Adj Asst Prof Gilbert Fan, DProf, RSW, FAPA is a Clinical Supervisor (Satir), Fellow of the American Psychotherapy Association (USA) Registered Social Worker & Member of the International Workgroup of Death, Dying & Bereavement. Gilbert’s professional doctorate is in Social Work & Futures Studies. He has extensive experience as a medical social worker, having worked in both general and tertiary hospitals and a short teaching stint at the Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) lecturing in the Behavioural Sciences. He continues to teach in various capacities in social work and counselling programmes at both local and foreign universities. He was an Adjunct Senior Lecturer with the Department of Social Work, NUS (2015-2017, Honorary Senior Lecturer with the Department of Social Work & Social Administration, HKU (2014-2017), Lecturer (Part-time) with The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2017 to 2019). He has been appointed as Master Practice Leader by the Ministry of Social & Family Development in 2015-2020 and Fellow of the Social Service Institute in 2016-2019 and 2020 to present. He is being appointed as Adjunct Assistant Professor (Social Work, NUS) as of Jan 2023.
Gilbert is currently the Chair for Volunteer Engagement & Co-Chair for Joy at Work Committee, Institution Wellness officer, HR Counsellor & Trainer (Employee Relations), Human Resource and Master MSW to the Department of Psychosocial Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore. His clinical interest is in griefwork and bereavement, experiential counselling and groupwork, particularly in the application of experiential counselling of patients with advanced cancers. His research interests include the study of coping behaviours, meaning-making and intervention models in cancer care.

Jessica Goh graduated from Graduate Dip in Social Work (NUS, Singapore). She has a Master’s in Education & Training, and a Bachelor’s in Electrical & Electronic Engineering. She is a registered social worker with practice experiences in hospice and hospital settings to provide psychosocial support for terminally patients and their significant others. She has years of experience in education development and design thinking related projects, including healthcare related services. She is currently working as an Educational Executive at the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN). Her interests are psychosocial education and use of technologies for education.

Dr Andy H. Y. Ho is a psychologist, social scientist, educator who specializes in thanatology, public health palliative care, psychosocial gerontology, integrative therapies, and community empowerment. He is the President for the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and serves as Board Director of the prestigious International Work Group on Death Dying and Bereavement (IWGDDB). He is also the Head of Psychology and Associate Professor of Psychology and Medicine at Nanyang Technological University, as well as Director of Research of the Palliative Care Centre for Excellence in Research and Education (PalC) Singapore. A clinical innovator, Andy has founded a number of acclaimed and innovative psycho-socio-spiritual interventions for health promotion, some of which include: Mindful-Compassion Art-based Therapy (MCAT) for burnout prevention; Family Dignity Intervention (FDI) for advancing holistic palliative care services; and Narrative e-Writing Intervention (NeW-I) for augmenting pediatrics palliative care and parental bereavement services. Andy is the recipient 2018 ADEC Academic Educator Award, 2019 Nanyang Educator Award, and the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award of the University of Hong Kong. He has authored over 120 top-tier publications and presented more than 200 keynote and plenary sessions across the globe.

方俊凱PhD,精神科醫師，台灣中國醫藥大學醫學士，台北護理健康大學生死教育與輔導碩士，陽明大學生物醫學影像暨放射科學博士。現任馬偕紀念醫院安寧療護教育示範中心主任、精神醫學部前主任，台北護理健康大學生死與健康心理諮商系副教授，台灣癌症防治政策委員。曾經擔任或現任的學術單位，包括：台灣安寧照顧協會理事長、台灣安寧緩和醫學學會常務理事、台灣安寧照顧基金會董事、APHN理事暨China SIG主席、台灣心理腫瘤醫學學會理事長等職務。發表各類學術期刊論文數十篇，2017年獲得國際心理腫瘤醫學會(IPOS)臨床終身成就獎，並為多本國際學術期刊的編輯或審稿委員。

林偉民醫生於1987年畢業於香港大學醫學院，受訓成為內科及紓緩醫學專科醫生，現為香港靈實醫院內科顧問醫生。林醫生曾擔任香港紓緩醫學學會會長 (2013-2015)，香港醫學專科學院紓緩醫學委員會主席 (2018-2023)，靈實醫院副院長 (2018-2022)，香港醫院管理局紓緩治療培訓委員會主席 (2016-2023) 等，致力推動紓緩醫學和紓緩治療服務在香港的發展，並參與多項紓緩治療教學與研究工作。於2023年退休後於靈實醫院以部份時間形式參與臨床工作，繼續照顧病人。

