2021 Health System Impact Fellow Profiles

Profile:

Patient-Oriented Research in the BC Learning Health System - Supporting Caregivers across British Columbia in Palliative Care

Name: Vidhi Thakkar 
Host Partner Organization: Victoria Hospice 
Location (city, province): Victoria, BC
Academic Institution: University of Victoria 
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & Mitacs

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My HSIF research is a program evaluation of an innovative program to support client caregivers in palliative care. The volunteer program will be implemented to improve seniors' health. I am mentored by Jonathan Schmid, COO at the Victoria Hospice and Dr. Kelli Stajduhar, Professor at UVic. I am delighted to work with strategic leaders in B.C. to pursue successful career in health policy. 

Twitter: @vidhithakkar
LinkedIn: Vidhi Thakkar

Examining the Care Transition Experiences of Home Care Clients Through Journey Mapping

Name: Marianne Saragosa
Host Partner Organization: VHA Home HealthCare
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a doctoral candidate in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. The Health System Impact Fellowship will expand my area of research, which includes transitions in care of vulnerable patient populations. By understanding transitions that involve home care recipients, we will learn how to address client challenges to reduce hospital (re)admissions.

Twitter: @MarianneSaragos
LinkedIn: Marianne Saragosa

Advancing senior's care in Canada: accelerating the development, adoption and use of CIHI's data and indicators on seniors and aging

Name: Sarah Carbone
Host Partner Organization: Canadian Institute for Health Information
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowsihp
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research focuses on strengthening transition decision-making in Ontario's long-term care sector. For the HSI Fellowship, I am working with the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) to address challenges related to population aging that are facing Canada's health systems. As a researcher, my goal is to improve the care experiences and outcomes of older adults and caregivers throughout Canada. 

Twitter: @sarah_carbone1
Linkedin: Sarah Carbone

Implementation of efforts to support real-time evidence use in humanitarian practice at The Canadian Red Cross

Name: Ahmad Firas Khalid
Host Partner Organization: Canadian Red Cross Society
Location (city, province): Ottawa, ON
Academic Institution: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute 
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I aim to develop and pilot test a reliable mechanism on real-time knowledge synthesis that can help in timely decision-making at the Canadian Red Cross. I will also assist in building capacity to support evidence use. The CIHR Health Systems Impact Fellowship presents the perfect experiential learning opportunity for me to become an internationally leading knowledge translation scientist.

Harnessing large, complex data and artificial intelligence methods to identify health inequities and support action on the social determinants of health in primary care

Name: Stephanie Garies
Host Partner Organization: Unity Health Toronto
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

In collaboration with the Family Health Team at St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto), my postdoctoral research program will focus on extracting and utilizing information about patients' social determinants of health from electronic medical records. This will help support equitable, patient-centred care and will also enhance my skills as a health data scientist working within a leading healthcare organization.

ResearchGate: Stephanie Garies
LinkedIn: Stephanie Garies

Monitoring and evaluation of Canada's Healthy Eating Strategy

Name: Rachel Acton
Host Partner Organization: Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion (ONPP), Health Canada 
Location (city, province): Ottawa, ON
Academic Institution: University of Waterloo
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My work in this fellowship will support Health Canada in evaluating key components of Canada's Healthy Eating Strategy, including updates to Canada's Food Guide and restrictions on food and beverage marketing to children. Through this work, I hope to apply my research skills in a way that can support evidence-based policy development and promote a healthier food environment in Canada.  

Twitter: @RachelBActon

A Pathway for Improving Mental Health Access for Youth and Young Adults

Name: Katherine Stuart Bright
Host Partner Organization: Alberta Health Services, Addiction and Mental Health Strategic Clinical Network
Location (city, province): Calgary, AB
Academic Institution: University of Calgary
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

During my fellowship I will work with partner organizations to implement an e-mental health platform for youth and young adults in 10 communities across Alberta. I am passionate about creating prevention and early intervention resources for this population. Improving healthcare delivery using innovative quality improvement strategies and knowledge translation methods will lead to better provision of mental health services. 

An evidence-based, practice-oriented approach to transition young adult cancer survivors to community-based survivorship care in Nova Scotia (NS): including and optimizing the role of primary care

Name: Katrin Julia Kaal
Host Partner Organization: Nova Scotia Health
Location (city, province): Halifax, NS
Academic Institution: Dalhousie University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

This project will design, implement, and evaluate a model of care in the local context of the Nova Scotia health system to provide survivors of young adult cancer with the care they need and improve their experiences and outcomes. It uses a mixed-methods approach that combines different sources of data to understand and address survivor's needs and improve care coordination. 

