About this story
Diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer in 2020 at the age of 40, Katell suddenly found herself on both sides of cancer research conversations: as a patient navigating treatment and as a researcher in applied statistics. That rare perspective reshaped the direction of her work.
Based near Amsterdam, Katell has now become an international Research Patient Advocate helping researchers, clinicians and patient communities better understand one another. To her, science moves forward more meaningfully when patient experience is included from the very beginning.
Turning lived experience into meaningful advocacy
Few people understand cancer from both sides the way Katell does: as a patient living through treatment and as a researcher contributing to scientific conversations. Over the years, she has contributed to major international oncology discussions, including:
ASCO Annual Meeting
Cancer Drug Development Forum Workshop
European Cancer Organisation Summit
Cure51’s Exceptional Voices Committee
Making science more human and accessible worldwide
Much of Katell’s work focuses on the challenges younger adults face during and after cancer. She speaks openly about topics that often remain invisible, including life with a stoma, rehabilitation, palliative care, survivorship and the need for reliable, understandable information. Whether discussing how to prepare for a long-haul flight with a stoma or returning to activities like diving, Katell believes small pieces of advice can help people rebuild confidence and independence after treatment.
Katell also contributes to international collaborations with Stanford University (USA) and the Oncode Institute (The Netherlands). Through Cancer Grand Challenges, she has also helped build exchanges with the eDyNamiC team around exceptional cancer survivorship research.