余俊明医生，是现任与 Vickycares 私立居家医疗团队，位于新加坡伊丽莎白医院 （诺维娜）与新加坡花拉公园医院的慈怀疗护高级顾问医生。
他至2020年2月就担任慈怀疗护灵床质量改进委员会 （Singapore Hospice Council, Quality Improvement Committee）的副主席。

自2014至2023年在新加坡陈笃生医院慈怀疗护部门担任专科顾问。2019年至2023年，余医生也担任托福园慈怀疗养院居家医疗团队 (Dover Park Hospice Home Care) 的部门主任。

他2002年毕业于新加坡国立大学杨潞龄医学院，2011年考获皇家医学院（英国）内科文凭 [MRCP (UK) Internal Medicine]。他也是新加坡国立大学杨潞龄医学院和新加坡南洋理工大李光前医学院的临床导师。

余医生从事慈怀疗护行业已有十年。当中他也担任过雅西西慈怀医院居家医疗服务 (Assisi Hospice Home Care)、樟宜综合医院 (Changi General Hospital) 慈怀疗护部门以及圣安德烈社区医院 (St Andrew’s Community Hospital)的慈怀疗护病房专科咨询顾问医生。2014年，他获颁新加坡卫生部人力资源发展计划奖学金 (Human Manpower Development Program [HMDP])，前往美国德克萨斯州休斯顿市（MD Anderson Cancer Centre）慈怀疗护部门进修以及参与研究工作。

余医生致力于通过与其它医药团队全面性的配合，为临终病患与他们的家属提供生理上的治疗与心理上的扶持。在研究上，余医生对癌症疼痛治疗(Cancer pain management) 和灵床质量改进(Clinical Quality Improvement)有浓厚的兴趣，。他现在与新加坡慈怀协会进行一项由新加坡卫生部资助的全国看护者调查，以让各大医疗机构更了解看护者的需求。

梁淑慧副教授现任新加坡国立癌症中心支援及慈怀疗护部门主任/高级顾问医生，也是新保集团杜克-新加坡國立大學醫學院支援及慈怀疗中心主任。 在业余时间，梁医生目前也出任新加坡慈怀理事会临床服务指导委员会主席及HCA慈怀护理董事会成员。她曾经担任新加坡慈怀理事会会长，以及雅西西慈怀病院医疗主任。

梁医生1997年毕业于新加坡国立大学医学院，2003年考获皇家医学院（英国）内科文凭， 2007年瑞典隆德大学公共卫生学硕士。她在2012年获颁新加坡卫生部人力资源发展计划奖学金，到了美国麻省总医院慈怀疗护部门进修。

叶丽萍是一名资深的安宁疗护专业护士，她自2006年开始在马来西亚的安宁关怀中心服务一直到现在。她于2001年获得护理学文凭，2011年获得澳大利亚弗林德斯大学健康（安宁疗护）专业的毕业证书，并在2012年获得亚太慈怀疗护网络的安宁疗护的学位证书。叶丽萍曾是多项安宁培训和教学项目的导师，也是APHN 连氏安宁疗护项目斯里兰卡和中国的安宁疗护培训的导师之一。

• 北京市海淀医院（北京大学第三医院海淀院区）安宁疗护科主任
• 肿瘤科主任医师，肿瘤硕士，曾从事肿瘤血液临床33年

• 社会兼职
• 中国老年保健医学研究会缓和医疗分会副主任委员
• 中国老年学和老年医学学会安宁疗护分会副主任委员
• 中国抗癌协会安宁疗护专业委员会常务委员
• 北京医师协会安宁疗护专业专家委员会常务委员
• 北京抗癌协会康复及姑息治疗专业委员会常务委员
• 北京整合医学会叙事医学分会常务委员
• 北京市医学会老年医学分会缓和医疗学组副组长
• 中英生命末期品质照护（QELCA）联合培训讲师

• 荣誉
• 2019年度北京市“孝顺榜样”
• 2020年度全国“敬老爱老助老模范人物”

