MAPAS
The MAPAS Initiative strengthens cross-border collaboration across the Americas by transforming locally generated palliative care research into publishable, high-impact scholarship. Through academic exchange, mentorship, and capacity-building, MAPAS connects trainees and clinicians from North, Central, and South America with supportive research networks, expanding opportunities for equitable scientific dissemination. By bridging countries, languages, and academic cultures, MAPAS fosters reciprocal academic synergy, advances palliative care scholarship, and empowers emerging researchers throughout the continent.
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Current projects:
- Measuring pediatric high-intensity end-of-life care in pediatric hospitals with and without access to PPC in Mexico
- Barriers to implementing PPC in Mexico
- 10-year national review of the Mexican death certificate data
Lines of Research
IMPACT
IMPACT focuses on evaluating and improving pediatric palliative care models through the development of innovative programs, outcome measures, and system-level strategies. This research line advances understanding of how care is delivered, experienced, and optimized across settings. By integrating quality improvement, PROMs/PREMs, and novel care pathways, IMPACT drives meaningful transformation in how children and families receive palliative support.
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Current projects:
- Impact of outpatient PPC clinic on emergency department utilization
- Measuring the Quality of Children's End-of-Life Care
MIRAGE
MIRAGE explores the ethical, legal, and narrative implications of using generative AI to depict medically complex children. Through interdisciplinary scholarship, this program examines how synthetic images shape public perception, fundraising, representation, and identity. MIRAGE aims to promote responsible innovation by developing guidance and best practices for the creation and dissemination of AI-generated visuals in healthcare communication and pediatric palliative care.
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Current projects:
- Ethical use of AI-generated media of children with medical conditions
- Canadian legal framework for the use of generative AI in the context of medicalized child media
SPARKS
SPARKS is dedicated to generating high-quality evidence through systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and rigorous knowledge synthesis in pediatric palliative care. This research line identifies what is known, clarifies what remains uncertain, and illuminates pathways for future advancement. SPARKS supports evidence-informed practice by translating complex research findings into accessible knowledge that guides clinicians, educators, and policymakers toward better care for children with serious illness.
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Current projects:
- Impact of respite in children and families facing palliative care needs
- Indications of gabapentin and pregabalin in pediatrics and PPC
- Scoping review of grief and bereavement camps
GRACE
GRACE examines the experiences of grief and bereavement among families, siblings, and clinicians caring for children with serious illness. Through qualitative and quantitative inquiry, this program seeks to understand grief trajectories, coping strategies, and the supports that foster resilience. GRACE also contributes to developing educational resources and evidence-informed interventions that compassionately guide families and care teams through loss.
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Current projects:
- Ask Us Anything: a framework to answer questions from bereaved children
COMPASS
COMPASS serves as the foundational hub for clinical and general research in pediatric palliative and serious illness care. This research line explores symptoms, communication, decision-making, care pathways, and health outcomes across the illness journey. COMPASS orients clinicians, researchers, and families by generating evidence that guides best practices and ensures that children with serious illness receive thoughtful, informed, and holistic care.
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Current projects:
- Prevalence of PPC needs in a pediatric hospital
- Impact of early methadone in pediatric oncologic end-of-life care
- Impact of at-home massage therapy in children with serious illness
PEARL
PEARL focuses on advancing perinatal palliative care through research addressing fetal diagnosis, antenatal counselling, neonatal comfort care, and family experiences during pregnancy and early infancy. This program seeks to deepen understanding of the unique needs of families facing serious perinatal conditions and to develop educational tools and clinical approaches that promote compassionate, family-centred care from diagnosis through bereavement.
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Current projects:
- Outcomes of pregnancies after prenatal palliative care consultation
OUTSIDE THE BOX
We sometimes do research outside the palliative care world. These projects cover a wide range of topics, from medical education to the delivery of virtual care to the use of therapeutic cannabinoids in pediatrics. Doesn't seem like there is a common thread between them? Well, because there isn't. We just thought that Outside the Box sounded better than "miscellaneous projects".
