treatment, Patrick and Donna co-created the Life Beyond Trauma Program. Parent research partners were a major resource and inspiration, said Patrick, citing their vital contributions. “They bring something to the interventions [...] and to our research that we cannot do.” 
 
When creating the study, the team realized there was no instrument to measure the distinct traumas that parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities are likely to experience. “One of the things we developed was a parenting trauma checklist,” said Patrick. This allowed them to zero in on parent-specific events, such as witnessing life-threatening situations or having a child in the neonatal intensive care unit. The researchers also accounted for general traumas, as these contribute to what Patrick referred to as “the building block effect”—i.e., the more trauma you have in your lifetime, the more likely you are to develop PTSD. “This was a huge revelation for me,” said Donna. “Prior to this study, I really believed that, with practice, you should get better at managing trauma.” 

Patrick explained that there are many effective treatments for those suffering from PTSD. “The interventions that are most effective are [...] trauma-informed exposure therapies,” he said. In the Life After Trauma Program, the team used online narrative exposure therapy (eNET), in which a clinician helped the participant talk in depth about their trauma. Donna said that, at the start, many parents worried that the intervention would be re-traumatizing. But after their eNET sessions, the parents confessed that the experience left them feeling empowered. Patrick confirmed this is the typical response to exposure therapy: “The vast majority of people begin to feel relief even after the first or second session.” 
 
To conclude the presentation, Patrick stressed the vital need for specific PTSD treatment for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, offered virtually and in person. “These memory-based mental health problems can be effectively intervened and helped,” he said. “Even in the midst of trauma.” 

Donna expressed that being a parent research partner on this study was truly eye-opening. “It’s been such an amazing journey for me personally,” she said. “I’m a lot kinder to myself in thinking about choices and actions I’ve taken or not taken throughout my own parenting journey.” 

PUBLICATIONS 

Read the following research articles that were published on the Life After Trauma program: 

• Parenting-related trauma exposure among parents of children with intellectual and developmental disorders: Development and validation of the Parenting Trauma Checklist (2022) 

• Risk and protective factors for posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth in parents of children with intellectual and developmental disorders (2022) 

• Online narrative exposure therapy for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities suffering from posttraumatic stress symptoms – study protocol of a randomized controlled trial (2021) 

UPCOMING WEBINARS 

Want to learn more about the work CHILD-BRIGHT does? Register for one of our upcoming webinars: 

Azrieli CHILD-BRIGHT Fellowship Program: Call for applicants!

Five new positions available!

CHILD-BRIGHT has launched a new call for postdoctoral researchers to work with our network in support of children with brain-based developmental disabilities!

Fellowships with the CHILD-BRIGHT Network represent a valuable opportunity to learn and apply patient-oriented research approaches to child health, with a focus on knowledge mobilization; implementation science; and equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization. Here is what one current postdoctoral fellow had to say about the program:

“Not only have my knowledge and skills in implementation research and patient- oriented research improved, but this support has allowed me to develop a true passion for this field of research. I hope to use these to improve the developmental care of children in Canada in my future career as a researcher.”

— Marie-Ève Bolduc, Postdoctoral Fellow, Care Pathways for CHD project

Thanks to the Azrieli Foundation’s generous and continued support in helping train the next generation of patient-oriented researchers and implementation scientists, we are looking to fill positions with the following teams:

CHILD-BRIGHT VR-EF: A hybrid Type 2 implementation validation trial of a virtual reality executive function intervention (Supervising PI: Jennifer Crosbie, SickKids)

Prenatal Opioid Exposure and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (POE-NAS): Addressing Prenatal Opioid Exposure in First Nations Communities (Supervising PI: Astrid Guttmann, ICES)

CHILD-BRIGHT Genome-wide sequencing Readiness and Implementation in Practice (GRIP) Study: A hybrid implementation-effectiveness observational study of clinical genome-wide sequencing in Ontario (Supervising PI: Robin Hayeems, SickKids)

CHILD-BRIGHT's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization & Indigenization (EDI-DI) Program (Supervising PI: Nomazulu Dlamini, SickKids)

We are also accepting applications for the following position, funded thanks to the generous support of Research Manitoba:

CHILD-BRIGHT Coaching: Moving toward implementation of a virtual coaching program for caregivers of young children with suspected developmental delays (Supervising PI: Kristy Wittmeier, University of Manitoba)

Applications must be submitted by November 17, 2024.

Webinar retrospective series: Telerehabilitation for children and youth with disabilities

 When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe in 2019, it fundamentally altered the ways in which health care services were being offered. Until then, virtual health care was relatively uncommon. But faced with lockdowns and social distancing, the world saw a dramatic surge in demand for telehealth services and resources. In Canada, many parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities experienced telerehabilitation for the very first time. 