程劭儀教授 畢業
台大醫學系畢業
台大公衛學院預防醫學研究所碩士 美國約翰霍普金斯大學公衛學院醫療政策與管理博士(2006-2011)
現任  台大醫學院家庭醫學科專任教授
      臺大醫院家庭醫學部主任
      台大家庭醫學部預防保健科主任
      台灣安寧療護雜誌主編
      台灣安寧緩和醫療學會理事長
台灣國際保健醫學會理事
台灣慢性病醫學會理事
醫師公會全聯會國際事務委員

優良事績
1. 2005年度台灣家庭醫學教育研究學會青年學者優秀論文獎 『瑪里士優秀論文獎』第三名
2. 2012年台大醫學院青杏醫學獎得主
3. 2013年家庭醫學會默沙東研究獎得主
4. 2015 年第六屆台灣家庭醫學教育研究學會 「院士」
5. 2015 年國民健康署醫院癌症篩檢暨診療品質提升計畫 「卓越人員貢獻獎」

施至遠為家庭醫學科醫師，同時具有安寧緩和醫療與老年醫學專科醫師資格，目前是台灣大學附設醫院家庭醫學部主治醫師，與台灣大學醫學院家庭醫學科兼任助理教授。自2022年起擔任台灣安寧緩和醫療學會秘書長，同時於2017年起為台灣在宅醫療學會理事。
施醫師於2009-2016年期間，服務於台灣北海岸鄉村地區之台大醫院金山分院，投入社區安寧照護，也開始體認到病人與家屬對於相關照護模式的需求。2016-2021年於臺北市立聯合醫院服務期間，參與都會區的居家醫療照護模式發展。2021年至台大醫院服務後，持續投入安寧緩和醫療與居家醫療相關的臨床服務、教學與研究。

Improving Palliative Care Quality and Outcomes through IT

Arif Kamal MD, MBA, MHS, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO is the inaugural Chief Patient Officer of the American Cancer Society and Consulting Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University. He is a nationally-recognized thought leader and health services researcher with particular expertise in the delivery and evaluation of high quality supportive and palliative care to patients with cancer and their caregivers. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts in JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Journal of Clinical Oncology and has been quoted or featured on CNN, USA Today, National Public Radio, Forbes, The Economist, and many others.

Dr. Kamal completed Internal Medicine residency training and Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship at the Mayo Clinic – Rochester, MN and Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Duke University. He holds a Masters in Health Sciences in Clinical Research (MHS) from Duke University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

Dr. David Hui is a tenured professor and Director of Research at the Department of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, with a joint appointment to the Department of General Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. His research interests include integration of supportive/palliative care and oncology, symptom management clinical trials, prognostication, and research methodology. He completed his medical school at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, followed by internal medicine residency at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, medical oncology fellowship at the British Columbia Cancer Agency, and supportive/palliative oncology clinical research fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also has a Master’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a second Master’s degree in Patient Based Biological Research. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology in Canada and the US, and also Palliative Care and Hospice Medicine in the US.

He is currently the principal investigator of multiple randomized trials on dyspnea and delirium funded by the National Cancer Institute. His research is also supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research, the American Cancer Society and other agencies. He has authored and/or co-authored over 300 scientific papers, with his work appearing at various peer-review journals such as JAMA, JAMA Oncol, J Clin Oncol, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Lancet Oncol and Ann Oncol. He is also the author/editor of 4 books (Approach to Internal Medicine, Drugs & Drugs, and Internal Medicine Issues in Palliative Cancer Care, 50 Palliative Care Studies Every Doctor Should Know).

Dr. Hui currently serves as a standing member of a study section at the National Institutes of Health. He is also a senior associate editor of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management and a board member of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer. In addition to academic pursuits, he remains active clinically in both palliative care and medical oncology.

Existential Issues for Patients with Serious Illness

David W. Kissane, MD is an academic psychiatrist, palliative care physician and researcher in the fields of psycho-oncology and palliative care. He currently holds the Chair of Palliative Care Research with the University of Notre Dame Australia and the Cunningham Centre at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney (2019-present). He has previously been Head of the Department of Psychiatry for Monash University in Australia (2012-2019), Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (2003-2012) and, before that, the Foundation Chair of Palliative Medicine at the University of Melbourne (1996-2003).