Twitter: @KJuliaKaal

Enhancing mental health care through integration of smartphone apps into clinical care

Name: Lydia Sequeira
Host Partner Organization: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health/ Canada Health Infoway
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a Health Informatics Researcher, trained at U of T. As a HSI Fellow, I will work in partnership with CAMH and Canada Health Infoway to develop best practices for the integration of smartphone apps into mental health care, aimed at educating patients, clinicians and administrators. I am excited because this project can help improve access to care.

Twitter: @lydiantoinette

Policy Roll Out of Free Prescription Contraception in BC: Analysis and Integration of Stakeholder Engagement

Name: Kate Wahl
Host Partner Organization: British Columbia Ministry of Health
Location (city, province): Victoria, BC
Academic Institution: University of British Columbia
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Gender and Health (CIHR-IGH) & Michael Smith Health Research BC (Health Research BC)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I will contribute to the policy roll out of free prescription contraception in British Columbia. My work will support equitable access to contraception through the integration of stakeholder engagement using a Gender-Based Analysis Plus approach. I feel lucky to be part of this project, which will help ensure that British Columbians can obtain trauma-informed, culturally safe and gender-affirming contraceptive care.

Twitter: @katejwahl
Website: Kate Wahl

Implementing and Evaluating an Enhanced Cancer Patient Navigation Information System in Manitoba 

Name: Iresha Ratnayake 
Host Partner Organization: CancerCare Manitoba
Location (city, province): Winnipeg, MB
Academic Institution: University of Manitoba
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a PhD candidate at the University of Manitoba, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. I will be partnering with CancerCare Manitoba to develop change management, economic evaluation, and knowledge translation protocols to enhance the current cancer patient navigation system. Through this work, I hope to contribute towards improving the cancer patient experience and creating health system efficiencies.   

Twitter: @IreshaRatnayake

Climate change impacts on food security in Yukon

Name: Iva Seto
Host Partner Organization: Department of Health and Social Services, Government of Yukon
Location (city, province): Whitehorse, YT
Academic Institution: University of Toronto Mississauga
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am developing a framework for evidence-informed, culturally informed food security surveillance. Part of the Our Clean Futures strategy, the framework will support community-led food security and climate resilience initiatives in Yukon. My PhD research in health crisis sensemaking aligns well with this climate-focused work. My vision is to apply evidence-informed practice to optimize population health through long-duration crises mitigation.  

A dying wish: Enhancing end-of-life care for hospitalized patients

Name: Julie C Reid
Host Partner Organization: St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
Location (city, province): Hamilton, ON
Academic Institution: McMaster University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

As a physiotherapist and PhD Rehabilitation Scientist, I am passionate about improving healthcare. Dying is a part of life, but the dying process can cause suffering and distress for patients and families. Currently, there are few person-centered end-of-life interventions. In this Fellowship, I will use a mixed-methods approach with integrated knowledge translation to enhance end-of-life practices at St. Joseph's Healthcare. 

Twitter: @PT_julie_r
ResearchGate: Julie C Reid

Keeping seniors on the Long-Term Care waitlist safe at home

Name: Melissa Pirrie
Host Partner Organization: Niagara Emergency Medical Services
Location (city, province): St. Catharines/Hamilton, ON
Academic Institution: McMaster University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research focus is health inequities among marginalized populations. Working with Niagara Emergency Medical Services, I will evaluate their Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care (CPLTC) program, which aims to keep seniors on the LTC waitlist safe at home. My ultimate goal as a researcher is to improve healthcare access and reduce health inequities for the growing population of low-income seniors.    

Twitter: @mpirrie

AI-driven solutions to mitigate the social and psychological impact of COVID-19

Name: Shaina Raza
Host Partner Organization: Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto 
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)/Equitable AI

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a HSI fellow co-funded by CIHR and OAHPP. I am getting academic supervision at the University of Toronto. I am excited about research related to studying and mitigating the post COVD-19 effects on population health using AI. I consider it a privilege to do research that allows me to partner with clinicians and policymakers for a better health system.

