Bedside to Bench Conversations

The Ottawa Hospital is piloting a new program to help people share their experiences with cancer from the bedside to the lab bench.

Bedside to Bench Conversations

Interested patients / caregivers will be paired up with a researcher and offered a quiet space to talk.

This can happen before or after a visit to the cancer centre, or virtually.

The goal is to give patients a better understanding of the cancer research landscape and to give researchers a better appreciation for the patient experience as they work to develop new treatments.

Patients, caregivers and researchers at The Ottawa Hospital can email b2b@ohri.ca for more information and to sign up.

FAQ for people and family members living with cancer

You may choose to participate for a variety of reasons. You may be interested in learning more about what is new in the field of cancer research or what discoveries are happening right here at TOH. You may also want to understand why someone has gotten into the field of cancer research and what it is like to do lab bench/discovery research within a hospital. You may choose to participate to give back to the research community by sharing your experiences and your journey, as many students are interested in understanding what it is like to be a cancer patient. Sharing your story helps them understand what matters most to cancer patients and the potential impact of their research. It also allows the researcher to practice explaining their research in terms that patients can understand, which is a critical skill to develop. It is important to understand that these researchers may not be able to talk about clinical trials or cutting-edge cancer treatments for your specific diagnosis and stage.

If you are interested in participating in talking to a researcher, you can email b2b@ohri.ca. You will be emailed a brief questionnaire asking if you have any specific interests or areas that you would like to know more about. You will then be connected with a research staff or student and your initial conversation can be scheduled together.

The initial conversation will take place in a private, designated area located within the Cancer Centre at TOH’s General campus. This location has been created to foster a private conversation between the researcher and patient. It is also possible to arrange a virtual conversation.

Most of the research participants will be graduate students or postdoctoral fellows (completed PhD but doing additional research training). They are mostly working in a “wet lab” meaning they do experiments with human tissue samples, cancer cell lines and mouse models of cancer. Some of the researchers are interested in becoming doctors or other health care professionals and others plan to pursue a career in a field related to research. Some participants have their own cancer story which has motivated them to enter the field of cancer research. They have all volunteered to participate in this program as it is not a requirement.

Yes, if you feel that after your first conversation with the researcher that you both would like to meet again and further your discussion you are more than welcome to. You may also request to meet with another researcher to gain a different perspective.

Yes, patients are encouraged to participate at any stage in their cancer journey when they feel they have the time and energy to engage. All perspectives are valuable.

Yes, if you are a caregiver for a cancer patient, your journey is an important one and a research participant can benefit greatly from your experience and perspective.

You will be provided with a brief survey so that you can provide feedback on the experience. You can also email feedback directly to b2b@ohri.ca.

FAQ for researchers

Researchers may choose to participate in order to gain an understanding of what it is like to live with cancer. They may be interested in learning how cancer is diagnosed and treated today and what things matter most to cancer patients on their journey. Researchers may also value the opportunity to be able to present their research in plain language and talk about emerging science in the field with a non-medical stakeholder within the cancer landscape.

If you are a student, research technician/associate, or a scientist, fellow, or research staff member and are interested in participating in talking to a patient, you can email b2b@ohri.ca. You will be emailed a brief questionnaire asking if you have any specific interests or areas that you would like to know more about (for example a specific disease site). You will then be connected with a patient and your initial conversation can be scheduled together.

The initial conversation will take place in a private, designated area located within the Cancer Centre at the TOH General campus. This location has been created to foster a private conversation between the researcher and patient. Virtual conversations are also an option.

Yes, if you feel that after your first conversation with the patient participant you both would like to meet again and further your discussion you are more than welcome to. You may also request to meet with another patient participant to gain a different perspective.