Chantelle Elson is looking at ways to better connect cancer patients with the nutritional information they require. The undergraduate kinesiology student is leading a research project with a grant from the Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP).

“I wanted to do something in nutrition because it is so applicable and it is something that impacts everybody,” says Elson. 

The goal of her project is to find a format that allows cancer patients to get the relevant information  they need. The current format is a nutritional class, which she says is insufficient for a few reasons. 

“There’s not a lot of research about how cancer patients want to get their nutritional information,” says Elson.  “People are confused—there’s so much information out there,” says Elson.

This is an important factor because once patients are diagnosed with cancer they immediately begin to scramble for health information. 

Another area of concern is that the nutritional classes are not tailored for the individual; they exist in a one-size-fits-all format. Elson is conducting a survey on cancer survivors, which she hopes will synthesize enough information to create a tailor-made brochure that is more in line with the needs of the patients. 

Elson’s interest in nutrition became stronger after taking two nutritional courses and what she learned what so profound that she even made some adjustments to an already healthy diet.

She is relishing the opportunity to work in a summer position that brings together both of her interests: nutrition and working with cancer patients. Last summer she conducted cancer research in the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.

Elson wants to continue to build on her passion for nutrition by pursuing a masters degree and possibly even a PhD in the area of dietetics.