Professor Kissane’s academic interests include studies of existential distress, group, couples and family psychotherapy trials, communication skills training, and the ethics of end-of-life care. He is best known for his work on demoralization syndrome as a specifier for adjustment disorder and major depression in the medically ill, a form of low morale and poor coping that has preceded interventions to promote meaning-based coping. His model of family therapy delivered to ‘at risk’ families during palliative care has prevented complicated grief and prolonged grief disorder in bereavement. He has developed the Demoralization Scale (DS & DS-II), the Demoralization Interview (DI), the Psycho-existential Symptom Assessment Scale (PeSAS) and the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS) in Head & Neck Cancer. He is the author of over 400 publications, including books exemplified by Oxford Textbook of Communication in Oncology and Palliative Care, Psychotherapy in Cancer Care, Bereavement Care for Families, and Psycho-oncology in Palliative and End-of-Life Care.

Prof Kissane has been recognised by the International Psycho-Oncology Society with its Sutherland Award for lifetime achievement, by Cornell University with its Klerman Award for psychotherapy research, by King’s College with its Dame Cecily Saunders lecture, and in 2018, he was made a Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) for his contribution to the development of the disciplines of Psycho-oncology and Palliative Care.

Elizabeth Johnston Taylor, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor, Loma Linda University School of Nursing, Loma Linda, California, USA, has pursued a program of research exploring the intersection of spirituality, religiosity, health, and nursing for over 30 years. Her clinical experiences as an oncology nurse created for her a deep interest in these topics, and led her to pursue a PhD (University of Pennsylvania, 1992), a post-doctoral fellowship (UCLA, 1993-95), Clinical Pastoral Education, and training in spiritual direction. Her life experiences include a stint as Research Director, Mary Potter Hospice, Wellington, New Zealand. The desire to help nurses understand and support patient spiritual health during health-related transitions has motivated Beth to write extensively and lecture globally. Her over 150 publications include the following books: Spiritual Care: Nursing Theory, Research, and Practice (Prentice Hall, 2002; translated into Japanese), What Do I Say? Talking with Patients about Spirituality (Templeton Press, 2007; translated into Korean), Religion: A Clinical Guide for Nurses (Springer, 2012), and Fast facts about religion: Implications for nursing care (Springer, 2019). Currently, she is developing a website for healthcare professionals and students to learn about spiritual care. Beth is grateful for research funding received from various federal government and private foundation sources.

Dr Cheng-Pei Lin is an oncology nurse and palliative care researcher, originally from Taiwan. He has been interested in end-of-life care and palliative care research and undertaking palliative care research and clinical practice for people living with cancer and non-cancer for more than ten years. He completed his doctorate training (PhD) in palliative care at the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King’s College London, United Kingdom in 2020. He is now leading a three-year project on developing advance care planning program for community older people with chronic illness in Taiwan and serving as an assistant professor in Community Health Care, College of Nursing, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.

Megumi Kishino is a PhD student at the Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, and an oncology nurse in Japan. Her project is about family involvement in advance care planning for people with advanced cancer.

Dr. Masanori Mori is a director of the Division of Palliative and Supportive Care at Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital in Hamamatsu, Japan, and co vice-chair of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN). His research interests include symptom management, clinician-patient communication, and advance care planning (ACP) especially in the context of Asian culture. He is a lead investigator on multiple international and national research projects including a Delphi study on ACP in Asia and the East Asian cross-cultural collaborative Study to Elucidate the Dying process (EASED). He has been involved in the development of multiple clinical practice guidelines in supportive care, palliative care, and psycho-oncology in Japan and USA (e.g., dyspnea, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, clinician-patient communication, ACP, and palliative sedation).

