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The Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) program at the University of Calgary teaches patient, family, and community members to bring patient-informed health research evidence into health care planning, practice and policy. This innovative program teaches health research methodology, competencies, and skills to learners so they can more meaningfully collaborate on the research projects that matter to them and their communities. Join us in this episode to learn more about the PaCER program!

Dr. Maria J. Santana, PhD, Principal Investigator and Advisory Group Member
Dr. Maria Santana is a health services researcher, and patient and family-centred care scientist. She is an Associate Professor in the departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Dr. Santana has received training in clinical pharmacy, public health, and clinical epidemiology. Her research focuses in developing novel methods to integrate the voice of patients and family caregivers in health care and health service research to improve health and health care. The methods advance person-centred care and patient-oriented research. She is the Provincial Lead, Patient Engagement, for the Alberta Strategy for Patient-oriented Research.

Ingrid Nielssen, Instructor
The instructor for the PaCER program is Ingrid Nielssen. She holds a graduate degree in Gender and Social Justice from the University of Alberta. She is passionate about including patient and community members into the research that impacts them, and believes in co-developing more inclusive approaches to participatory health research methodology and praxis. She enjoys working with the unique and innovative learners that PaCER attracts. Ingrid believes the PaCER program and methodology offers opportunity to all individuals interested in developing foundational research experience and skills. This can assure more inclusive and universal approaches to patient-centred participatory health research and engagement.

In addition to being the PaCER course instructor, Ingrid is the Patient Engagement Coordinator for the Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit’s Patient Engagement team.

Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) website
Past PaCER study Publications