Research in Focus shines a light on the innovative studies and discoveries taking shape across the UBC Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Through each feature, we celebrate the minds driving meaningful change in research, education, and clinical practice across anesthesiology, pharmacology, and therapeutics.
Driven by a shared vision for improving pediatric care, Dr. Teresa Skelton and her colleagues are reimagining how transfusion medicine is taught to the next generation of clinicians.
As a co-lead for the Pediatric Anesthesia Research Team at BC Children’s Hospital alongside her friend and colleague, Dr. Lynnie Correll, Teresa supports research activities within the department while leading projects focused on transfusion medicine education and pediatric Patient Blood Management.
Most recently, she collaborated with colleagues in transfusion medicine at the University of Toronto and highly-skilled UBC resident, Dr. Ines Zuna, on a multi-phase pilot project to develop Pediatric Transfusion Camp: a team-based learning curriculum modelled after Transfusion Camp, which is currently taught to all anesthesia residents across Canada. Designed to provide pediatric-specific training for subspecialty fellows in pediatric anesthesia, hematology, intensive care, emergency medicine, and surgery, Pediatric Transfusion Camp is now in its second year. The program delivers validated knowledge assessments, lectures, and team-based learning seminars nationwide, equipping clinicians with evidence-based content to help ensure safer care for children requiring transfusion.
Simulated blood products in massive hemorrhage simulation
“What drives the projects I choose to prioritize is the belief that everyone should have access to the same education and research opportunities.”
– Teresa Skelton, Clinical Associate Professor, UBC
Meet Dr. Teresa Skelton!
Site: BC Children’s Hospital
Rank: Clinical Associate Professor
Teresa is a pediatric anesthesiologist with an MPH (Master of Public Health) from the Harvard School of Public Health. Although always fostering an interest in research, her journey truly began when she met her mentor, Dr. Patricia Livingston—an anesthesiologist and Officer of the Order of Canada—whose passion for education advocacy in resource-limited settings deeply influenced her. Through their collaboration, Teresa participated in her first study investigating non-technical skills training through simulation in Rwanda. Since then, she has continued to advance knowledge in her specialty while striving to balance local academic work with support for international research initiatives.
Rwanda transfusion guidelines and “Blood Easy” manuals at Transfusion Camp Rwanda
What drew you to this particular research question or problem?
What drives the projects I choose to prioritize is the belief that everyone should have access to the same education and research opportunities. I am grateful to have recognized transfusion medicine education—particularly well-designed programs such as Transfusion Camp—as something that should be available to pediatric specialists and to the global community. Why not work hard to transform a great educational tool into something more widely accessible, and then work even harder to demonstrate knowledge translation and empower educators in all contexts to engage in the process and share their expertise? To me, this is success!
What impact do you hope this work will have on clinical practice, education, or society in general?
I hope that those who read this, or who know about my work, are reminded never to underestimate the power of mentorship. The mentorship I received shaped my career path and helped to make (I hope) a difference in education and patient care, both locally and globally. I also hope to show that it is possible to remain curious and to support research and quality improvement in your own community while also sharing knowledge and collaborating with others who may not have the same resources. Contributing your time to research—whether through collaboration, funding advocacy, or knowledge translation—promotes greater equity in anesthesia worldwide and enhances our own practice by teaching us to be more generous, thoughtful, and kind.
Simulation environment teaching non-technical skills
What’s been the most rewarding moment in your research journey so far?
The most rewarding aspect of my research has been playing a small part in the success of the collaborators, students, and trainees I have worked with. My close friend and collaborator in Rwanda, Dr. Françoise Nizeyimana, has become a leading voice for Patient Blood Management in her country. We began working together in 2019 with a shared vision of bringing transfusion medicine education to Rwanda, but as two pediatric anesthesiologists, we weren’t sure where to start. Six years later—and with the support of Canadian Blood Services and close friends such as Dr. Yulia Lin at the University of Toronto—Dr. Nizeyimana is leading quality improvement initiatives in both the operating room and the intensive care unit, sharing her work at international events supported by the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists, and planning and teaching transfusion medicine courses for medical students, residents, faculty, and nurses in Rwanda.
Drs Nizeyimana and Skelton running a workshop at the World Congress of Anesthesiologists 2024
Outside of work, what do you enjoy the most?
Outside of work, I love spending time with my family. I make it a priority to support my children in school and athletics, and to balance my clinical and research commitments with the day-to-day joys of family life. I have become an excellent chauffeur! When all is said and done, I love to canoe and ski.
Learn more about the Anesthesia Pediatric Research Team at BC Children’s Hospital here.
