If you are an IPOS member and are interested in participating in one of these SIGs, please log on and visit the Members-only SIG page. If you are not a member, please apply for membership.

Standing Committee & Special Interest Group (SIG) Chairs

(last updated on April 19, 2024)

Awards Committee
Jane Turner (Chair 2023 - 2025) – Australia
The Awards Committee facilitates the recognition of significant contributions in the field and manages the selection process for award winners.

2023 Report.
2022 6-month report update.
2021 6-month report update.

Early Career Professionals in Psycho-Oncology (ECPP) Committee
Amanda Balakirsky (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – USA
Tihana Gaspert (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Croatia
This special interest group brings together and represents the interests of IPOS members who are early in their career and wants to provide a platform through which they can find and support each other.

2023 Report.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.
2021 Report.
2021 6-month report update.
2020 Committee Report.

Education Committee
Daisuke Fujisawa (Co-Chair 2023– 2025) – Japan
Maria Die Trill (Co-Chair 2023– 2025) – Spain
Tania Estape (Co-Chair 2023– 2025) – Spain
The Education Committee facilitates the educational goals of the society through World Congress offerings, Annual and Special Academies, web-based training and any other educational opportunities as may arise.

2023 Report
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.

If you are running a local CANCER SPECIFIC TRAINING program (in person, virtual, webcast, workshop) and would like IPOS endorsement, please download/complete/submit the following form. Completed forms are submitted to the IPOS Executive Director for passing along to the Education Committee for review and consideration. We require a minimum of two-months advance notice to your program date for proper review. Incomplete forms will result in a decline to endorse.

Federation Committee
Tom Hack (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada
Wendy Lam (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Hong Kong, China
The Federation includes the President of each national or regional organization that has joined the IPOS Federation. The Federation meets at each World Congress to share information and programs that have been successful in the prior year.

2023 Report.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Committee Report.
2022 6-month report update.2021 Committee Report.
2021 6-month report update.
2020 Committee Report.

Fundraising and Marketing Committee
Melissa Henry (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada
Jayita Deodhar (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – India
Fundraising and marketing the IPOS brand are critical to the financial success of IPOS. Volunteers are welcome to join this Committee to support IPOS efforts at soliciting adequate funds to support the mission, vision and strategic plan of the society.

2023 Report.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.
2021 6-month report update.
2020 Committee Report.

Health Promotion & Prevention Committee
Wendy Lam (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Hong Kong, China
Chioma Asuzu (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Nigeria
The mandate of the Health Promotion & Prevention Committee is to promote and develop primary, secondary and tertiary preventive initiatives in cancer and cancer care, advocating the importance and appropriateness of developing and implementing prevention as opposed to remediation strategies wherever and whenever possible regarding cancer as part of the skills set of psycho-oncology and facilitating prevention approaches in practice, research and collaboration.

Membership Committee
Daisuke Fujisawa (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Japan
Tom Hack (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada
The Membership Committee fosters the growth, development and retention of engaged professionals from all psycho-oncology-related disciplines.

2023 Report.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report
2022 6-month report update.
2021 6-month report update.
2020 Committee Report.

Nominating Committee
Tom Hack (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada
Chioma Asuzu (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Nigeria
This Committee is chaired by the immediate Past President and includes members of the society. The Committee develops a slate of candidates (appropriately representing our geographic, professional and gender diversity) to serve as elected officers and directors of the society, and also oversees the annual election process.

Research Committee
Jo Shaw (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Australia
Sylvie Lambert (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada

2023 Report.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.
2021 6-month report update.
2020 Committee Report.
This Committee facilitates research activities of international scope and significance, addressing cross-cultural differences, with an emphasis on the challenges of developing countries. The Committee is developing and maintaining a clearinghouse of resources to support psycho-oncology researchers.

Launched in 2021 – REQUEST FOR RESEARCH STUDY PEER REVIEW.

World Congress Committee
Wendy Lam (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Hong Kong, China
Robbert Sanderman (Co-Chair 2024) - The Netherlands
The members of this Committee are prior and the current World Congress Chairs. The mandate of this Committee is to identify and propose potential World Congress locations and to manage the process of site and co-sponsor selection.

WHO – World Health Organization Committee
Wendy Lam (Chair) – Hong Kong, China
Chioma Asuzu – Nigeria
Cristiane Decat Bergerot – Brazil
Csaba Dégi – Romania
Jayita Deodhar – India
Tania Estapè – Spain
Melissa Henry – Canada
Carmen Loiselle – Canada
This Committee is responsible for managing our relationship with the World Health Organization and to collaborate in WHO programmes to further health-for-all goals.

Special Interest Groups (SIG) Chairs

IPOS also has Special Interest Groups in the following specialty areas. Membership in a SIG is open to anyone with an interest in the subject area – members are welcome to join one or more, or to propose any other area that the member feels would benefit the professional members of IPOS

Cancer and Aging: Reflection for Elders (CARE)
Gil Goldzweig (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Israel
Tania Estape (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Spain
Patricia Parker (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – USA
In response to the rapid growth of the aging population diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers, the mandate of the Cancer and Aging: Reflection for Elders (CARE) SIG is to promote global collaborations among researchers, clinicians, and decision makers to improve outcomes for these groups.

2023 Report
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.
2021 SIG Report.

E-Health and AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Carmen Loiselle (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada
Claire Foster (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – United Kingdom
Tania Estape (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Spain

2023 Report.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.
2021 SIG Report
2021 6-month report update.

Click here to view committee members.
This special interest groups is focused on exploring and advancing E-health activities that relate to psychosocial oncology.

