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A voice to the voiceless

Communication and Innovation
in Surgery

A patient-centered and patient-partnered virtual research lab dedicated to exploring, innovating, and improving child- and family-centered outcomes and communication in pediatric surgery

ABOUT US

What is CommiSur Lab

The CommiSur Lab is housed in the ether of McGill University, but was created within the Harvey E. Beardmore Division of Pediatric Surgery at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, and functions within the CORE research center and CHHD program of the MUHC Research Institute.

HOW COMMISUR IS INNOVATING AND IMPROVING COMMUNICATION IN SURGERY

Our Projects

Clinical Studies

Our research focuses on optimizing outcomes of a number of common pediatric surgical diseases, studying innovations, enhanced recovery after surgery, patient-reported outcomes, and patient-centered care.

Digital Health | AI | VR

Children’s Journey is a communication application that facilitates informed and shared decision-making between patients, families, and surgical teams. The initial focus will be improving experience and outcomes for children undergoing surgery, but will be expanded to any area of healthcare.

Personalized Communication

This little-explored area in surgery comprises a broad spectrum of projects aiming to improve and personalize the communication between children, their families, and their surgical care providers.

Patient-Centered Care

At the heart of patient-centered care are patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), allowing the children’s and their families’ voices to be heard in pediatric surgery. Several projects are ongoing in this area.

Team Communication

Health sciences education is complex and unique, requiring expertise across multiple domains. Students are required to learn not only vast amounts of knowledge and technical procedures but also to acquire key communication and other non-technical skills, including leadership, situational awareness, decision-making, and teamwork.

Global Surgery

Our lab focuses on the various communication processes in surgical care, both between children, families/caregivers and their providers, and within interprofessional care teams.

We've published over 70 articles in journals since 2016.

STAY UP-TO-DATE ON OUR ACTIVITIES

Lab blog & News

  • CommiSur Lab PhD Student Shreenik Kundu’s Global Health Work Featured by McGill

    Shreenik Kundu, a PhD student with the CommiSur Lab, has been featured in McGill’s Global Health Perspectives for his innovative work introducing virtual reality to pediatric healthcare in Punjab, India.…

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  • CommiSur Lab PhD Student Sacha Williams to Receive Mentorship Through MISI Project

    As recipient of the EDI Award for Academic Excellence, Sacha Williams, a PhD student with the CommiSur Lab, will gain exclusive access to a comprehensive mentorship program through the Mentorat…

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  • CommiSur Lab PhD Student Ayla Grek Named Finalist in 2025 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship Competition

    Ayla Grek, a PhD student with the CommiSur Lab, has been selected as one of 31 finalists for the 2025 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship. Chosen from more than 680…

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