Speaking

Keynotes, lectures, and workshops

I deliver compelling and thought-provoking keynotes, lectures, and workshops to a range of audiences, including post-secondary students, faculty and researchers, healthcare professionals and frontline workers, and caregivers of children with disabilities. 

Topics include:

  • Engaging patients and the public in health and healthcare research, system improvement, and policy development
  • Communicating with caregivers
  • Effective knowledge mobilization for health and healthcare research projects and community initiatives (this talk is co-delivered with Emily Nicholas Angl, my podcast partner on Matters of Engagement)
  • Personal reflections and insights as an ‘extreme caregiver’ for a child with severe disabilities

I am available for in-person or online presentations, as well as workshop facilitation and panel moderation. While my own experiences are primarily related to healthcare, I have lectured to diverse audiences in a range of disciplines. Talks can be tailored for audiences outside of healthcare.

For keynotes and speaking engagement inquiries, please contact me.

Previous talks

2026

  • Workshop Facilitator, “Communicating with Caregivers”, Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare and Education (CACHE), Temerty School of Medicine, University of Toronto/UHN , Toronto, June 2026

2025 

  • 2025 Child Development Update, Continuing Professional Development
    Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Concurrent workshop presenter: “Communicating with Caregivers.” Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. December 2025
  • McMaster University, Hamilton. Graduate student seminar in the School of Occupational Therapy, “Communicating with Caregivers.” September 2025
  • EKO Spring Symposium 2025, Toronto.  “Communicating with Caregivers: a critical exploration of interpersonal relations, power dynamics and systemic factors.” Workshop presenter. April 2025

2024

  • CanChild’s 35th Anniversary Symposium, McMaster University, Hamilton. “Authors with lived experience”. Panelist. October 2024
  • McMaster University, Hamilton. Graduate student seminar in the School of Occupational Therapy, “Communicating with Caregivers”. September 2024
  • Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, Toronto. Launch of “Caring in Canada: Survey insights from caregivers and care providers across Canada”.  Panelist. May 2024
  • Faculty Research Partners Day, Western University’s Faculty of Education. London ON. Keynote Speaker. April 2024

2023

2022

2021

2019

2018

  • Presenter, Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto), Maternal-Fetal Medicine Department. Grand Rounds. October 2018
  • Cochrane Colloquium, Edinburgh. “The trouble with patient and public involvement (PPI)” Keynote Speaker. September 2018
  • Lecturer, University of Leeds. September 2018
  • European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD), 30th Annual Meeting, Tbilisi, Georgia. “Connecting ‘Patient-Reported Problems’ to ‘Patient-Reported Outcomes’ using the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health).” Co-Presenter with Dr. Olaf Kraus de Camargo, Dr. Gabriel Ronen, Dr. Liane Simon. May 2018
  • Canadian Bioethics Society Annual Conference, Halifax. “‘Meaningful’ child and family engagement in healthcare: From symbolic to consequential.” Co-presenter with Dr. Gail Teachman. May 2018
  • St. Michael’s Hospital Faculty Development Day, Toronto. Keynote Co-Presenter with Dr. Paula Rowland. “At the critical moment: Exploring purpose and meaning of patient engagement.” February 2018
  • Critical Perspectives in Occupational Therapy. University of Toronto. Co-instructor with Dr. Gail Teachman and Dr. Yani Hamdani. January 2018

2017

  • OACRS 2017 Conference, Toronto. Speaker. November 2017
  • Critical Perspectives in Occupational Therapy. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab, Toronto. Co-instructor with Dr. Gail Teachman and Dr. Yani Hamdani. November 2017
  • Kids Brain Health Network’s 8th Annual Brain Development Conference, in collaboration with CHILD-BRIGHT, Toronto. Speaker. November 2017
  • 2017 CAPHC Annual Conference – CFAN day, Speaker. “Two-way street? A critical look at patient and family engagement.” Ottawa, October 2017
  • Panel Moderator, 2017 CAPHC Annual Conference, “Engaging Families in Health Care, Research and Health System Improvement: Moving Beyond Good Intentions.” Ottawa, October 2017
  • School of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto. Guest lecturer. September 2017
  • American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, 71st Annual Meeting, Montreal. Workshop co-instructor and panelist with Dr.  Peter Rosenbaum, Dr. Gabriel Ronen, Dr. Éric Racine, and Dr. Bernard Dan. September 2017
  • Critical Perspectives in Occupational Therapy. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab, Toronto. Co-instructor with Dr. Gail Teachman and Dr. Yani Hamdani. March 2017
  • School of Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto. Workshop Co-facilitator with Dr. Gail Teachman and Dr. Yani Hamdani. January 2017
  • Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto. Guest lecturer. January 2017
  • Featured author, staff journal club, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab, Toronto. January 2017

2016

2015

  • Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto. Guest lecturer. January 2015

2014

  • Featured author, CanMeds book club. McMaster medical school, Hamilton. September 2014
  • DesignMeets…Voices of HealthCare, Toronto. Presenter. June 2014
  • Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres annual conference, Toronto. Panelist. June 2014
  • Canadian Bioethics Society annual conference, Vancouver BC. Theoretical presentation. May 2014
  • Canadian Conference on Developmental Disabilities and Autism, Winnipeg. Keynote speaker and panelist. May 2014
  • Joint Centre for BioethicsUniversity of Toronto. Guest lecturer. January 2014

2013

  • Amplifying the Voices of Children and Youth with Special Needs, stakeholder consultation, Office of the Provincial Advocate, December 2013 (Participatory event, not a speaking engagement.)
  • Bioethics Week, special presentation for nursing, panelist. Sick Kids Hospital.  November 2013
  • University of Toronto medical students. Guest lecturer. May 2013
  • 16th Annual Obstetric Ultrasound: Setting the Standard for 2013, Panelist, “Sex and Ultrasound”.  February 2013
  • Genetics Grand Rounds, Sick Kids Hospital (Toronto). “Bias and Influence in Decision-making”. January 2013

2012

  • Fetal Medicine Update 2012, Mount Sinai Hospital. “Ethics of Fetal Intervention”, Panelist. October 2012
  • Pediatric Grand Rounds presentation, Toronto East General Hospital, June 2012
  • Silent Voice, Keynote, Annual General Meeting, May 2012
  • Professional Writers’ Association of Canada, Toronto.  Panelist, Narrative Non-fiction, May 2012
  • Joint Center for Bioethics, University of Toronto.  Guest Speaker, May 2012
  • Grand Rounds presentation, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, April 2012
  • Bloom Speaker Series, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.  Presenter, February 15 2012
  • Silver Creek Preschool, Toronto.  Guest Speaker, February 9 2012
  • CBC Radio One, Blue Sky (Saskatchewan).  Interview and call-in show.  February 6 2012, 12:30 pm (Central)
  • CBC Radio One, Alberta at Noon (Alberta).  Interview and call-in show.  February 6 2012, 12:30 pm (Mountain)
  • Indigo bookstore, Mount Sinai Hospital.  Book signing, January 26 2012 12-2 pm
  • CBC Radio One, Ontario Today.  Interview and call-in show. January 19 2012
  • Medical Student Program, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.  Presenter, January 11 2012

2011

  • National Developmental Pediatric Update Conference (“Child Update Conference”), Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto. Workshop co-presented with Maria McDonald, Bioethicist, “Negotiating the Gray Zone:  Ethical Issues in Health Care Decision Making”. November 2011
  • Navigating Contentious Cases in the Public Eye: A Working Symposium, The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto), panelist. October 2011