Tom Hack, PhD, FCAHS

Research affiliations 

  • Director, Psychosocial Oncology and Cancer Nursing Research, St-Boniface Hospital Research
  • Senior scientist, Research Institute in Oncology and Hematology at CancerCare Manitoba

Research groups

  • Psychosocial Oncology and Cancer Nursing Research Group

Research summary 

Dr. Hack has research programs in coping with cancer, and communication between cancer patients and health providers. He has demonstrated the value of providing patients with recordings of primary treatment consultations, documented the psychological and physical morbidity associated with axillary lymph node dissections, and identified the link between avoidance coping at diagnosis and poor long-term adjustment to cancer.

Biography

Dr. Hack received a Bachelor of Commerce degree with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Science degree with honours from the University of Calgary. He went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of Manitoba, where he obtained both his Master’s degree and PhD in clinical psychology. He completed his clinical internship at Harvard Medical School, being the first and only Canadian to ever receive a fully paid scholarship to the program.

He has received research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the NCIC to examine the effectiveness of using consultation recordings of primary treatment consultations to enhance the well-being of persons diagnosed with cancer. He also studies aspects of coping and adjustment to cancer. Most recently, he developed a conceptual model of compassion from the perspectives of both patients and health care providers, and created the world’s best patient measure of compassionate health care.

Education

  • PhD, University of Manitoba (1994)
  • Master of Nursing, University of Manitoba (1991)
  • Bachelor of Science, University of Calgary (1988)
  • Bachelor of Commerce, University of Saskatchewan (1985)

Awards

  • Inducted as a Fellow in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2019)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (2019)
  • Psychosocial Oncology Excellence Award, Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada (2017)
  • Award of Excellence in Research, Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (2014)
  • University of Manitoba Faculty Association Merit Award for Research (2014, 2006)
  • Distinguished Board Service Award, CancerCare Manitoba (2008)
  • Dorothy J. Lamont Research Scientist Award, National Cancer Institute of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research  (2000-2006)
  • Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in recognition of contributions to those affected by cancer (2002)

ORCID profile

Visit Tom Hack's ORCID profile for a complete listing. 

Tom Hack's profile