The 2025 POGO Awards Honour Excellence in Childhood Cancer Care
On Friday, November 7, the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) proudly celebrated the recipients of the 2025 POGO Awards. Since their inception in 1999, these awards have recognized the outstanding contributions of individuals across Ontario who are advancing childhood cancer care both within the province and beyond. Through their work in POGO partner hospitals, this year’s honourees embody POGO’s core values of partnership, collaboration, and excellence, and continue to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children, youth, families, and the broader pediatric oncology community.
Congratulations to the 2025 POGO Recognition Awards recipients: Lillian Sung, MD, PhD, FRCPC Champion Award (not pictured) Sumit Gupta, MD, PhD, FRCPC and Sue Zupanec, MN, NP Visionary Award (Team – Tie); Alisha Kassam, MD, MPH, FRCPC and the Southlake AYA Oncology Program Visionary Award (Team – Tie); Rebecca Mackenzie Community Partner Impact Award; Emma King BA, CHYS Early Career Professional; Lindsay Jibb, RN, PhD, CPHON Nursing Leadership Award. They are joined (centre) by POGO CEO Lauren Ettin and POGO Medical Director Donna Johnston.
POGO Champion Award
Lillian Sung, MD, PhD, FRCPC
In tribute to a career of seminal research, visionary leadership, and unwavering dedication that has improved childhood cancer care across Ontario and propelled progress worldwide.
POGO Visionary Award – Team (Tie)
Sumit Gupta, MD, PhD, FRCPC and Sue Zupanec MN NP
In acknowledgement of their trailblazing contributions that have transformed lives and shaped the future of pediatric leukemia treatment in Ontario and beyond.
POGO Visionary Award – Team (Tie)
Alisha Kassam, MD, MPH, FRCPC and the Southlake AYA Oncology Program
For their commitment to equitable, age-appropriate cancer care for adolescents and young adults in Ontario that has inspired system-wide change.
POGO Nursing Leadership Award
Lindsay Jibb, RN, PhD, CPHON
In recognition of her groundbreaking innovations that have contributed to advancing pediatric oncology nursing in Ontario and beyond.
POGO Early Career Professional Award
Emma King, BA CHYS
In recognition of her patient-centred approach and dedication to adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer.
POGO Community Partner Impact Award
Rebecca McKenzie
In honour of her impact through fundraising, partnership building, and generous support that has powerfully advanced POGO’s mission and serves as an inspiration to others across the province.
Learn more about the POGO Recognition Awards Program
Congratulations to the 2024 POGO Recognition Awards Recipients
On Friday, November 8, the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) honoured the recipients of the 2024 POGO Recognition Awards at a Celebratory Dinner. Established in 1999, the awards acknowledge significant contributions of Ontarians to the field of childhood cancer care in Ontario and beyond. Award recipients work in POGO partner hospitals and demonstrate POGO’s core values of partnership, collaboration and excellence.
POGO Champion Award
Lee Dupuis, RPh, PhD
Pediatric Oncologist, Senior Scientist, Professor, Division of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children
In recognition of her dedication to improving the lives of childhood cancer patients, exceptional leadership in supportive care, and commitment to those she mentors and all with whom she collaborates, in Ontario and beyond.
POGO Visionary Award
Ian M. Wilson, MD
Pediatrician, Grand River Hospital
In recognition of his integral role in shaping the vision for the POGO Satellite Clinic Program, bringing childhood cancer care closer to home for families in communities across Ontario.
POGO Nursing Leadership Award
Tina Hamalainen, RN, BScN
POGO Interlink Team Leader, The Hospital for Sick Children
In recognition of her commitment to a patient-centred approach to childhood cancer care that improves the lives of young people and their families, and to a culture of learning in support of pediatric oncology teams.
POGO Community Partner Impact
The Slaight Family Foundation
In recognition of their exceptional and longstanding commitment to childhood cancer care, and landmark investment of $1,000,000 in the POGO School and Work Transitions Program.
