Ambreen Sayani, MD, MS, PhD

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for nearly one in six deaths. In Canada, it is estimated that one in every two Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer over the course of their lifetime, and one in every four Canadians will die of the disease. Despite Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system, significant inequities in cancer-related health outcomes persist. These inequities are influenced by the uneven distribution of social determinants of health, including income, education, and geographic location. Furthermore, population groups experiencing discrimination based on their social identity, such as Indigenous peoples and racial minorities, often face higher cancer risks and poorer outcomes, underscoring the need for targeted interventions and policies to address these health inequities.

As a global expert in equity-promoting cancer policy and strategy, Dr. Sayani envisions a future where the burden of cancer is reduced and eventually eliminated for all communities. Dr. Sayani advocates for addressing the social determinants of health to ensure that everyone has the resources, support, and care necessary to prevent and treat cancer. As the Principal Investigator of the Improving Cancer Care Equity (ICCE) Lab, Dr. Sayani aims to enhance equitable cancer outcomes by promoting cancer prevention, early detection, and access to high-quality care for all. The ICCE Lab is guided by Equity-Mobilizing Partnerships in Community (EMPaCT), a co-designed model of diverse and inclusive patient engagement.

Dr. Sayani co-designs healthcare services that are person-centric by using community-engaged participatory research methods to partner with interdisciplinary teams, including policymakers, healthcare providers and patients (defined as community members with relevant lived/living experience). The ICCE Lab generates timely knowledge on equity-promoting patient engagement methods, co-designs evidence-based interventions and collaborates extensively to implement effective solutions. While specifically promoting person-centered cancer care, Dr. Sayani’s research program generates knowledge and learnings that are transferable across the healthcare sector so that we can provide timely, effective, safe and equitable care to all patients.