LinkedIn: Shaina Raza

Indigenous Identity Disclosure within Alberta Health Services

Name: Mandi Gray
Host Partner Organization: Alberta Health Services
Location (city, province): Calgary, AB
Academic Institution: University of Calgary
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & CIHR Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health (CIHR-IIPH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I will be examining if and how self-disclosed Indigenous identity could be incorporated into Alberta Health Services (AHS) new provincial Electronic Medical Records system. The research will be situated in Alberta Health Services Indigenous Wellness Core and supervised by Dr. Rita Henderson (University of Calgary). This research is intended to advance critical policy considerations and responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Call to Action 19.

Website: Mandi Gray

How can we improve patient safety and quality care for women and children? Advancing IWK Health as a Learning Health System

Name: Mari Somerville
Host Partner Organization: IWK Health
Location (city, province): Halifax, NS
Academic Institution: Dalhousie University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am using a learning health system lens to design, implement and evaluate quality and patient safety initiatives at IWK Health. This work has the potential to strengthen existing policy and service models and increase value-based care across the organization. This research will also serve as a catalyst to enhance strategic partnerships to improve quality and safety in the Maritimes.

Twitter: @MariSomerville

Evaluation of the CAncer PaTient Assist In Navigation (CAPTAIN) intervention 

Name: Katie Galloway
Host Partner Organization: CancerCare Manitoba 
Location (city, province): Winnipeg, MB
Academic Institution: University of Manitoba 
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research focuses on cancer health services and the goal of the current project is to implement an enhanced cancer patient navigation system in Manitoba to improve patient satisfaction and evaluate the impact of navigation on health system use. This new system is expected to improve the cancer patient journey and provide a better quality of life for cancer patients.

How Professional Associations Influence Health System Change: The Case of Ontario Health Teams

Name: Alyssa Indar 
Host Partner Organization: Ontario Medical Association
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

As a Registered Nurse and PhD student in the Health Services Research Program (Organization & Management), I am interested in studying patient complexity and interprofessional collaboration. The purpose of my fellowship project is to explore how professional organizations have engaged in health system policy changes related to the development of Ontario Health Teams and to identify strategies to enhance collaboration. 

Developing a business case for equitable access to first-line osteoarthritis therapies in Alberta

Name: Darren Mazzei
Host Partner Organization: Alberta Health Services Bone and Joint Health Strategic Clinical Network
Location (city, province): Calgary, AB
Academic Institution: University of Calgary
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Education and exercise therapy are recommended as initial, first-line treatments for everyone with hip or knee osteoarthritis, but they are not publicly-funded in most provinces. I am a physiotherapist and was inspired by patients who could not afford privately-funded rehabilitation. My project will evaluate how innovative funding solutions could address inequitable access to first-line osteoarthritis treatments in Alberta. 

Twitter: @DarrenMazzei
Linkedin: Darren Mazzei
Website: Darren Mazzei

Advancing Equitable Access to Cancer Treatment for populations experiencing social and economic disadvantage

Name: Amber Bourgeois
Host Partner Organization: BC Cancer
Location (city, province): Vancouver, BC
Academic Institution: University of Victoria
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & CIHR Institute of Gender and Health (CIHR-IGH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a nurse practitioner and a doctoral student at the University of Victoria. As an HSI fellow, I am excited to bring together research at the health systems level, while gaining the essential skills to impact innovation towards equity-oriented policy and practice. My proposed research is focused on identifying barriers to cancer treatment for those who face social/structural inequalities.

Evaluating the impact of initiatives aimed at supporting the recovery and quality of life of people living with heart disease, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment

Name: Victrine Tseung
Host Partner Organization: Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Ottawa Heart Institute
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research focuses on cardiovascular disease and multi-morbidity. This research will provide Heart & Stroke with tools to assess how Canadians with stroke and heart disease with other conditions, such as cognitive problems, are recovering or managing their disease. Assessment tools specific to those with multi-morbidity are essential for the development of programs to improve recovery and quality of life. 

Twitter: @victrine_t

Optimizing the Physician Engagement Strategy to reduce EHR-related Clinician Burden

Name: Brian Lo
Host Partner Organization: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Under the supervision of Dr. Tania Tajirian (CMIO), I will be engaging physicians to optimize the delivery of the Physician Engagement Strategy Program at CAMH. As we move forward with a digitally enabled clinical environment, delivering useful interventions to mitigate EHR-related burden will be instrumental in realizing the expected benefits of digital health tools for patient care. 