Learn more about the POGO Recognition Awards Program
Forty Years of Progress in Childhood Cancer Care Focus of 2023 POGO Symposium
In 2023, rather than homing in on one specific disease group, we took the opportunity to look broadly at POGO’s 40-year history, and the significant changes in childhood cancer care over four decades. With this broad appeal, more than 215 participants joined the POGO Symposium with representation from nursing, pharmacy, physicians, students, government, allied health and community supporters; a testament to the true team effort required to care for our patients.
Dr. Mark Greenberg, POGO co-founder, opened the two-day event by guiding us from POGO’s inception and the many challenges faced, and the incredible successes along the way, to the important work that remains to be done. It was clear that POGO’s early achievements required tremendous persistence, tenacity and optimism by the founders, and led to POGO becoming a Ministry of Health-funded contributor to the childhood cancer care system. Our respective institutions and the children of this province are so fortunate for the work that has gone into creating and building POGO from the ground up and the vast improvements in childhood cancer care that POGO has facilitated.
A Comprehensive Approach to Childhood Cancer Care
One of the loudest themes that reverberated through this year’s event was the recognition that the best possible cancer care system moving forward will take a holistic approach to treating the child and supporting the family.
We heard about inspiring advances in therapeutics and how novel drugs such as blinatumomab, and entirely new classes of drugs, are showing promise to cure previously incurable cancers. Across all sessions, led by national and international experts, we reflected on improvements in outcomes and strategies for the future across many forms of childhood cancer, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, neuroblastoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and solid tumours. Taking a step further into the future, Drs. Malkin and Shlien described incredible new technologies that bring together advances in molecular genetics and artificial intelligence, holding the promise to better elucidate the biological differences in seemingly similar tumours and more accurately target treatment to specific biological subtypes.
However, we also had the opportunity to acknowledge that cancer-directed therapy is not the totality of childhood cancer care, and that there are critical elements of high-quality treatment whose value is too often under-appreciated. Dr. Bob Phillips took us on an adventure through the world of supportive care and strategies for implementing clinical practice guidelines, POGO’s included. Dr. Kira Bona discussed the often overlooked and vital need to recognize and intervene on health disparities affecting our patients and their families. Food insecurity and material deprivation can have as big an impact on treatment outcome as many of the conventional prognostic factors we use routinely in clinical practice. Dr. Fiona Schulte spoke about the imperative need to provide psychosocial supports and measurable interventions for our patients, and Maria Talotta shared new opportunities for mental health supports for our patients and their families through Ontario’s Youth Wellness Hubs. As adverse social determinants of health become increasingly prevalent in Canadian society, it is more urgent than ever that we develop methods and infrastructure to reduce their impact on children with cancer.
We must also keep at the forefront of our minds that cure is not where our patients’ cancer journey ends. Many patients are left with late effects, and excellent survivorship care is paramount. Dr. Jennia Michaeli and Stacy Whiteside brought light to the importance of establishing fertility preservation for our patient population as standard of care. Finally, we heard through multiple sessions the inherent value in ensuring that our patients have a voice in their own decision making, and how best to enable this.
Childhood Cancer Survivors Thriving in the Medical Field
We had the pleasure of watching several digital stories from childhood cancer survivors who shared pieces of their journey. Each of these incredible individuals also shared how they were inspired by members of their care team to work in health care, in such roles as a nurse, physician, child life specialist, and program assistant. These stories remind us about the importance of the role we, as care providers, each play in the lives of our young patients.
The Path Ahead
We had the incredible opportunity to hear from a diverse panel about where the next healthcare dollars should be spent in improving care. We heard about the importance of integrating health disparities studies and interventions into our frontline trials, the need for improved psychosocial supports for patients and families, and the future potential of gene sequencing for both early detection and targeted therapy in childhood cancer. Chantelle Bacon and Iain Macri of Fight Like Mason Foundation and Mason’s parents, emphasized the need to provide education and support to physicians in recognizing red flags to enable earlier suspicion and diagnoses of childhood cancers. At the end, it was clear that a comprehensive approach that encompasses all of these elements is imperative.
POGO has shown us over 40 years that we are better together and that our collaboration and collegiality is what builds our successes. Cheers to 40 years of POGO and to the successes to come!
By Dr. Jennifer Seelisch, Director, Pediatric Undergraduate Medical Education, Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Seelisch was the 2023 recipient of the inaugural POGO Early Career Professional Award.