Dr. Sang-Yeon Suh, MD, PhD, is a renowned medical professional and Full Professor at Dongguk Medical School. She serves as the Chief of the Department of Family Medicine at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital. Dr. Suh is recognized for her expertise in palliative care and end-of-life communication.
As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Suh leads significant research projects in Korea. She is the Principal Investigator for the Korea East Asian Collaborative Study to Elucidate the Dying Process and the Cross-Cultural Study on Prognostic Communication. Additionally, she is the Co-Principal Investigator for the Delphi Project, which aims to develop culturally adapted guidelines for Advance Care Planning in Asia.
Dr. Suh has received numerous awards and grants for her research contributions. In 2011, she was honored with the Award in Excellence of Research, presented by the Korean Society for Hospice and Palliative Care in memory of Doctor Paul Janssen. She has also been the recipient of grants from the Korea National Research Foundation, including grants specifically awarded to women scientists. In collaboration with the Japanese Hospice Foundation, Dr. Suh has secured grants for cross-cultural studies on the dying process and prognostic communication.
In addition to her work in Korea, Dr. Suh has served as a visiting professor at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Care Research Program. Her expertise and contributions have made her a respected figure in the field of family medicine, palliative care, and end-of-life communication.

Prof Helen Chan’s research interests focus on end-of-life care and gerontology. She has conducted a number of research projects on promoting palliative and end-of-life care, especially advance care planning, among older adults and people with advanced progressive diseases. She has obtained various external competitive research grants and research awards in recognition of her research capabilities. She was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2021. Currently, she is an editor for Journal of Clinical Nursing and an editorial member for Nursing Ethics, and honorary advisor for various non-government organizations in Hong Kong.

Dr Salins graduated with honours in Internal Medicine MD in 2003 from KMC Manipal. He pursued his three years of specialist fellowship training in Palliative Medicine at the Lyell McEwin Hospital and after that worked as a consultant at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia. On return to India, he has held clinical and academic positions at the Health Care Global, Bangalore and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. Since 2018, he is Professor and Head of the Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care at KMC Manipal and the Coordinator of Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre. In 2020 he was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) by the Royal College of Physicians London and Glasgow. He completed his PhD in Palliative Care from the Lancaster University UK in 2021. He is also the Honorary Professor of Medicine at Cardiff University, UK.
Dr Salins has 92 peer-reviewed publications and is part of 50+ research projects (both ongoing and completed). He has several international research collaborations, like collaborations with the University of California San Francisco, Lancaster University and Hull York University UK. He is the recipient of national and international grants like the NIH/NIC, APHN, ICMR etc. He has served as member of the commissions and technical committees of the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Cancer Grid, the Medical Council of India, and the National Board of Examinations. He is the Secretary General of the Academy of Palliative, a national body that aims to enhance specialist and generalist palliative care education in India. Dr Salins has served as the Editor of the Indian Journal of Palliative Care for seven years and is presently the Associate Editor of BMC Palliative Care. He is the Course Director of the BMJ Online Palliative Care Course and Director of the EPEC India Program in association with Northwestern University Chicago. He was awarded the best outgoing student in 2003, best teacher award in 2005 by the KMC Manipal. He was the member of the service receiving the best palliative care service by the Government of South Australia in 2008. He was the recipient of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) accreditation award for Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care in 2013, 2016 and 2019. He was the recipient of the ISCCM presidential citation award in 2015 and the International Award for Excellence in Palliative Care in 2020. He was the head of the department, accredited as the International Reference Centre for End-of-Life Care by the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. He was the cancer centre coordinator who received accreditation from the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) as the centre for excellence in cancer supportive care.

Nancy Preston is a Professor of Supportive and Palliative Care. She is the Co-Director of the International Observatory on End-of-Life Care at Lancaster University and Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Health and Medicine. She is also Associate Professor of Palliative Care at KMC Mannipal, India.

She completed her degree in Nursing at King’s College London and worked as a cancer nurse including time at the Royal Marsden Hospital as a Research Nurse. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Cancer Research where she investigated and developed a novel intervention for the management of malignant ascites. She was then employed by the Cochrane Foundation and the Royal College of Nursing to be trained in and conduct Cochrane Systematic Reviews. She has authored five Cochrane reviews to date and published a further 50 reviews. She co-edited ‘A Post-Graduates Guide to Doing a Literature Review in Health and Social Science - 2nd Edition’. She teaches a module on evidence reviews for post graduate students in the Division of Health Research at Lancaster University.

She was appointed as a researcher in the International Observatory on End-of-Life care in 2009 and was promoted to Professor in 2018. Here she teaches on their part-time, online PhD programmes including the PhD in Palliative Care. She has supervised 15 PhD students to completion resulting in multiple publications.

