Workshops: Patient Partners Engaging in Cardiovascular Research

About the Opportunity

This free workshop series was co-developed by Transform Heart Failure and people with lived experience with heart disease. The goal of the series is training and empowering patients, caregivers, and family members. The two-session series is intended for heart function patients living in the Greater Toronto Area and does require in-person participation.

Material will be delivered by researchers, health systems experts, and seasoned partners with lived experiences.

By the end of the course, graduates will be able to:

• Identify as a community of knowledgeable people with lived experiences of heart disease ready to co-create with researchers.
• Describe the role of the patient partners in health research, assess its challenges and opportunities and evaluate own strengths and needs as a patient partner.
• Access and utilize patient-oriented research resources for patient partners to be meaningfully engaged at every stage of the research journey
• Summarize Canada’s research environment, research funding, peer review, research terminology and frameworks for patient engagement.

What will be expected of me?

• Participation in workshop sessions on the following dates:
  • Session 1: Thursday, March 19, 2026; 12:00-1:30PM EST; virtual
  • Session 2: Thursday, April 9, 2026; 9:00AM-1:00PM; in-person
    • This session will involve collaborating with UHN Investigators on real-world projects, with the potential to be invited on as a PWLE partner.
• Course participants, UHN Investigators, and existing partners will be invited to a lunch reception directly following the culminating workshop to celebrate the amazing contributions of our patient and caregiver partners!
• Travel and expenses related to the second in-person workshop session will be covered for all attendees.

How do I participate?

Due to the hands-on nature of this workshop, space is limited. 12 participants will be selected based upon their responses to this application form, with a focus on ensuring a diversity of representation, experience, and perspectives. Applications close Sunday, March 1, 2026. Learn more: https://transformhf.ca/event/2026-foundations-workshop/