POGO Pre-Symposium Nursing Seminar Amplifies Nursing Perspective on Childhood Cancer Care
By Denise Mills
On Thursday, November 2, POGO’s 2023 Pre-Symposium Nursing Day presented a rich offering of niche programming that attracted more than 130 nurses and other allied healthcare professionals from across Canada.
Dr. Kitty Montgomery set the stage by discussing Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs), a theme that resonated throughout the entire Symposium. She highlighted how nurses are uniquely positioned to help children voice their symptoms, which is critical to patient-centred care. In her presentation on bioethics at the bedside, Dr. Kim Pyke-Grimm brought the issue of moral distress to the forefront and provided examples of ethics liaison programs.
We heard from many of Ontario’s skilled nurse practitioners as they shared their knowledge and leadership in such areas as late effects of neuroblastoma, skin care for patients receiving MEK inhibitors and providing care with blinatumomab.
The importance of supportive care was a central theme of the day. Dr. Lindsay Jibb shared her findings from her study on “Parental Distress and Trauma in Parents of Children Diagnosed with ALL.” We were also transported into the world of preventing and managing mucositis and how nursing can play a role in implementing clinical practice guidelines. We learned about the role that nurses play in providing care and discussing sensitive topics when caring for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors, and we explored essential knowledge and skills to bring into practice when caring for children with cancer and autism.
Nurses comprise the highest number of healthcare professionals working in pediatric oncology, and this day was important in bringing these clinicians together from across Ontario and beyond to share and discuss nursing practice in caring for patients and families faced with a childhood cancer diagnosis.
Congratulations to the 2023 POGO Recognition Awards Recipients
On Friday, November 3, Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario celebrated the recipients of the 2023 POGO Recognition Awards at a Celebratory Dinner. Established in 1999, the awards acknowledge significant contributions of Ontarians to the field of childhood cancer care in Ontario and beyond. Award recipients work in POGO partner hospitals and demonstrate POGO’s core values of partnership, collaboration and excellence. Congratulations to the 2023 recipients!
POGO Champion Award
The POGO Champion Award acknowledges excellence, leadership, innovation and collaboration in the field of childhood cancer care by an individual over the course of a career. Recipients have a strong history of participating in POGO initiatives, programs or services in a POGO partner hospital. They have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to achieving the best childhood cancer care system through their work within Ontario, for the benefit of children and youth with cancer, survivors, and/or their families in Ontario or beyond.
Elizabeth Cairney, MD, FRCPC
Medical Director, Pediatric Oncology AfterCare Clinic, Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre
In recognition of her career devotion to pediatric oncology, exceptional leadership, and commitment to excellence and quality care that has benefited patients and families, those she mentors and all with whom she collaborates, in Ontario and beyond.
POGO Visionary Award
The POGO Visionary Award acknowledges an individual or team for an outstanding specific/single contribution to advancing the childhood cancer care system in Ontario for the benefit of children and youth with cancer, survivors, and/or their families. Recipients are agents of change whose work, as part of a POGO initiative, program or service in a POGO partner hospital, exemplifies the visionary efforts that led to POGO’s creation in 1983.
Paul Nathan, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Head, Solid Tumour Section & Director, AfterCare Program, The Hospital for Sick Children
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to clinical research, teaching and program development in the field of childhood cancer survivorship, which have had sustained impact in Ontario and beyond.
Tejinder (TJ) Bains, BSc (Pharm), ACPR
Oncology Pharmacist, Oncology Pharmacy Team Lead and Beacon Business Systems Analyst, CHEO
In recognition of her exemplary contributions, resourcefulness and tireless dedication to the care of childhood cancer patients, in Ontario and beyond.
POGO Nursing Leadership Award
The POGO Nursing Leadership Award recognizes an individual in the field of pediatric oncology nursing who demonstrates passion, vision and energy for childhood cancer care, and a commitment to a patient-family-survivor-centred approach. Recipients show leadership in ensuring the nursing perspective informs various aspects of childhood cancer care, which may include service delivery, system planning, quality improvement, knowledge transfer, professional development and/or research. Recipients have participated in POGO initiatives, programs or services, and/or work in a POGO partner hospital. They are well respected by hospital healthcare teams, patients, families, survivors and administrative leaders.
