Meet our Researcher – Cindy Luo

Meet our Researcher – Cindy Luo

Cindy Luo is passionate about seeking answers that help improve the transplant experience for patients in the transplant program at Vancouver General Hospital. As a past Research Challenge winner for her project on anti-fungal prophylactic use in lung recipients and her most recent Team Grant project that explores a more personalized approach to medication, Cindy is a champion for patient-oriented research. Cindy shares how her research has been strengthened by integrating the lived experience of patients.

Q: What is your connection to transplant?
A: I am the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist with the kidney transplant program at Vancouver General Hospital.

Q: What motivates you to pursue research?
A: I am motivated to pursue research because it is an opportunity to utilize my knowledge as a pharmacist to answer important clinical questions that matter to patients and have an impact on patient care.

Q: Why has engaging with patient partners in your research been important to you?
A: Engaging with patient partners has been a very rewarding experience, as our patient partners have provided a unique perspective on transplant care. They have helped our research team identify and prioritize research questions that are important for patients. In our current project, patient partners were heavily involved in designing and streamlining the study workflow, especially for the recruitment of study participants.

Q: How has including the patient partner lens strengthened your research?
A: Our patient partners have been instrumental in the creation of patient-focused education materials and survey questions. During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our patient partners gave us invaluable ideas on how to seamlessly transition our research workflow to a virtual format. Their input has been crucial to the success of our project!