Postdoctoral Scholars
UCalgary Nursing Postdocs
Postdoctoral scholars at the University of Calgary are valued members of our community. Considered “trainees” under the supervision and mentorship of an academic faculty member, postdocs make indispensable contributions to our research. The diversity of our campus is enriched not only by their research, but through their mentorship of others and valued support of our shared goals of promoting discovery, creativity, and innovation.
The Faculty of Nursing is honoured to welcome several to our community.
Vagner Deuel Tavares
Dr. Tavares is a Postdoctoral Associate. As a health researcher, Dr. Tavares carefully examines multimorbidity as a distinct aspect of cancer care, recognizing its significant implications for personalized treatment strategies. He has applied his expertise in clinical and epidemiological studies and data analysis to enhance qualitative and quantitative research.
He completed his PhD in 2024 at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte under the supervision of Dr. Nicole Galvão-Coelho. Dr. Tavares’s doctoral research focused on how complementary therapies (e.g., exercise, mindfulness, yoga, ketamine) can aid in the treatment of mental disorders such as substance use disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Dr. Tavares works with Dr. Colleen Cuthbert and Dr. Winson Cheung to investigate how the increase in multimorbidity among cancer patients represents a unique phenomenon, necessitating a different approach to care compared to patients without multimorbidity.
Lais Renata Cezário Santos
Dr Laís Renata A. Cezário Santos is a Postdoctoral Fellow with a focus on promoting mental health during cancer survivorship. She is passionate about empowering patients to embrace healthy habits and behaviors, ultimately enhancing their overall health and quality of life.
Dr. Cezário Santos earned her PhD in Public Health from the Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil, in 2023. Her doctoral research evaluated the effectiveness of mind-body practices in reducing stress and anxiety, as well as enhancing well-being across diverse age groups and health conditions.
As part of her PhD, she also completed a research internship at the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal, QC, Canada. With a foundation in dentistry, coupled with experience in primary health care and a master’s in health research, Dr. Cezário Santos has also explored the links between oral health, social determinants of health, and chronic diseases.
Dr. Cezário Santos’s fellowship work with Dr. Colleen Cuthbert will investigate the role of psychosocial symptoms such as social isolation and loneliness during head and neck cancer survivorship.