Vicky Wilton, RN, BPHE
POGO Interlink Nurse, Northeast Cancer Centre, Health Sciences North
In recognition of her role as an outstanding leader, mentor, advocate, clinician and partner in the evidenced-based nursing care of those impacted by childhood cancer, throughout all stages of their journey, in Northern Ontario, and beyond.
POGO Early Career Professional
Recognizes an early-career professional of any discipline who has demonstrated outstanding dedication, commitment and leadership as part of a multidisciplinary team caring for children and youth with cancer, survivors, and/or their families. Recipients work in a POGO partner hospital and go above and beyond to exemplify POGO’s commitment to achieving an excellent childhood cancer care system by contributing their expertise in a voluntary capacity.
Jennifer Seelisch, MD, MSc, FRCPC (Pediatric Hematology/Oncology)
Director, Pediatric Undergraduate Medical Education, Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre
In recognition of her outstanding commitment and contributions to childhood cancer care that have positioned her as an emerging thought leader in pediatric oncology, in Ontario and beyond.
POGO Community Partner Impact
Recognizes outstanding philanthropic contributions to advance POGO’s mission and vision. Recipients demonstrate a commitment to charitable responsibility and their altruism and leadership may have inspired others to give back to POGO.
Kate, Jack & Meghan Beswick
In recognition of their outstanding and steadfast philanthropic leadership that has inspired a new generation of donors, connections and community in support of POGO’s mission and childhood cancer care.
“The 2023 POGO Recognition Awards is a very important night to the community of pediatric oncology. For the Children’s Hospital, LHSC team tonight is especially significant. Dr. Cairney was my mentor as a medical student. To have her receive the POGO Champion Award, truly a lifetime achievement award, with me as the Division Lead, on the same night I am honored to be presenting an Early Career Professional Award to Dr. Jennifer Seelisch is so very humbling. The London Children’s Hospital team is just so proud.”
Dr. Alexandra Zorzi, Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre
Awards Presentation Recognizes Contributions to POGO’s Provincial Mandate
What does it take to be honoured with a POGO Recognition Award? On November 2, close to 200 guests from the childhood cancer care community attending POGO’s 2018 Symposium Dinner found out as four worthy recipients were duly celebrated. The contributions of Dr. Jodi Rosner, pharmacist Denise Reniers, Dr. David Malkin and nurse Patti Bambury demonstrated why they were deserving honourees. Congratulations to all the 2018 recipients!
The Friends of POGO Award recognizes considerable and sustained contributions by valued partners to POGO’s overall vision, mandate and goals through endeavours ranging from strategic, political, financial and beyond. Recipients set a standard, in the sector they represent, for their exceptional efforts. Dr. Rosner, a pediatrician at Grand River Hospital, received this award in recognition of her role as Founder & Director of the Kitchener Kids with Cancer Run/Walk. From the first Run held in August 2014 to the fifth Run held September 2018, the event has raised over $225,000 for POGO.
“This is not your ordinary race event,” says Patti Bambury, who nominated Dr. Rosner and calls her a “local hero.” “The race is filled with emotion, tears, inspiration, hope and positive energy. Pictures of survivors, children still in the battle and unfortunately a few children who lost their battle, line this beautiful, scenic route. On race day, Jodi is there before the sun rises. She then runs a quick and easy 10 kilometres, crosses the finish line and then runs right back to working on the sidelines.”
In addition to the steadfast dedication Dr. Rosner has demonstrated to her clinical practice and the children and families she treats, she has shown a deep commitment to promoting awareness of childhood cancer and POGO in the community. It is no wonder her nominators describe her as “a local hero.”
The POGO Valued Contribution Award is presented to individuals who have made an identifiable and substantial contribution over a prolonged period to the childhood cancer care community through POGO’s work. Through their collaborations and teamwork, they have demonstrated their commitment, enthusiasm and generosity. Denise Reniers was presented with this award for her contributions to improving care for children with cancer across Ontario in her capacity as a pharmacist with Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre.