Her research focusses on palliative care and how best to integrate it into general healthcare systems. She was part of an EU funded study evaluating integrated palliative care in six countries and is currently part of another EU study evaluating an integrated palliative care intervention in a trial in seven countries. She is part of the same consortium of researchers who are now evaluating the use of palliative sedation across Europe.

She has a strong interest in how people make decisions about their future care. She was part of an EU study evaluating the use of advance planning in six countries which is probably the largest palliative care trail conducted with over 1100 participants. She was part of another EU study evaluating the use of advance are planning for people with advanced dementia. In some countries assisted dying is legal and one of the decisions people face. She has been involved in a number of studies evaluating the experiences of health care professionals and bereaved families following an assisted death.

She has over 140 peer reviewed publications, has published three books with a fourth due out next year. The latest is on “How to read and critique Research”. She tries to deliver her research in accessible ways including the use of Massive Online Courses (MOOC) where ‘Palliative Care: Making it work’ attracted over 9,000 participants from more than 140 countries. She has been the Section Editor for BMC Palliative Care since 2015.

Catherine Walshe is currently Professor of Palliative Care in the International Observatory on End of Life Care at Lancaster University. Catherine has an extensive background in palliative care clinical practice, education and research.

Catherine graduated as a nurse with a first-class degree in nursing from the School of Nursing at Manchester University, UK in 1987. She then worked clinically for 15 years across a number of roles, with a focus throughout on generalist and specialist palliative care. Acute medicine experience included working in haematology in Cornwall, followed by working in one of the first HIV units to be opened in the UK, in Brighton. She then moved to primarily community-based roles working as a district nurse, and later community specialist palliative care nurse. Catherine also gained management experience managing district nursing services, and working in a strategic and policy focused role as the palliative care co-ordinator for Worcestershire.

Catherine always had an interest in research, and gained a distinction in her Masters in Nursing Research at King’s College, London in 1993. Catherine moved to a research focused career in 2002, completing her PhD in Nursing at the University of Manchester in 2006, funded by a prestigious NIHR doctoral fellowship. Catherine moved to Lancaster University in 2013, and has continued to develop her research and education career in palliative care.

Catherine has an international research reputation in palliative care. Her research programme primarily focuses on the organisation and provision of services at the end of life, including trials of new interventions and models of care, especially recently focusing on the role of volunteers and peer mentors. She has a broad methodological expertise, with studies including clinical trials, feasibility studies, qualitative research and mixed methods. Catherine also has extensive expertise in supervising PhD students, primarily on the Lancaster University innovative blended learning PhD in Palliative Care, and teaches widely on different aspects of research.

Catherine has been involved in editing the journal Palliative Medicine since 2008, becoming editor-in-chief in 2011, overseeing its development into the premier research journal in the field. Catherine was elected to the board of the European Association of Palliative Care in 2015, serving two terms on the board as secretary (2015-2019) and treasurer (2019-2023). Catherine was also a trustee of her local hospice from 2013-2022, and is now a vice-president of the organisation.

Dr. Seema Rajesh Rao is Associate Director, Education and Research at Bangalore Hospice Trust – Karunashraya Institute for Palliative Care Education and Research (KIPCER), Bengaluru. She is an Honorary Tutor at the School of Medicine, Cardiff (UK). She is a national faculty of Indian Association of Palliative Care, the national body overseeing palliative care activities in India, and is involved in training MD and DNB students in Palliative Medicine. She is the Course Coordinator for the Certificate Course in Essentials of Palliative Care (CCEPC) at BHT-K, and the Course Chair for the Certificate Course in Psychology in Palliative Care, both training programs run by IAPC. She was elected as a Central Council Member (South Zone), Indian Association of Palliative Care, in 2022 and is involved in advocacy activities in propagating palliative care. She is a member of the Quality and Clinical Advisory Board of PALCARE, an organization delivering home-based palliative care in Mumbai. She is also Honorary Faculty with Pallium India, WHO Collaborating Center for Training and Policy on Access to Pain Relief in India. She is also a faculty with the Cancer Treatment Centers Program, a capacity-building project of Asia Pacific Palliative Care Hospice Network, Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care and AIIMS, New Delhi.

