Claire Simonsen, BA 

Claire is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator at Children’s Hospital Colorado and has been in her role since 2022. Claire holds a degree in psychology and philosophy and has been working on psychosocial focused research since 2020. She has presented at nearly a dozen conferences throughout the country on topics such as mindfulness, philosophy, child life, and cognitive psychology. 

Jennifer Staab, MS, CCLS 

Jenny is an experienced Certified Child Life Specialist and has served in several leadership roles such as program coordinator, supervisor, and manager. Presently, as Clinical Practice Specialist for the Child Life Department at Children’s Hospital Colorado, she leads child life focused research, educates staff on best practices, drives quality improvement and program evaluation projects, and oversees two clinical research coordinators. Jenny has been involved in child life specific research for over 10 years and presently serves as the Associate Editor for the Journal of Child Life. 

Carmen Ma Ka Man, MA, CCLS, is a dedicated child life professional with over 15 years of experience empowering children and their families. She currently serves as the Assistant Professional Services Manager, Clinical Intern Coordinator and Supervisor for the Child Life Team at Children’s Cancer Foundation, Hong Kong. Carmen has played a key role in advancing child life practice in Hong Kong through program development, staff training, and advocacy for psychosocial care in paediatric oncology. As a Certified Child Life Specialist, she primarily utilises a case-based approach to provide individualised interventions and family-centered care, supporting young patients and their families, especially those facing oncology diagnoses, throughout their treatment journey. 

Carmen is an active presenter and educator, sharing her expertise with both local and international audiences. She is passionate about fostering resilience and coping skills in children and families during times of medical stress, and is dedicated to promoting best practices in child life and inspiring the next generation of professionals in the field. 

Mandy Chan Yee Man, B.Soc.Sc, CCLS has been a dedicated Child Life Specialist for over 13 years, with extensive experience supporting children and families in both oncology and general pediatric settings. In her current role, Mandy serves as a rotation supervisor and clinical coordinator for child life internships, as well as a clinical supervisor for Child Life Specialists across three hospitals. 

Mandy provides specialised support for children undergoing a wide range of medical procedures, including dermatology laser treatments, suture removal, casting, chest tapping, lumbar punctures, and more. She is passionate about preparing and supporting children and families through challenging medical experiences and is committed to fostering the next generation of child life professionals through mentorship and supervision. Her services also cover both hospital and community settings. 

Mandy looks forward to connecting with the ACLP community and sharing insights from her diverse clinical experiences for this presentation.  

Dorothy Kwong Hiu-Fung, M.S.Sc, CCLS is a Certified Child Life Specialist at the Children’s Cancer Foundation in Hong Kong. She is passionate about supporting the developmental, emotional, and psychosocial needs of children and families during healthcare experiences through play and education. Committed to family-centered care, she provides individualised, case-based support, building trusting relationships to address each family’s unique needs, strengths, and backgrounds. As one of the children’s palliative care team members of the Children's Palliative Care Foundation, Dorothy provides specialised support to children and families during palliative and end-of-life care. She collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to support children and families throughout their healthcare journey, from hospital to community, ensuring continuity of care and empowerment during challenging times 

Lauren has been a CCLS since 2016 and spent about 5 years in a children’s hospital setting before transitioning to academics in 2021. Since then, she has taught several classes in Early Childhood Care and Education as well as Human Developmental and Family Sciences at several universities. Currently, she is a Child and Family Data Collection Specialist at the Georgia Center for Developmental Science at UGA where she implements a child-life developed protocol to assist children aged 6.5-9 in the data collection process, including an unsedated MRI. She is also pursuing a PhD in HDFS at UGA.  

Nicole has been a Child Life Specialist for 8 years and has worked in northern Virginia and Miami, Florida. She’s been in El Paso, Texas for 4 years. Her career has been spent working with pediatric oncology patients, including an inpatient floor, an outpatient clinic, and a radiation oncology setting. She enjoys working with this population because she enjoys the complexities of their diagnoses and treatment journeys, as well as getting to build long-term therapeutic relationships. As the team in El Paso grows, she is gradually stepping into more of a leadership role, which has brought new challenges and plenty of learning opportunities. She is looking forward to continuing to grow in this role while also helping and encouraging those around her in their own growth. She also enjoys networking and being involved in other child life organizations such as the FACLP, the ACLP, and Child Life United. 

Dr. Sherwood Burns-Nader, PhD, CCLS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Alabama where she coordinates the undergraduate and graduate child life programs. Sherwood’s research interests include examining the psychosocial issues affecting children and families in the healthcare setting, the benefits of child life interventions, the experiences of child life specialists and emerging professionals, and the value of play in development and coping. Sherwood has served as an Association of Child Life Professional’s Research Fellow since 2020, including as the Lead Fellow from 2023-2025.