LinkedIn: Brian Lo

Healthy, active schools: evaluating a new Physical Activity Framework in Nova Scotia 

Name: Hilary Caldwell
Host Partner Organization: Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 
Location (city, province): Halifax, NS
Academic Institution: Dalhousie University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Dr. Caldwell is an experienced physical activity & child health researcher with training in exercise science, health promotion, and public health. She will evaluate a new Physical Activity Framework being implemented at Nova Scotia schools that aims to build more opportunities for physical activity throughout the school day to support students' health, well-being and learning. 

Twitter: @CaldwellHilary

Using social network analysis to understand the theft of controlled substances in Canadian hospitals

Name: Troy Francis
Host Partner Organization: North York General Hospital
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research focuses on the evaluation of complex health systems. In partnership with North York General Hospital, I will be using Social Network Analysis to explore the social interactions and tasks between healthcare workers that may contribute to controlled substance losses within the medication use process. This quality improvement project will evaluate current safeguards and will inform future mitigation strategies.

LinkedIn: Troy Francis
Twitter: @TA_Francis08

On the road to a better understanding of the risk posed by emerging arboviruses in Canada

Name: Benoit Talbot
Host Partner Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Location (city, province): Sainte-Hyacinthe, QC
Academic Institution: University of Ottawa
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (CIHR-III)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My program of work integrates many fields of study such as ecology, epidemiology, geography, statistics and sociology to measure the current and future impact of emerging mosquito-borne viruses which currently show an increasing risk to Canadians. Integration of these fields of study and expertise stemming from academia and the public sector could potentially bring solutions to the problem.

ResearchGate: Benoit Talbot
LinkedIn: Benoit Talbot

Bridging the gap: using implementation and behavioural science to support transitional care for acute cardiac patients

Name: Jacob Crawshaw
Host Partner Organization: Centre for Evidence-Based Implementation (CEBI), Hamilton Health Sciences
Location (city, province): Hamilton, ON
Academic Institution: McMaster University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am excited to join the Health System Impact Fellowship program to partner with the Centre for Evidence-Based Implementation, Hamilton Health Sciences, where I will undertake mixed methods research exploring transitional care issues among acute cardiac patients across Central South Ontario. This work has the potential to advance care quality, improve patient outcomes, and increase health system performance.

Twitter: @JakeECrawshaw
LinkedIn: Jacob Crawshaw
ORCID: Jacob Crawshaw

Building capacity to advance surveillance of food environments and food systems in Canada 

Name: Kirsten Lee
Host Partner Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Location (city, province): Ottawa, ON
Academic Institution: York University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research focuses on evaluating food and nutrition policies for their potential to support human and planetary health. As a HSI Fellow, I will collaborate with the Public Health Agency of Canada to advance national-level surveillance of food environments and food systems, which will have an impact on informing policies to better support healthy and sustainable eating patterns among Canadians.

Twitter: @kirsten_m_lee
LinkedIn: Kirsten Lee

Using Machine Learning to Benefit Mental Healthcare Services 

Name: Martin Wellman
Host Partner Organization: Canadian Institute for Health Information
Location (city, province): Ottawa, ON
Academic Institution: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute 
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My area of research is examining how to analyze health and healthcare data using machine learning to help inform policy decisions in Canada. My goal is to help improve the healthcare system to leave a positive impact on society. Working at CIHI will be an excellent way to kickstart a career in a field I feel passionate about.

Can artificial intelligence help us better detect and manage polypharmacy?

Name: Yohann Moanahere Chiu
Host Partner Organization: Institut national de santé publique du Québec
Location (city, province): Québec City, QC
Academic Institution: Université Laval
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH) / Equitable AI & Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a biostatistician with expertise in epidemiology; I am hoping to hone my knowledge of AI with this polypharmacy monitoring project. I believe that AI and public health are perfect partners for improving population health! I am delighted that my project will be able to improve knowledge and practices in this arena.

LinkedIn: Yohann Moanahere Chiu

Investing in affordable housing in Canada: Promoting health equity by spending more wisely

Name: Karine Perreault
Host Partner Organization: Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ)
Location (city, province): Montréal and Québec City, QC
Academic Institution: McGill University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Healthy Cities Research Initiative (CIHR-HCRI)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Decisions on funding for affordable housing are guided in part by economic considerations. In my post doctoral fellowship, I am hoping to highlight the health equity impacts of these decisions. Could we spend more wisely while also promoting health equity? I hope that this issue will become a key consideration for housing decision making.