Dr. Rao completed her postgraduate studies in Psychiatry from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore. Her work in the field of mental health involved working with the vulnerable and abandoned – the destitute elderly, those with dementia, and chronic mental illnesses in Mumbai. She completed the ‘National Fellowship in Palliative Medicine’ and joined Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. During her tenure of six years at Tata Memorial Hospital, as Senior Medical Officer, she was responsible for the clinical and administrative functioning of the 13-bedded inpatient respite palliative care facility. Dr. Rao completed her Masters in Palliative Medicine with distinction from Cardiff University, United Kingdom. She was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue her MSc.

In 2019 she joined the Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care at Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, Manipal, as Senior Consultant. She was the Lead for ICU-Palliative Care Services at KMC, Manipal. In her role as the ICU-Palliative Care Lead, she was involved in implementing the end-of-life care pathway at the hospital, training of critical and emergency care physicians, as well as collaborative research activities. She was involved in the development of the end-of-life-care pathway for critically-ill COVID patients in the ICU.

Currently, she is the Associate Director (Education & Research) at BHT-Karunashraya, a 73-bedded hospice in Bangalore that provides free services for advanced cancer patients. BHT-Karunashraya is actively involved in training and research activities in palliative care. She was part of the team that successfully completed the Global Challenges Research Fund: UK Research and Innovation Grant titled “The development of a socio-culturally sensitive intervention to integrate palliative care services into Intensive Care in India to be tested in a future full trial” (Short title: ICU Palliative Care Project). She is the Course Director for the 6-month Certificate Course in Counselling Skills in Cancer and Palliative Care (CCPC) – a blended learning program jointly conducted by BHT-KIPCER and Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, as well as the International Neuropalliative Care Certificate Course being conducted by BHT-KIPCER, KMC Manipal and International Neuropalliative Care Society. She is the Organizing Secretary of the recently concluded 30th International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care, IAPCON 2023, in which over 700 delegates from over 15 countries participated.

As a palliative care physician her role encompasses management of physical symptoms in advanced cancer patients, psychosocial care of patients and their caregivers, and end-of-life care. Her special focus of interest is psycho-spiritual care. She is trained in Dignity Therapy, Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy, Mindfulness Therapy and has completed the Interprofessional Spiritual Care Education Curriculum (ISPEC) program from George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish), Washington DC. She is a certified master facilitator for Education in Palliative and End of Life Care training from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. She has several publications to her credit in national and international journals and has been invited as a speaker at many national and international conferences.

Her academic publications can be viewed in https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1VgEyY0-yFI9-u/bibliography/public/

A physician by profession and a writer by choice, she pens her creative thoughts in her blog https://randommusings69.wordpress.com/ Her collections of poems have been published in the book “Random Musings of a Physician Poet.”

Dr Rosalie Shaw has been practising as a palliative care physician since 1981 when she established the first hospital based palliative care unit in Australia in Hollywood Hospital in Perth. In 1992 she was invited to Singapore to be Medical Director of the Hospice Care Association, a position she held until she was appointed as the inaugural Executive Director of Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network in 1999.. In this position until 2009 she made 124 visits to 22 countries as clinical teacher and management consultant. She was awarded the Public Service Medal and the Order of Australia Medal by the Australian Government and the PBM (Public Service Medal) by the Singapore Government.

Dr Shaw wrote about her experiences in Singapore in Soft Sift in an Hourglass - Hope and Resilence at the End Of Life published in 2009.

Julie Ling has been CEO of the European Association for Palliative Care since January 2015. The EAPC is the leading palliative care organisation in Europe representing 57 member associations from thirty countries across Europe and with individual members from 52 countries globally. The EAPC is currently a partner in over twenty European Union funded research projects.

Originally a nurse, Julie has worked in palliative care for thirty-five years in both adult and children’s palliative care. She has held a variety of posts in clinical care; management; research; policy and the voluntary sector. As a former Health Research Board Research Fellow, she successfully completed a PhD by research. Julie also has an MBA from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Julie is also Chair of the World Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance, a global palliative care organisation that lobbies and advocates for the provision of palliative care as part of universal health coverage.
Since July 2021 Julie has been a Consultant Technical Officer for the World Health Organization European region. In this role she provides technical support to member states on the development and strengthening of palliative care.

Dr Ednin Hamzah is the Chief Executive Officer of Hospis Malaysia, a position held from 1997. Dr Ednin graduated in medicine from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom in 1986 and trained and worked in family medicine in the United Kingdom prior to returning to Malaysia in 1997.

