The Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy Innovates with Co-Mentorship Pilot Program

The Co-Mentorship Program at the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy was developed in partnership with the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research SUPPORT Unit (AbSPORU) and the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, representing a compelling case study on how patient engagement can be embedded early in research careers and sustained and scaled with proper support.

The program, piloted in September 2024, paired seven graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with five patient partners: individuals with lived experience of cancer, either as patients, caregivers, or family members. The program had a clear mission to foster collaboration between laboratory-based trainees and individuals with lived experience, ultimately helping to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and real-world health impact and support research that is scientifically rigorous yet grounded in patient needs and priorities.

While enrolled in AbSPORU’s graduate course in patient-oriented research* (co-delivered by AbSPORU and the University of Alberta School of Public Health), one student became motivated by a presentation on patient engagement and reached out to AbSPORU’s Patient Engagement Team to learn more. This connection became the catalyst for developing a co-mentorship program that could help foster a culture of patient partnership within a leading immunotherapy research institute.

The Co-Mentorship Program at the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy showcases the power of patient-researcher collaboration in spaces where it has traditionally been absent. It reflects a meaningful culture shift beyond traditional POR-focused researchers, toward broader engagement with basic scientists working in preclinical research settings and toward a system that values the people it serves. This program represents how AbSPORU helps build the scaffolding for a replicable model of training that integrates lived experience into scientific inquiry.

Early in the program’s development, AbSPORU’s Patient Engagement Team supported the design of the curriculum, attended working group meetings, and facilitated the recruitment and preparation of patient partners. They also delivered several training modules, coordinated guest speakers, and facilitated monthly journal club sessions.

As part of the pre/post-program evaluation, also designed and administered by the PE team, they convened a post-program reflective session which served as both a debrief and a knowledge gathering exercise for future program improvement. This participatory evaluation process involved both students and patient partners and will be documented in an upcoming publication co-authored by members of the Riddell Centre, AbSPORU, and participants from the pilot program (including patient partners).

In the reflective session, participants described powerful experiences, impacting both researchers and patient partners. The human experience brought about by partnering with someone with lived experience enhanced the research, while patient partners appreciated stepping into the world of basic science research. One patient partner said, “I didn’t think there was a place for me in lab research. This program proved otherwise.”

Both groups agreed that the program’s structure, particularly the monthly meetings and hands-on projects, fostered strong relationships and meaningful learning. A key piece of feedback was the shared desire for a longer program duration.

The program will be sustained into 2025 and beyond, supported by internal funding from the Riddell Centre and advisory and training services by AbSPORU’s PE Team.

The quotes below are from the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy Co-Mentorship Program website.

The image above shows presenters at the Cracking the Cancer Code annual event hosted by the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, taken by Brandon Coelho, the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute.

Advancing capacity in POR is one of AbSPORU’s top priorities. Ultimately, a culture shift toward integrating POR (and patient engagement in particular) in research is demonstrated when patient-oriented principles and processes break through the boundaries of traditional research environments

This model of embedding patient partners within academic training environments (rather than layering it on top) has the potential to be replicated in other research institutes across Alberta and elsewhere. It demonstrates that even in traditionally “hard-to-reach” research environments like basic science labs, patient engagement is not only possible, but transformative.