A professor in the Faculty of Medicine is being recognized at both the national and provincial levels for her contributions to cancer research, public engagement, patient partnerships and community advocacy.
This summer Dr. Sevtap Savas received the 2026 Innovation Award from the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) and one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2026 Seniors of Distinction Awards.
Meaningful roles
The pair of honours highlights a career dedicated not only to advancing cancer research and science communications, but also to ensuring patients and community members have meaningful roles in shaping that work.
“I feel incredibly fortunate and humbled to have received these recognitions for my lab’s research and for our work done together with public partners,” said Dr. Savas. “The fact that separate public partners made the nominations makes these recognitions extra emotional and meaningful for me. There is nothing more exciting than being supported by public partners, as our work is often challenging and not immediately rewarding. I am very grateful for working with them and for their support.”
Innovation and enrichment
The CAPO Innovation Award recognizes innovation in the field of psychosocial oncology, specifically the development of quality improvement and innovative clinical educational or organizational initiatives aimed at enhancing the performance of psychosocial cancer care or cancer prevention.
At the provincial level, Dr. Savas was one of 12 recipients of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Seniors of Distinction Awards. The awards celebrate residents age 50 and older who have made significant contributions to their communities and who work to enrich the lives of others.
Since joining Memorial in 2008, Dr. Savas has led efforts to build stronger connections between researchers, patients, families and the public, helping to ensure that research reflects the priorities and experiences of those it is intended to serve. She has also been very active in public outreach on cancer, as well as advocacy at the public, academic and government levels.
“No one can achieve that much alone — I would like to acknowledge the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of all patient partners as well as my students, assistants and collaborators who I have worked with,” she said. “As I expressed many times, this province has given me more than I have ever imagined. I will continue to benefit the province and its people with everything I have.”
Patient and public voices
Dr. Savas also serves as lead of the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Interest Group on Cancer Research, a volunteer group that brings together patient and public voices in research, policy discussions, knowledge sharing and outreach, and she led the Atlantic Cancer Consortium Patient Advisory Committee from 2024-26. Both of these public partnerships have made cancer information more accessible through public conferences, town halls, media interviews, podcasts, publications and digital resources.
Dr. Savas’ research areas at Memorial focus on medical and social outcomes of cancer patients and include identifying prognostic markers, post-cancer lived experiences, local context of cancer-associated stigma and patient priorities.
She previously received a Canadian Cancer Research Alliance Award for exceptional leadership in patient involvement in cancer research, Memorial University’s President’s Award for Public Engagement and was named to Western Union’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrant list.