Clinically, he leads the largest community palliative care service in Malaysia. He teaches palliative care in several universities at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Nationally he has been involved in palliative care, cancer control and pain management and has been on the Boards of several National Healthcare based Organisations. He is active in international palliative care education and advocacy and is the current Chair of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance.

Associate Professor
Head, Concord Centre for Palliative Care
Deputy Clinical Director Cancer Services and Palliative Care SLHD
Clinical Associate Professor, University of Sydney
Chair, Sydney Institute of Palliative Medicine
Co-Vice Chair, Asia Pacific Hospice and Palliative Care Network

A/Prof Aggarwal has been the Head of the Palliative Care Department at Concord Hospital since 1996 and is currently the Deputy Clinical Director Cancer Services and Palliative Care SLHD. Her practice includes hospital consultancy, ambulatory and inpatient care in palliative medicine within the district wide Sydney Palliative Care Service, SLHD. She has been involved in the development of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Chapter of Palliative Medicine and is the chair of the Executive of the Sydney Institute of Palliative Medicine. Her interests include undergraduate and postgraduate education in palliative care, communication skills and ethics and end of life decision making. She has been involved for a number of years in the strategic development of Palliative Care in New South Wales. Currently she is involved in teaching and development of Palliative Care in the Asia-Pacific region.

Chairman, Singapore Hospice Council

Mr Robert Chew serves on many distinguished boards and panels including non-profit organisations Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, WeCare and Shared Services for Charities. He is also a member of the boards of the Health Sciences Authority, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Mediation Centre.

He is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Directors and the Singapore Computer Society (SCS). He was awarded SCS’s Hall of Fame in 2016 and IT Leader of the Year in 2009. For his contribution to public service, he was conferred the Public Service Medal in 2013 and the Public Service Star in 2017.

Robert was a Singapore Hospice Council Member and held several office bearer positions including Vice Chairman (2011-2013) and Honorary Treasurer (2009-2011).

David W. Kissane, MD is an academic psychiatrist, palliative care physician and researcher in the fields of psycho-oncology and palliative care. He currently holds the Chair of Palliative Care Research with the University of Notre Dame Australia and the Cunningham Centre at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney (2019-present). He has previously been Head of the Department of Psychiatry for Monash University in Australia (2012-2019), Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (2003-2012) and, before that, the Foundation Chair of Palliative Medicine at the University of Melbourne (1996-2003).

Professor Kissane’s academic interests include studies of existential distress, group, couples and family psychotherapy trials, communication skills training, and the ethics of end-of-life care. He is best known for his work on demoralization syndrome as a specifier for adjustment disorder and major depression in the medically ill, a form of low morale and poor coping that has preceded interventions to promote meaning-based coping. His model of family therapy delivered to ‘at risk’ families during palliative care has prevented complicated grief and prolonged grief disorder in bereavement. He has developed the Demoralization Scale (DS & DS-II), the Demoralization Interview (DI), the Psycho-existential Symptom Assessment Scale (PeSAS) and the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS) in Head & Neck Cancer. He is the author of over 400 publications, including books exemplified by Oxford Textbook of Communication in Oncology and Palliative Care (2017), Psychotherapy in Cancer Care (2011), Bereavement Care for Families (2014), and Psycho-oncology in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (2023).

Prof Kissane has been recognised by the International Psycho-Oncology Society with its Sutherland Award for lifetime achievement, by Cornell University with its Klerman Award for psychotherapy research, by King’s College with its Dame Cecily Saunders lecture, and in 2018, he was made a Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) for his contribution to the development of the disciplines of Psycho-oncology and Palliative Care.

A/Prof Natasha Michael is the Director of Palliative Medicine at Cabrini Health Australia and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame and Monash University. Natasha has worked and trained in palliative care in Europe, Singapore and Australia. She is a clinician researcher with an interest in studying and promoting value alignment and the psycho-existential aspects of the end-of life care, bioethics and complex cancer pain management.

Prof Seon-Young Kim is the Professor in Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea. She completed her PhD at Chonnam National University Postgraduate School where she investigated plasma cytokines and risk of depression in patients with breast cancer. Her areas of research are psychosomatic medicine, psycho-oncology and psycho-neuro-immunology.