LinkedIn: Karine Perreault

Evidence synthesis and knowledge mobilization to advance 'Health in All Policies' in Canada

Name: Temi Famuyide
Host Partner Organization: Intersectoral Partnerships and Initiatives, Public Health Agency of Canada
Location (city, province): Ottawa, ON
Academic Institution: University of Calgary
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am interested in addressing health inequities by adopting approaches that integrate the social determinants of health into non-health policies (i.e., the Health in all Policies (HiAP) approach). My fellowship will provide a roadmap to apply HiAP within the Canadian context.  This will strengthen the role of public health in reducing health inequities through working with non-health sector partners.

Building Capacity for Campus Suicide Prevention: A Policy Practice Partnership 

Name: Corey McAuliffe
Host Partner Organization: Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division
Location (city, province): Vancouver, BC
Academic Institution: University of British Columbia
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH) & Mitacs

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Increasing rates of anxiety, depression, isolation, and suicidality for postsecondary students has been rising and recently, exacerbated by the pandemic. In response, Corey's work will support campus suicide prevention initiatives across all BC publicly funded post-secondary institutions. Oriented towards a process of social change and equity, her work aims to impact policy through heightened attention to contextual and cultural differences.

Twitter: @CL_McAuliffe

Aligning community and cancer care with the needs of older adults with cancer 

Name: Fay Strohschein
Host Partner Organization: Cancer Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services
Location (city, province): Calgary, AB
Academic Institution: University of Calgary
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Age-related health, functional, and social changes impact cancer care. To advance a learning health system that strengthens outcomes, experiences, and value in the care of older Albertans with cancer and their families, I will engage with stakeholders to build partnerships, harness diverse sources of data and evidence, and propose innovations that address age-related concerns through community and cancer care collaboration. 

Twitter: @FayStrohschein

A Critical Examination of Equitable Employment of Autistic Canadians using a Co-Design Approach

Name: Sara Lacarte
Host Partner Organization: Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance (CASDA)
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

The goal of my research is to promote equitable employment for autistic workers by influencing federal employment policy makers involved in the National Autism Strategy (Public Health Agency of Canada). A co-design approach with autistic workers, managers, and employment support specialists will inform the study recommendations for promising supportive and inclusionary practices.

LinkedIn: Sara Lacarte

Using evaluation to develop a learning health system in East Toronto Health Partners 

Name: Sara Shearkhani
Host Partner Organization: East Toronto Health Partners
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I completed my PhD in Health Services Research at Uof T. As a HSIF, working with my supervisors, Mark Fam, Walter Wodchis, and Anne Wojtak, I will assist East Toronto Health Partners to advance toward a learning health system by embedding rapid cycles of evaluation to support learning and decision making for scale and spread of an integrated care model.

Twitter: @Sara_Shear

Shifting Focus: An examination of how to design primary health care networks using a patient-centred, needs-based approach

Name: Mike Reid
Host Partner Organization: Nova Scotia Health
Location (city, province): Halifax, NS
Academic Institution: Dalhousie University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

As an individual's health care needs become more complex,  their care teams often expand to include specialists, health care professionals, and community supports. My research combines the patient, provider, and policymaker perspectives to explore how these extended care teams can be effectively integrated into primary health care systems, supporting primary health care system transformation using a patient-centred, needs-based approach.

Uncovering the true magnitude of opioid overdose in Canada

Name: Mallory Flynn
Host Partner Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Location (city, province): Vancouver, BC
Academic Institution: University of British Columbia
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research currently centres around Bayesian methods for inference and evidence synthesis on linked data structures, motivated by health systems data. I am interested in applications in public health and epidemiology, where there is tremendous opportunity to conduct impactful statistical research. Through this work, I hope to clarify the scope of the opioid epidemic and its impact on Canadian communities.

Examining the Contexts and Mechanisms Driving the Successful Implementation of a Province-Wide Acute Care Modernization Initiative in Alberta

Name: Rhyann McKay
Host Partner Organization: Alberta Health Services, Strategic Clinical Networks™
Location (city, province): Edmonton, AB
Academic Institution: University of Alberta
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research evaluates the implementation of an acute care modernization initiative across Alberta Health Services to co-develop recommendations enhancing its sustainability. This work will allow me to bridge a critical gap between research and practice to improve health outcomes across Alberta. Overall, I aim to foster a culture of learning and that supports high-quality health systems to improve human health.

