Join us for the CHEER 2025/2026 Webinar Series!
Navigating Paediatric Assent in Canada
February 18, 2026 at 12:30pm EST
Join us for an exciting webinar exploring family and researcher perspectives of assent in child health research and the launch of CHEER’s assent materials!
Meet our Speakers:
Darlene Durand
Patient and Family Engagement Partner
Darlene is a Registered Early Childhood Educator, parent, and advocate with lived experience navigating her daughter’s care across pediatric and adult systems. A graduate of the Family Engagement in Research (FER) Program, she contributes her expertise to health research focused on improving communication and care coordination. As a patient partner with London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), she champions compassionate, inclusive, and family‑centred care. She is dedicated to advancing research and care practices that honour lived experience and strengthen outcomes for all families.Patient and Family Engagement Partner
Katie O’Hearn
Research Manager, PICU, CHEO
Katie O’Hearn is the research manager for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at CHEO and the Co-Chair of the Canadian Critical Care Research Coordinator Group. She graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2013 with a MSc in Human Kinetics and has over 15 years of clinical research experience. She manages several multi-centre research programs, including an international clinical trial of steroids in pediatric septic shock and a multi-centre trial on vitamin D deficiency in pediatric critical illness. In addition to her research manager role, Katie is an Investigator with the CHEO Research Institute. She leads a research program focused on assent in the pediatric critical care setting. This program has included an environmental scan of assent in pediatric critical care, and two studies focused on understanding the perspectives of key stakeholders on assent in PICU using survey and interview methodologies. The end goal of this research program is to develop guidelines for assent in Canadian pediatric critical care research.
Past Events
Integrating the Patient Perspective in Pediatric Clinical Care through the Implementation of Voxe: An Electronic Patient-reported Outcome Measure Platform
Thursday November 13, 2025
Ethics Made Easier: Avoid Common Mistakes and Understand REB Expectations
October 15, 2025 at 12:00pm EST
Access to Clinical Trials for Children from Military-Connected Families
Thursday September 11, 2025
Parents and Neonatal Research
April 15, 2025
Reimagining Indigenous Research Ethics in Canada: Charting a New Course
February 5, 2025
Right-Sizing Health Systems for Kids through Health Research and Research Excellence
November 12, 2024
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) principles in the review of research
October 29, 2024
Importance of Data Sharing and Demystifying the Process
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022
9-10 PDT/ 12-1 EDT
Link to register:
https://queensu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RnuSPUmqQKOArwOY_EOeRA
Register using this link to receive a zoom calendar invite.