Schedule of the Day
Registration: starts at 12:30 p.m.
Keynote Lecture — Evidence-Informed Practice: Navigating conflicting evidence in a time of abundant information with Dr. Monique Aucoin, ND, M.Sc.: 1 - 2 p.m.
Break with Healthy Snack Bar: 2 - 2:30 p.m.
Breakout session — Estrogenic: Review of a Misused Word with Dr. Paul Saunders, ND: 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Break with small-group tours: 3:30 - 4 p.m.
Breakout session — Oncology Nutrition: Using Clinical Nutrition to Support People with Cancer with Dr. Elise Hoffman, ND: 4 - 5 p.m.
Alumni Homecoming reception: 5 - 7 p.m.
Keynote Lecture
Evidence-Informed Practice: Navigating conflicting evidence in a time of abundant information
Presenter: Dr. Monique Aucoin, ND, M.Sc.
We are surrounded by an abundance of health-related information – but what do we do when some of that evidence is conflicting? In this course, attendees will consider the definition and purpose of evidence-informed practice. They will review the position of each study type on the hierarchy of evidence and consider the design, strengths, limitations and possible sources of bias for each study type. They will practice searching for high quality evidence using efficient strategies and discuss the application of EIP to naturopathic medicine.
Learning Objectives:
- Define Evidence-Informed Practice
- Identify the position of each type of research design in the hierarchy of evidence
- Describe the design of each type of study as well as strengths, weaknesses and possible sources of bias
- Efficiently locate high quality evidence using scientific databases
- Consider the application of scientific evidence in the practice of naturopathic medicine
Breakout Sessions
Oncology Nutrition: Using Clinical Nutrition to Support People with Cancer
Presenter: Dr. Elise Hoffman
Cancer is now the leading cause of death in Canada but 40% of cancers are considered preventable. Diet and nutrition play an important role in cancer prevention and support, both during and after cancer treatments, yet there is still a lot of confusion and misinformation as to what is the best nutritional approach. Join Dr. Elise Hoffman, ND and Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology, to review the available evidence and discuss how to use diet and nutrition to help support people with cancer.
Learning Objectives:
- Review the role of nutrition in cancer prevention. 10 minutes
- Recognize the role nutrition can play in managing common adverse effects of cancer treatments. 20 minutes
- Explore how food and nutrition could help support treatment outcomes and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence after treatment. 30 minutes
Estrogenic: Review of a Misused Word
Presenter: Dr. Paul Saunders, ND
Description and learning objectives coming soon!
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Monique Aucoin, ND, M.Sc.
Dr. Monique Aucoin, ND, M.Sc. is a naturopathic doctor and senior research fellow at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Guelph in the department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. She has been practising for more than 12 years. Her clinical practice and research work are focused on the role of diet and nutrition in the treatment of mental illness. She recently led the world’s first clinical trial of dietary counselling for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.
Monique has completed systematic and scoping reviews on the efficacy and safety of nutritional treatments and has published several case reports. She is passionate about supporting NDs and students in using evidence-based practice through continuing education courses and research. Monique co-founded CCNM’s annual Research Day. She is an instructor at CCNM in the evidence-informed practice curriculum and is an editor at the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors Journal.
Breakout Session Speaker
Dr. Paul Richard Saunders, PhD, ND, R.HOM, DHANP, DABHM
Paul earned his PhD at Duke University in forest ecology, his ND at Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine (now CCNM) and completed a residency in homeopathy at National College of Naturopathic Medicine (now NUNM), Portland, Oregon, earning a second ND. He is Professor of Materia Medica and Clinical Medicine at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine; Professor of Materia Medica and Clinical Medicine at the Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine, Toronto; Adjunct Professor of Materia Medica and Clinical Medicine at National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, Illinois; and has been in private practice in Dundas, Ontario, for over 35 years.
Paul was a member of the transition team that formed the Office of Natural Health Products, served as a natural health product expert to the Directorate, has served on several expert panels for Health Canada, and been an expert witness for the Crown in multiple legal cases.
He continues to conduct clinical research, supervise interns, externs, residents, and fellows, and publish widely.
Breakout Session Speaker
Dr. Elise Hoffman, ND
Originally from Toronto, Dr. Elise Hoffman, ND, studied biology at the University of Toronto and graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science. She then completed the Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) program at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (CSNN) and subsequently worked as faculty there before attending the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. After graduating with a naturopathic doctorate, Elise joined Cancer Treatment Centers of America as a naturopathic oncology resident in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, she completed a two-year, hospital-based residency in integrative naturopathic oncology and then continued on as a staff naturopathic oncologist. Before moving back to Canada in 2019, Elise also worked as a naturopathic doctor at a private integrative clinic in Maryland. She is a Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNO) and currently sees patients full-time at the CCNM Integrative Cancer Clinic.
Elise’s background in fitness and nutrition led her to pursue a career in naturopathic medicine. Through her work as a personal trainer and holistic nutritionist, she encountered clients diagnosed with cancer, which inspired her to focus on cancer care. Elise believes in the importance of providing whole-person support during and after cancer treatment and has witnessed the effectiveness of naturopathic medicine in improving health for those with a cancer diagnosis. Elise’s goal is to ensure that individuals with cancer receive safe and effective natural therapies throughout and following their treatment.
Elise is an active member of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Practitioners, Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors.
