At our East&West Dialogues, guest speakers volunteer their time to share life experience, expertise, thought, and have a dialogue with our audience.
This month, please join the conversation between two exceptional doctors and medical professors of University of Toronto – one was adopted and grew up on a farm in Ontario, and the other spent his youth in South Africa during Apartheid. What are their personal reflections of their journeys, and the importance of relationships along the way? How creating and taking opportunities has led them to where they are today?
Get insights, inspirations, and welcome to ask questions to our guest speakers!
Free admission. English hybrid event.
Time: Saturday November 28, 2026 at 7:30-9 P.M. (Eastern Time)
In-person Venue: 1585 Yonge Street, Yorkminster Park Baptist Church (Use the Toronto School for Strings and Piano entrance in the parking lot)
Free parking, close to St. Clair Subway Station.
Door opens at 7 P.M.
Please RSVP to info@eawlc.org if you wish to participate in person. Thanks!
Register here for Zoom meeting (starts at 7:30P.M.):
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qh3_CAt2RTWcgja-ZBd9rQ
Guest Speaker Bios
Peter Cox, MB ChB DCH (SA) FFARCS(UK) FRCP(C) 
Professor Emeritus, Departments of Anaesthesia, Critical Care Medicine and Paediatrics, University of Toronto
Previously, Associate Chief and Clinical Director, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. Canada
Dr. Cox is a medical graduate of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where he trained in Paediatrics. He changed his career path to Anaesthesia which he completed in London, UK.
He received his Critical Care training at the Hospital for Sick Children Toronto, Canada and at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, UK. Dr. Cox was appointed as a Staff Physician in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children in 1989 and was recognized as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1990.
In addition to clinical work, Dr. Cox had both an animal and clinical research program.
Since retirement, Dr. Cox has worked with MSF and other NGOs across the Middle East, Thailand and Africa.
An avid cyclist, Dr. Cox has taken extended cycling trips around the world, the longest being from Cairo to Cape Town. See the Globe and Mail’s report:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-former-toronto-sickkids-doctor-cycles-12000-km-across-africa-for/
Mary Jane Esplen, PhD.
Dr. Mary Jane Esplen is Professor and former Vice- Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of, University of Toronto, and worked as Clinician- Scientist at University Health Network and Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto. She founded de Souza Institute –a National Centre of education for health professionals in oncology or palliative care. She held Career Scientist awards from CIHR and NCIC for psychosocial oncology research, completing studies of psychotherapeutic treatments and assessment tools to support adjustment to being diagnosed with cancer or receiving genetic risk information in breast, colorectal or pancreatic cancer.
Other areas of research include studies addressing body image among cancer survivors or the management of grief and loss.
Dr. Esplen gives numerous workshops and keynotes and has received several awards, including the lifetime achievement award from Canadian Association Psychosocial Oncology and the Bernard Fox Memorial Award from International Psycho-oncology Society for research contributions. She continues to maintain a private practice seeing patients, is on several boards and continues to teach at U of Toronto and Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis.
Here’s a trailer of Dr. Esplen talking about Coping with the Emotional Side of Early Age Onset Cancer on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CWoB-xDAFM
Everyone is welcome! For inquiries, please contact info@eawlc.org. Thanks!
Please consider supporting our efforts to help people of different heritages break cultural barriers and get connected by volunteering, donating, or participating in our events. Together, we can make learning and connections happen!