Twitter: @rhyann_mckay
LinkedIn: Rhyann McKay

Analyzing linked safety data to improve active transportation safety in British Columbia

Name: Michael Branion-Calles
Host Partner Organization: British Columbia Ministry of Health
Location (city, province): Vancouver, BC
Academic Institution: University of British Columbia
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Healthy Cities Research Initiative (CIHR-HCRI)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I study active transportation safety and am motivated to conduct research that will help make it safer to walk and bicycle. As an HSI-Fellow I will analyze an unprecedented, linked database of road safety datasets originally gathered across different government institutions. My work will enable decision makers to create evidence-based policies to improve active transportation safety within the province. 

Website: UBC: Faculty of Medicine (Road Safety & Public Health Research)
Twitter: @mbrcalles

Identifying service gaps between primary and specialty care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis 

Name: Xiaoxiao Liu
Host Partner Organization: Alberta Health Services
Location (city, province): Calgary, AB
Academic Institution: University of Calgary
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research examines access to care and social determinants of health using spatial analysis, statistics, epidemiological analysis, and geographical information systems. My proposed project aims to improve access to care by identifying service gaps between primary and specialty care, which will provide evidence for understanding local needs and planning customized integrated care that is responsive to local issues.

Honouring all our relations in population health and wellness reporting in British Columbia

Name: Kate Jongbloed
Host Partner Organization: BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer
Location (city, province): Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples territory (Victoria, BC)
Academic Institution: University of Victoria
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health (CIHR-IIPH) & Michael Smith Health Research BC (Health Research BC)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a white settler epidemiologist with over 10 years of experience in the field of Indigenous health and wellness. Working in partnership with BC's Office of the Provincial Health Officer and Indigenous collectives, our project aims to inform a path forward in self-determined provincial health and wellness reporting among Indigenous Peoples in BC who are not yet adequately represented.

Exploring barriers and enablers to implementation of cancer screening among primary care providers seeing marginalized patients

Name: Arlinda Ruco
Host Partner Organization: Women's College Hospital
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Interventions to maximize cancer screening participation are needed now more than ever given the interruption to services during the pandemic. Exploring barriers and enablers to implementation of cancer screening among primary care providers seeing marginalized patients is critical to inform meaningful change and to address cancer screening disparities.

Functional Criteria for Evaluation of Autism Services

Name: Mackenzie Salt
Host Partner Organization: Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: McMaster University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & Mitacs

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research is focused on autistic adults: an under researched and underserved population. During this fellowship, I want to create a framework for evaluating services for autistic adults using functional measures to potentially standardize and increase service delivery and service offerings across the country. Being an autistic adult, I want to see more autistic voices involved in designing and planning services.

Twitter: @Mac_at_Mac
ResearchGate: Mackenzie Salt
LinkedIn: Mackenzie Salt

How Innovation at a Leading Tertiary Care Centre in Toronto is Working Towards Indigenous Reconciliation 

Name: Tammy MacLean
Host Partner Organization: Women's College Hospital
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Toronto
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research aims to improve understanding of how health services can achieve health equity for Indigenous Peoples. This involves: 1) exploring how Indigenous Peoples, methods and perspectives of health/wellbeing have been incorporated into health service organizations and health education programs; and 2) the processes through which health organizations can improve health access and health service experiences of Indigenous Peoples. 

Twitter: @TammyLMacLean

Developing a Sustainable and Evidence-Based Integrated Model of Care for Pain Management in Alberta 

Name: Elena Lopatina
Host Partner Organization: Alberta Health Services
Location (city, province): Calgary, AB
Academic Institution: University of Calgary
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My post-doctoral HSIF work aims to design a sustainable evidence-based model of care that will enable timely access to appropriate, integrated, and effective chronic pain management for Albertans. This project harnesses my commitment to applied research and health systems excellence and will provide me with skills and expertise required to successfully drive health system transformation in the future.

Twitter: @ElenaLopatin

Strengthening Provincial Health Systems for Kidney Disease Management in Primary Care 

Name: Joseph Lunyera
Host Partner Organization: Alberta Health Services North Zone
Location (city, province): Edmonton, AB
Academic Institution: University of Alberta
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a clinical epidemiologist, and my lifelong goal is to advance evidence-based policies that promote the highest quality care for patients with kidney and cardiovascular disease. My project aims to identify opportunities for improvement of the kidney care pathway to empower primary care clinics for kidney disease care.

