Florence Horicks
Florence Horicks researches the quality of life and survival of cancer patients and patient engagement for the Pôle Santé (ULB) organisation.
Affiliation
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Areas of expertise
- Quality of life of cancer patients
- Patient needs and experience,
- Cancer research
Get to know Florence
What do you think is the power of "The Symphony of Us"?
"The strength lies in its transdisciplinarity. I am a strong believer in this approach to addressing complex societal challenges that involve both objective and subjective elements. Cancer is a complex and emotional disease that requires a multifaceted vision. It is therefore very rich to complement the scientific approach with the experiential knowledge of the people directly affected. In The Symphony of Us, our diverse backgrounds offer different angles on the same problem, enriching our approach."
Why are you participating?
"To combine my quest for meaning with my skills. It's a way of crossing my aspirations and my personal and professional pathways. I have a background in biomedical sciences and did a PhD thesis on fertility preservation during chemotherapy. From the start, my journey has been marked by the aspects of quality of life and survivorship for oncology patients. Even if I loved working in the lab, I missed the human aspect and the direct impact on patients. So I progressively turned to research projects that were more related to 'care' than to 'cure'.
How can your expertise contribute to this research?
"My expertise may not come directly from my biomedical background, but it definitely informs my perspective. I am driven by transdisciplinarity approaches in health and oncology research in particular. I have been working on integrating multiple knowledge into research and patient care for several years now, so this project is a wonderful opportunity to deepen co-creative approaches in research and the patient value."
"Often, patients express the feeling of being reduced to their disease, and the Symphony of Us project is trying to understand what is valuable to them and how to implement it in the field."
What insight from your field would you like to share with the world?
"Patients have a voice, and it deserves to be heard. Often, patients express the feeling of being reduced to their disease, it is essential to preserve humanity, to consider the person as a whole and in his or her life course more generally. The Symphony of Us project is trying to understand what is valuable to them and how to implement it in research and in the field."
How do you see the future of cancer research?
"I see the future of cancer research as a collective effort by blurring the barriers between disciplines and levels of research, from the lab to the clinic. We must actively involve patients in this process, ensuring that policymakers listen to their voices, in addition to the financial and political aspects. Patients are a crucial part of the ecosystem, and together, we need to explore new paths forward."
Which song symbolizes 'The Symphony of Us' for you?
"Dream On' by Aerosmith. It's a song about resilience, emphasizing the significance of holding onto your beliefs, refusing to give up and keeping dreaming. It's a message that I think is important both for the Symphony of Us project and for its actors."
“Dream On is a song about resilience, emphasizing the significance of holding onto your beliefs, refusing to give up and keeping dreaming”
Which qualities do you like to see in other people?
"I appreciate enthusiasm and commitment in others – when people genuinely enjoy what they do and give their all. I also value a team mindset embracing diverse perspectives and honesty."
If you were given a sabbatical year, how would you fill it?
"I would spend it with my kids. I have three, including twins who are less than two years old. I would take the time to watch them grow up into little people. Time seems to fly; you blink, and two years later, they're talking."
