Playing a key role for patients in clinical research

After five years as an intensive care nurse in a hospital in France, Adeline Hamon decided to leave her homeland in 2015 to satisfy her intellectual curiosity and develop her expertise by exploring other health care systems.  

That's how she ended up at the CHUM, first in the oncohematology and oncologic gynecology hospitalization units, then in the Centre intégré de cancérologie, where she administered antineoplastic treatments.

In 2020, she was selected to work as a research nurse in CRCHUM's new unit for innovative therapies, which was launching a phase 1 clinical trial with patients suffering from cancer, among other conditions. She liked it so much she decided to stay! 

A landmark premiere 

Right from the start, she was won over by the centre's appeal and the research chairs’ various missions. “I was impressed by the many projects taking place there, both in basic and clinical research, all of which were unknown to me!” she says. Her duties would also come to involve working with patients in the neuroscience, cardiometabolic and immunopathology research themes. 

Adeline remembers the first patient she treated, who received the world's first dose of a trial drug. “I'll always remember her, because we were both in a novel situation, in a context where I had everything to learn. We developed a wonderful bond. It was a great achievement for the team, the patient and me. Patients teach us so much! I always admire their desire to give to help others and help science evolve.” 

A close-knit team

Adeline's role has evolved considerably since her first day, and she now has a number of different tasks. She analyzes the files of patients wishing to participate in an early-phase therapeutic trial to determine their eligibility and then guides them through the process, providing them with all the necessary information.  

In her role as a nurse, she interacts not only with patients, but also with all the team members, totalling some 40-odd people. Her talents as a communicator, her availability, her rigour and her organizational skills are therefore essential in carrying out the responsibilities assigned to her.

“What I particularly appreciate about my job is the collaboration between the various professionals toward a common goal, which is the safe care of patients. Unity is strength really describes our dynamic. The studies we carry out have never been done before, so we're constantly faced with new situations, and that requires a lot of thought to put in place protocols that will ensure patient safety," says Adeline. 

Making a difference 

Adeline loves the piano, drawing and handicrafts. Her creative spirit is well nurtured in this close-knit team, which comes together to innovate and get through the tough times.

She hopes that many more basic research projects will take root in clinical research so that people with cancer and other medical conditions in the neuroscience, cardiometabolic and immunopathology research themes benefit from other therapeutic treatment options. Ultimately, for her, "the feeling of making a difference for patients remains the greatest inspiration in my work.” 

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