Described as being crucial to the care provided at Children’s Hospital, Denise is known to go above and beyond to ensure the safety and quality of care of all patients. She has valiantly answered the call to champion POGO’s efforts for drug access, meticulously revising and validating data to support funding decisions for the benefit of the wider childhood cancer community. She has contributed to the development of POGO’s Childhood Cancer Care Plan and has reviewed and created content for the POGO satellite manual. Her flow chart of dosing “Capizzi” Methotrexate now hangs in POGO satellite clinics across Ontario.
Sadly, Denise passed away March 26, 2020.
This year, the POGO Companion Award paid tribute to two individuals, Dr. David Malkin and Patti Bambury, for their significant achievements to the field of childhood cancer care and control over the course of their respective careers, and to the breadth and scope of their involvement with POGO. The selection committee determined that they exemplified excellence, leadership, innovation, integrity, collaboration, teamwork and dedication.
Dr. Malkin is senior staff oncologist and co-director of the cancer genetics program at The Hospital for Sick Children, senior scientist in the genetics and genome biology program of the SickKids Research Institute, and professor of pediatrics at University of Toronto. His unparalleled research contributions to the field of pediatric oncology have led to revolutionary discoveries including increased understanding of how DNA can accelerate the development of cancer in people with a genetic risk of cancer and how genomic changes may be used as a diagnostic marker of cancer risk. Dr. Malkin has been awarded millions of research dollars, including $5 million from the Terry Fox Research Institute to catalyze a $25 million precision oncology initiative, better known as PROFYLE. Grants have enabled him to continue his groundbreaking work in the surveillance and treatment of patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS). Published in Lancet Oncology, his prospective study related to screening for carriers of TP53 mutations and LFS has almost single-handedly driven the American insurance industry to recognize the value of surveillance, leading to more rapid approval of payments for these tests.
In presenting Dr. Malkin with his award, Dr. David Hodgson, POGO’s Medical Director and Chair in Childhood Cancer Control, noted that his nominators described him as a trailblazer, an exemplary teacher and educator, a visionary, whose trainees have been recognized with prestigious POGO fellowships and poster awards.
“We salute you for your unparalleled research contributions; your sustained dedication as a leader in provincial, national and international cancer control; and your tireless efforts to improve your patients’ quality of life. We also acknowledge with deep appreciation, your dedication to advancing POGO’s mission and mandate in your former role as Medical Director and POGO Chair in Childhood Cancer Control.”
Patti Bambury’s distinguished nursing career truly embodies the qualities of a POGO Companion – an individual who is committed, strives for excellence and has exceptionally contributed to advancing state of the art childhood cancer care and control.
For over two decades, Patti was involved in numerous POGO committees and initiatives, championing the important role of nursing in the care of children with cancer.
Patti put her heart and soul into helping to conceptualize POGO’s Provincial Pediatric Oncology Satellite Program, its systematization in the first manual Blueprint, its implementation and its successive scope of practice updates. Her commitment to advancing the scope of nursing practice and standards in POGO Satellite Clinics was unwavering.
Patti participated in the development of POGO’s Pediatric Oncology Nursing Curriculum at McMaster University, becoming one of its first successful graduates.
She was a long-standing member of the POGO Provincial Nursing Committee, from 1995 until her retirement in 2018, where she presented many pediatric oncology nursing practice issues and obstacles for review and discussion. She identified gaps in the utilization of personal protective equipment for pediatric oncology nurses, which subsequently resulted in the publication of a document of recommendations. Patti was instrumental in advocating for the implementation of telephone practice and symptom management guidelines for pediatric oncology nurses given the trend for early discharge of patients and their families post diagnosis.
Patti’s leadership and long-standing commitment to POGO is further evidenced in her contribution to many provincial pediatric oncology plans, from POGO’s first report in 1994 to the current Childhood Cancer Care Plan. A member of POGO’s Board of Directors and Advisory Council, Patti is a past recipient of the POGO Valued Contribution Award and the Joan Schatz Belisle Fundraising Volunteer Award for her efforts to generate public awareness of POGO's work through annual local Childhood Cancer Awareness Month events and to generate significant dollars raised through Clarky’s Kids for POGO.
