Research Excellence Award - Holly Mansell

The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition has awarded its inaugural Research Excellence Award to Dr. Holly Mansell (PhD), recognizing her outstanding contributions to patient-centered care.

Dr. Mansell, a clinical transplant pharmacist and researcher, has led innovative work in developing accessible, evidence-based educational tools for transplant patients. Her research has improved how patients prepare for kidney transplantation and shaped practices and policies in transplant education in Canada and abroad.

One of her most significant initiatives is an educational video series designed to help kidney transplant candidates better understand the procedure, recovery, and long-term care. Validated through two North American randomized controlled trials, the videos have been shown to significantly improve patient knowledge and satisfaction. These resources have been integrated into Saskatchewan’s standard pre-transplant care, translated into French and Cree for greater accessibility, and even incorporated into a curriculum for renal healthcare providers in Ontario.

Recognizing the need to assess how well patients understand transplant-related information to better tailor patient education, Dr. Mansell developed the Kidney Transplant Understanding Tool, a standardized assessment instrument now translated in more than a dozen languages and adopted by clinicians and researchers around the world.

In collaboration with Canadian Blood Services, Dr. Mansell also led a study exploring patient perspectives on accepting ‘less-than-ideal’ kidneys, as waitlists for transplantation continue to grow. This project earned first place in the Canadian Society of Transplantation’s Transformative Thinking in Transplant Competition, marking the first time the award was given to a non-physician candidate.

To further enhance patient education and engagement, Dr. Mansell co-designed the Health Education and Learning Platform (HELP), a patient app with self-management tools, which also allows healthcare providers to send notifications and action-item reminders to transplant patients. Several useability trials are currently underway. 

Dr. Mansell’s innovative and translational research is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, Saskatchewan Center for Patient-Oriented Research, Canadian Society of Transplantation, Kidney Foundation of Canada, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the American Society of Transplantation.

With this award, the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition proudly recognizes Dr. Mansell’s leadership in transplant education and commitment to empowering patients throughout their care journey.

From all the faculty and staff at the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Congratulations!