S3E2 - Patient Leadership, Indigenous Partnership, and Capacity Bridging in Kidney Research: A Can-SOLVE CKD Deep Dive

Overview

In this episode of asPERusual, host Anna Chudyk sits down with Melanie Talson and Cathy Woods from the Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD). Key discussion topics include:

• Patient Leadership at the Heart of Research
  Can-SOLVE CKD is a pan-Canadian, SPOR-funded network driven by patient voices — especially through its Patient Governance Council and Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement and Research Council (IPERC) . Patient partners co-lead projects, shape research priorities, and ensure meaningful engagement at every stage.

• Transformational Approaches to Engagement
  The network is built on the Six R’s of engagement — Respect, Responsibility, Reciprocity, Relevance, Relationships, and Realness — creating a culture of trust, collaboration, and safety for all partners involved. Their approach prioritizes consensus, inclusion, and shared leadership.

• Capacity Bridging, Not Building
  Rather than viewing patient partners as blank slates, Can-SOLVE emphasizes "capacity bridging" — recognizing that all partners bring expertise, whether lived/living, cultural, or professional. This concept guides mentorship, training, and peer review practices across the network.

• Lasting Impact and Mutual Empowerment
  From screening initiatives in Indigenous communities to research projects reshaped by patient input, the network is seeing real-world impacts. Equally powerful is how patient partners like Cathy describe their involvement as healing, empowering, and deeply purposeful — creating space for ordinary people to do extraordinary work.