BRIGHT Coaching Co-Principal Investigator Annette Majnemer, also CHILD-BRIGHT's Nominated Principal Investigator and Scientific Co-Director

CHILD-BRIGHT researcher Tatiana Ogourtsova

In response to this shift, researchers at CHILD-BRIGHT began to wonder about the value of telerehabilitation, in which physical, occupational or other types of therapy are delivered remotely, compared to in-person treatment. A team led by CHILD-BRIGHT researcher Tatiana Ogourtsova conducted a systematic literature review of studies examining the effectiveness of telerehabilitation for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their parents. The review was completed with the network’s Phase 1 BRIGHT Coaching project, led by Co-Principal Investigators Annette Majnemer, also CHILD-BRIGHT's Nominated Principal Investigator and Scientific Co-Director, and Maureen O’Donnell, Executive Director of Child Health BC and Associate Professor in the UBC Department of Pediatrics. 

Annette, Tatiana, and partner with lived and lived experience (PWLE) Georgia Iliopoulos shared the study’s results and discussed the future of telerehabilitation in Telerehabilitation for children and youth with disabilities: Evidence and perspectives, the March 2022 episode of Children’s Healthcare Canada’s SPARK: Live webinar series. 

The literature review revealed three major findings: 

1. Telerehabilitation is either as effective or more effective than in-person treatments. 

2. Telerehabilitation is very effective in situations where the clinician is actively involved in all sessions and uses a family-centred approach, addressing the needs of both the child and parents. 

3. Teleassessments done in-person or virtually have the same result. 

To get a parent’s perspective on the data, and to gain insights into the real-world challenges and benefits of telerehabilitation, Tatiana and Annette spoke with Georgia about her experience seeking services for her daughter, Odessa, starting when she was 17 months old. At the height of the pandemic, Georgia and her husband sought out a speech language pathologist (SLP) for their daughter, Odessa, for speech therapy and an autism assessment. They were relieved to find an SLP who was offering sessions via Zoom. 

Despite initial challenges, Georgia quickly saw the benefits of teletherapy. Besides lowering her daughter’s risk of contracting COVID-19, virtual sessions meant fewer displacements and reduced stress for the family. Georgia also said that it empowered her as a parent. “I wasn’t playing a passive role, or just watching or listening,” she said. “I was trying out strategies, I was receiving feedback. I felt more confident in my ability to work with my daughter.” 

Mother supervising her son’s video call. Ref.: Pexels. 

At the start, however, the experience of virtual care was daunting. Georgia found there was a learning curve to using the platform for rehabilitation. In their first sessions, she acted as mediator between Odessa and the therapist: “The challenge was keeping my daughter engaged while shifting my focus and listening to the therapist. And then shifting back to my daughter and executing whatever the strategy was and getting feedback.” 

It took time for Georgia and the therapist to identify the best strategy. Eventually, they developed a two-part structure that also involved Georgia’s husband. Having the whole family on board, she said, was incredibly valuable. “We were there as a team,” she said with a smile. Virtual sessions also meant that Georgia and her family had to invest in new technology. “For instance, my daughter had a harder time concentrating when she could hear the clinician,” said Georgia. She had to find a wireless headset to wear during the sessions so the SLP’s voice wouldn’t distract Odessa. 

Overall, Georgia felt that the time spent troubleshooting was frustrating: “As a parent, you feel like you’re not utilizing the whole session for therapy.” 
 

When asked what changes could be made to improve telerehabilitation, Georgia was quick to highlight the need for better communication. In her case, the SLP did not consult with her or her husband prior to their first therapy session, and this led to significant time loss. “There was no preparation beforehand,” she said. “I wasn’t asked what I thought might work best for my daughter.” 

Furthermore, Georgia pointed out that telehealth care providers should speak with the family about what technology they have at home and how best to set up their environment to make therapy successful. “I think preparation is really the key point here,” she said. “Having an open discussion with the family beforehand instead of problem-solving through sessions.” 

Despite these hurdles, Georgia was enthusiastic about the benefits of teletherapy:  

“My daughter made amazing – and is making – amazing progress with it!” 

To close the session, Annette spoke of the future of telerehabilitation in a post-pandemic world.  “There are real benefits to families in terms of accessibility,” she said. “But it’s not necessarily for everybody, and there are limits to what it can and cannot do.” From her perspective, the way forward was to combine the best elements of in-person and virtual care. “I think it’s an opportunity to rethink the ways we assess and intervene,” she said. 

Mother and son having an online consultation with a clinician. Ref.: Shutterstock.

Georgia agreed that, while in-person therapy was sometimes necessary, virtual care was here to stay: “Knowing what the benefits are, and how it can be adapted to suit our needs, I would definitely use it [again]. I think it’s very valuable and I hope it continues!” 

The findings from this study continue to have wide-reaching impacts. In 2022, Tatiana, Annette, Georgia, and a dedicated team launched the TELEREHUB-CHILD website, which aims to optimize the use of telerehabilitation for children and youth with developmental disabilities and their families. It includes resources for families and clinicians, current information about the effectiveness of different tele-treatments, and more. 

PUBLICATIONS 

Read the following research articles that resulted from the telerehabilitation study: 

• TelereHUB-CHILD: An online integrated knowledge translation tool to optimize telerehabilitation evidence-based practices for children with disabilities and their families (March 2023) 

• Telerehabilitation for Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families: A Systematic Review (August 2022) 

UPCOMING WEBINARS 

Want to learn more about the work CHILD-BRIGHT does? Register for one of our upcoming webinars: