My research program addresses a central challenge in contemporary cancer care: as care has shifted to ambulatory settings, patients and their family caregivers now assume a 24/7 responsibility for self-managing the complex physical and psychosocial consequences of cancer. Yet many lack the knowledge, skills, and support to do so effectively, placing a heavy and often invisible burden on individuals and their relationships and increasing the risk of poorer health outcomes.
Guided by coping and behavioral science, my research focuses on developing and testing tailored, digitally enabled self-management interventions, including stepped-care models that adapt support over time. As this research evolved, my program increasingly emphasizes implementation science, particularly embedding patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into clinical workflows to trigger timely and scalable self-management support. This evolution reflects a shift from intervention efficacy to real-world impact, with attention to equity, sustainability, and reach, including for culturally and linguistically diverse populations. My overarching goal is to ensure that evidence-based self-management and PROMs are integrated into everyday cancer care so that no patient or caregiver is left without the support they need.
As well, with the l’Observatoire québécois de la proche aidance and the Organisme de soutien aux proches aidants en oncologie du Québec (OSPAOQ), my team developed the ! This interactive infographic provides a clear, visual overview of the journey of caring for a person with cancer, thereby offering an enhanced understanding of the realities of cancer caregiving. As such, it enables more effective support for the caregiver as their trajectory evolves, shifts or is redefined.
Key studies include:
- e-IMPAQc (Electronic IMplementation of Patient-reported outcomes Across Quebec) – a $5.2M multi-partner initiative and Quebec’s largest PROMs implementation to improve symptom monitoring, care coordination, and quality of life.
- TEMPO (Tailored, wEb-based psychosocial and physical activity self-Management PrOgram) – funded by CIHR ($761,000), this study evaluates a web-based self-management and physical activity program for men with prostate cancer and their caregivers, with FRQS–Oncopole funding extending it to head and neck cancer survivors.
Most rewarding part of my work
The most rewarding part of my work is seeing research directly improve how patients and caregivers experience care, making them feel seen, supported, and capable of managing life during and after cancer. Equally meaningful is mentoring the next generation of researchers to lead with compassion, innovation, and scientific rigor.
Selected recent publications
- Lambert, S.D., McKenzie, M., Coronado, A.C., Caissie, A., Tracey, L., Watson, L., Deiure, A., Shaw-Moxam, R., Ryan, J.A., Arab, M., Jorgensen, B., Crump, A., Rayner, L., Lecours, M., Howatt, P.S. (2025). Real-World Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Implementation: Challenges and Successes of a Pan-Canadian Initiative to Improve the Future of Patient-Centered Cancer Care. JCO Oncology Practice, 21(8), 1087-1096.
- Lambert, S., Moodie, E.E.M., McCusker, J., Lokhorst, M., Harris, C., Langmuir, T., Belzile, E., Laizner, A.M., Brahim, L.O.*, Wasserman, S.*, Chehayeb, S.*, Vickers M, Duncan L, Esplen MJ, Maheu C, Howell D, de Raad M. (2025). Translating Evidence-Based Self-Management Interventions Using a Stepped-Care Approach for Patients With Cancer and Their Caregivers: A Pilot Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial Design. 34(1):±ð70043.Ìý
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