Leah Lambert

PhD, RN

Bio

Dr. Lambert is a clinical nurse scientist and studies health equity and disparity reduction. She holds a cross appointment as the Executive Director and Senior Scientist of Nursing and Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation at BC Cancer. Dr. Lambert conducts collaborative research and knowledge mobilization initiatives in partnership with health care practitioners, health system leaders, policymakers, and patients to generate evidence-informed improvements in cancer care, better patient outcomes and increased system performance.

Profile

Educational Background

• PhD, University of British Columbia 
• BSN (honours), British Columbia of Institute of Technology
• Dipl. Bus. Admin, Capilano University

Affiliations & Links

Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC School of Nursing

Executive Director and Senior Scientist, Nursing and Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation, BC Cancer

Service

Chair                      Cancer Health Equity Collaborative (CHEC-BC)

Memberships    Select committees:

• Full Associate Member - Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) College of Reviewers
• Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) Research Committee 
• Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) Ethics Advisory Council
• PHSA Nurse Practitioner Research and Quality Improvement Steering Committee
• Medical Assistance in Dying and Advanced Care Planning Policy Committees – PHSA/BC Cancer

Honours & Awards

2024-2029            Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research BC (MSHRBC) - BC Cancer Foundation 5-Year Scholar Award

2022                       University of British Columbia School of Nursing Recent Alumni Award

2021                       Knowledge Translation Canada Summer Institute Award – Michael Smith Foundation of Health Trainee Award

2019-2020            CIHR Health System Impact Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Co-funded by CIHR-ICR, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research & BC Cancer

2019                     Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology Clinical Lectureship Award

2018                     Gordon J. Murphy Memorial Registered Nurses Foundation of British Columbia Bursary

2016                     The Elgin & Vivian Lockridge Registered Nurses Foundation of British Columbia Bursary

2016                     Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology British Columbia Chapter Travel Award

2016                     University of British Columbia, Faculty of Applied Science Graduate Award for Academic Achievement

2014-2016          CIHR Strategic Training in Health Research (CIHR-STIHR) Psychosocial Oncology Research Training Doctoral Fellowship

2010-2014          CIHR Strategic Training in Health Research (CIHR-STIHR) Psychosocial Oncology Research Training Doctoral Fellowship Top-Up Award

2009-2014          University of British Columbia Four-Year Doctoral Fellowship

2011                     Sylvia J. Holmes Registered Nurses Foundation of British Columbia Bursary

2010                     Society of Integrative Oncology Seventh International Conference Early Investigator Award

2010                     University of British Columbia Faculty of Applied Science Graduate Award for Academic Achievement

2009                     Frederick and Elizabeth Willett Registered Nurses Foundation of British Columbia Bursary

2009                     Society of Integrative Oncology Sixth International Conference Travel Award

2008                     Gordon J. Murphy Memorial Registered Nurses Foundation of British Columbia Bursary

Area of Research

Research Interests

Dr. Lambert’s research program is focused on examining the health service needs of people diagnosed with cancer and their families, and expanding multidisciplinary approaches to problem-solving within the care system. Dr. Lambert has a special interest in examining how cancer care practices, policies and systems are contributing to health and health care inequities and investigating strategies to enhance equity-oriented care in the cancer sector. The long-term goal of her research is to generate evidence on how to most effectively provide quality and efficient health services and deliver excellent person-centred care across the cancer care trajectory that is equitable for all patients.

Current Projects

Advancing Equitable Cancer Care: An Innovative Approach to Transformative Action in BC
L.K. Lambert, PI.
Funded by Michael Smith Health Research BC – BC Cancer Foundation

Informing Policy to Optimize the clinical Nurse Specialist Workforce: Advancing the Quadruple Aim and Health Equity
L.K. Lambert, PI.
Funded by Canadian Institute of Health Research

Barrier, Facilitators and Motivations to Pursue Speciality Certification in Oncology Nursing: the Case of BC Oncology Nurses
L.K. Lambert, PI.
Funded by BC Cancer Foundation

Embedded Knowledge Mobilization: Strengthening Oncology Nurses' Capacity for Effective Advanced Care Planning Conversations
L.K. Lambert & R. Gidda, Co-PIs.
Funded by Michael Smith Health Research BC and BC Nurses Union

One Team, My Team: Team-Based Care Staff Survey Study
L.K. Lambert & F. Havaei, Co-PIs.
Funded by BC Cancer Foundation

Creating an Equity-Oriented, Team-Based Model of Care
L.K. Lambert, PI.
Funded by Canadian Partnership Against Cancer

Identifying and Supporting People Affected by Cancer who Experience Health and Social Inequity
L.K. Lambert, PI.
Funded by BC Cancer Foundation

Building Relationships to Unlock a Community-Driven Research Collaboration for Redressing Cancer-Related Inequities in Vancouver’s Urban Core
L.K. Lambert, PI
Funded by Canadian Cancer Society

Adapting Educational Tools & Resources to Reduce Substance Use Stigma & Promote Health Equity in Cancer Care Sector
L.K. Lambert, Co-PI
Funded by University of British Columbia
Health Informatics and Quality (HI-Q)

Completed Projects

Pilot Study Using an Online Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Portal to Optimize Breast Cancer Follow-up Care

Planning to Enhance Capacity for Equity-Oriented Cancer Care in BC

Publications

Selected Publications not Indexed in PubMed

Kilgour, H., Lauck, S., Kaur, J., Chiu, C., Beck, S. & Lambert, L.K. (2024). Situating the Clinical Nurse Specialist role in British Columbia: An environmental scan.

Lambert, L.K. & Lauck, S. (2024). Optimizing the Clinical Nurse Specialist Workforce – Policy Report.

Lambert, L.K. & Knox, A. (2024). Impact Report – BC Cancer Nursing and Allied Health Research and KT.

Lambert, L.K. on behalf of the C2 Team (2022). Planning to Enhance Capacity for Equity-Oriented Cancer Care in BC Engagement sessions – Executive Summary. 

Lambert, L.K. on behalf of the C2 Team (2022). Planning to Enhance Capacity for Equity-Oriented Cancer Care in BC Engagement sessions – Full Report.

Lambert, L.K., Horrill, T.C., Browne, A., Stajduhar, K., Beck, S., Kaur, J., Bourgeois, A., & Cheng, S. (2021). Conceptualization of health and healthcare equity within the Canadian cancer care sector: A rapid scoping review protocol. Open Sci Framew. doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/E954Y

Lambert, L.K. (2017). Cancer and Work: The first Canadian website on return to work after cancer. Report from the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology conference. Oncology Exchange. 16(1), 29-30.

Supervisor Eligibility

MHLP, MHA, MSN – thesis, MSN – non-thesis, PhD, Post-doctoral researcher

Graduate Supervision

Kilgour, Heather – MSN, 2023
Understanding how to better support oncology nurses in conducting advanced care planning in BC's cancer care system - UBC Library Open Collections

Beck, Scott – Joint MSN & MPH, 2023
The gendered experiences of primary caregivers of people living-dying with colorectal cancer - UBC Library Open Collections