Danielle Kain

Dr. Danielle Kain is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Palliative Medicine at Queen’s University’s Department of Medicine (DOM). She currently serves as Interim Division Chair of Palliative Medicine and Clinical Director of Palliative Care at Providence Care Hospital. Additionally, she holds the role of President of the Medical Staff Association at Kingston Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Kain completed her medical degree at the University of Toronto in 2009, followed by Family Medicine and Palliative Medicine residencies at Dalhousie University. Her career includes roles at Dalhousie and the University Health Network before returning to Queen’s in 2018 to lead palliative care program expansion, integrating palliative care into outpatient clinics such as ALS, COPD/ILD, and lung cancer diagnostics.

Her research focuses on palliative care integration and medical education innovation. She has pioneered curriculum design for Goals of Care and Serious Illness Conversations across undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education. Dr. Kain has been recognized for her teaching and clinical excellence, including the 2024 D. Laurence Wilson Award for Professionalism and multiple teaching awards from the Department of Medicine.

Her scholarly work spans palliative care access optimization, end-of-life symptom management, and interprofessional collaboration. Recent publications address return-to-work strategies for cancer survivors, ultrasound training in residency programs, and cost-consequence analyses of genomic testing in oncology. She advocates for equitable palliative care models and has led quality improvement initiatives in care coordination.