Fear of Cancer Recurrence Special Interest Group (FORwards)
Jose Custers (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – The Netherlands
Christine Maheu (Deputy Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada

2023 Report.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.
2021 SIG Report.
2021 6-month report update.
2020 SIG Report.
Click here to view committee members.
This special interest group provides an interactive professional network for IPOS members with a special interest in Fear of Cancer Recurrence.

Implementation Science and Practice (ISP) - New 2024
Pernille Envold Bidstrup (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Denmark
Carmen Loiselle (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada

The aim of the ISP Special Interest Group (SIG) are to:

• Form an international network of researchers and clinicians within IPOS focusing on establishing knowledge on implementation science and practice.
• Foster a productive environment where IPOS members can share best practices, exchange ideas, and establish new research collaborations.  
• Disseminate new knowledge to IPOS members and the public on implementation including through the IPOS website, educational webinars, training programs, IPOS meetings, and mentorship opportunities.
• Support and empower IPOS members to overcome challenges and work towards  implementing IPOS standard of quality cancer care within international healthcare settings.
• Inform the IPOS board on advances in the implementation area.

Latin American/Spanish Special Interest Group (LASSIG)
Cristiane Decat Bergerot (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Brazil
Maria Die Trill (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Spain
Lea Baider (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Israel
Rodbin Campos Lobo (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Costa Rica
The main objective of the LASSIG is to foster the science and practice of psycho-oncology in Spanish-speaking countries, in order to improve the care of cancer patients, and aide in the development of professional networks to exchange clinical and research-related knowledge as well as scientific material in Spanish.

2023 Report.
2022 Report.

Low and Medium Income Countries (LMIC)
Chioma Asuzu (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Nigeria
Ozan Bahcivan (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Turkiye
Jayita Deodhar (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – India
Phillip Odiyo (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Kenya
To identify problem areas of LMIC in psycho-oncology compared with the western world where psycho-oncology has become relatively well developed. To articulate broad strategies for overcoming these problems in these countries. To encourage the development of psycho-oncology training and services in these countries as well as regional and national associations for the promotion of the practices in these countries. To develop other South-South and North-South linkages and affiliations and programmes for the furtherance of psycho-oncology in these regions and countries of the world. To encourage the participation of these young psycho-oncology practitioners from these LMIC countries in the activities of IPOS.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.

Palliative Care (Established in August 2020)
Gary Rodin (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada
Leslie Chalklin (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada
Ursula Sansom-Daly (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Australia

2023 Report.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report
2021 SIG Report
2021 6-month report update.

The aims of the Palliative Care Special Interest Group (SIG) are to:

• Provide a professional network for members with an interest in psychosocial aspects of palliative care
• Foster links with researchers and clinicians from the broad range of disciplines working in the area of palliative care to promote psychosocial care as a core component of quality palliative care
• Facilitate discussion about initiatives to enhance psychosocial knowledge and skills of health professionals working in palliative care
• Facilitate discussion about research initiatives and foster research collaborations (in coordination with the IPOS Research Committee)
• Disseminate information about educational opportunities (including web-based resources or focused training), workshops or conferences, develop focused educational initiatives (in collaboration with the IPOS Education Committee) and contribute to the scientific program of the IPOS World Congress as appropriate

IPOS members interested in volunteering with the Palliative Care Special Interest Group can submit their interest online by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/palliativecaresig

Pediatric
Fiona Schulte (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Canada
Joanna Fardell (Co-Chair 2023 – 2025) – Australia

2023 Report.
2022 Report
2022 6-month report update.
2021 SIG Report.
2021 6-month report update.
2020 SIG Report.
This special interest group brings together and represents the interests of IPOS members who work with children and adolescents with cancer and their family members.

Survivorship (Established in June 2020)
Michael Jefford (Co-Chair 2020 – 2024) Australia
Christina Signorelli (Co-Chair 2022 – 2024) Australia 

2023 Report.
2023 6-month report update.
2022 Report.
2022 6-month report update.
2021 SIG Report.2021 6-month report update.
2020 SIG Report.
The aims of the Survivorship Special Interest Group (SIG) are to:

• Provide a professional network for clinicians and researchers who have an interest in cancer survivorship
• Promote awareness of issues affecting cancer survivors, their family members, and carers
• Disseminate through the IPOS website information about a broad range of educational opportunities (including web-based resources or focused training), workshops or conferences (if approved by the Education Committee) of interest to members
• Establish research collaborations (in coordination with the IPOS Research Committee)
• Disseminate research findings including implementation strategies particularly in the areas of prevention, early detection, and management of survivorship issues, as well as promotion of wellness
• Network with like-minded organisations with a similar focus to the IPOS survivorship SIG
• Provide advice to the IPOS Board regarding survivorship care

NGO Affiliation Task Forces

European Cancer Organisation: The European Cancer Organisation aims to reduce the burden of cancer, improve outcomes and the quality of care for cancer patients, through multidisciplinarity and multiprofessionalism. As the not-for-profit federation of member organisations working in cancer at a European level, the European Cancer Organisation convenes oncology professionals and patients to agree policy, advocate for positive change and speak up for the European cancer community. europeancancer.org: Marie Die-Trill

EPAAC – European Partnership for Action Against Cancer: Luzia Travado
U.S. National Cancer Institute: Paul Jacobsen
UICC – Union for International Cancer Control: Jane Turner

Any member who supports the recognition of psychosocial cancer care as a human right, is invited to join other like-minded professionals to further this important mission.