No quality without equity in the care of older adults with complex health issues 

Name: Amina Jabbar
Host Partner Organization: Trillium Health Partners
Location (city, province): Mississauga, ON
Academic Institution: McMaster University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: PhD fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I am a geriatrician that cares for complex patients at our hospital's 14-bed Seniors Care Unit (SCU). Not all measures used to assess hospital quality – like length of stay and mortality – should be used to evaluate the SCU. I plan to identify measures that are more appropriate to our context and, ultimately, advance that there is no quality without equity.  

Twitter: @AminaJabbar

Improving health and healthcare equity for people in Ontario's provincial correctional facilities

Name: Kate McLeod
Host Partner Organization: Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: McMaster University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research is focused on health and healthcare equity for people who experience incarceration. Working with the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General, my post-doctoral research program will evaluate current policies and identify and address priorities for change. This research will support and advance improvements in service delivery and connection with health and social services in the community.

Co-creating recommendations for strengthening coordinated intersectoral health promotion in British Columbia: Starting with physical activity 

Name: Lori Baugh Littlejohns
Host Partner Organization: B.C. Centre for Disease Control
Location (city, province): Vancouver and Invermere, BC
Academic Institution: University of British Columbia
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH) & Michael Smith Health Research BC (Health Research BC)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for more coordinated, integrated and intersectoral health promotion action in BC. This project will focus on the application of a complex systems approach and the development of co-created recommendations for more synergistic health promotion (starting with physical activity). The mark I hope to leave is to create collaborative value to reduce health inequities.

Healing Indicators: Indigenous health and wellness and self-determination

Name: Dawn Hoogeveen
Host Partner Organization: First Nations Health Authority 
Location (city, province): Vancouver, BC
Academic Institution: Simon Fraser University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH) & Michael Smith Health Research BC (Health Research BC)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

My research is nested in collaborative processes that prioritize ethical engagement in environmental health justice work. Centering self-determination and asset-based health and wellness indicators, this project examines regulatory and policy health impact assessment pressures and responds to the need for First Nations driven indicator development, to support foundational Nation-based perspectives on health and wellness. 

Engaging youth and family partners in innovative clinical trials

Name: Shelley Vanderhout
Host Partner Organization: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario 
Location (city, province): Ottawa, ON
Academic Institution: University of Ottawa
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Dr. Vanderhout is a registered dietitian and holds a PhD in Nutritional Sciences. Her work at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the University of Ottawa will seek to develop innovative, efficient, and inclusive methods for conducting clinical trials in children while engaging youth and families as partners in the research process.  

Twitter: @vanderhouts

Coupling the evidence and value for novel and better healthcare

Name: Mohammed Alkhaldi
Host Partner Organization: McGill University Health Centre
Location (city, province): Montreal, QC
Academic Institution: McGill University
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I have completed four degrees, Diploma, BSc, MSc, and PhD in health policy and systems research backed by 15 years of experience. Being an independent scientist opens doors to work with policymakers, scientists, and professional societies to drive meaningful impact locally and globally. The impact that I aspire to create at McGill University and other institutions is delivering high-value healthcare to people through evidence-led policy, management, capacity-building, and healthcare.

LinkedIn: Mohammed Alkhaldi

Creating assessment tools to support youth-led mental health initiatives at Jack.org

Name: Jerrica Little
Host Partner Organization: Jack.org
Location (city, province): Toronto, ON
Academic Institution: University of Waterloo
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Post-doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

I completed my PhD in Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo, where I focused on improving mental health care for young adults using clinical assessment data. As a post-doctoral fellow with Jack.org, I will continue to research how evaluation tools can be used to better engage youth in mental health education, policy, and service planning.

Developing an evaluation framework optimized for the responsible introduction of genomic signature testing in the health care system

Name: Cynthia Mbuya-Bienge
Host Partner Organization: Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux (INESSS)
Location (city, province): Québec City, QC
Academic Institution: Université Laval
PhD or Post-doctoral Fellowship: Doctoral fellowship
Fellowship Funder: CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) & Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS)

About You & Your Fellowship Program of Work:

Analytical tests of genetic and genomic variations for predictive or prognostic purposes are seeing increasing use in a number of specialties of medical practice, including in oncology. I hope to use my involvement with the INESSS to facilitate integration of this innovative technology while minimizing risks to the population and ensuring good, just and equitable health management.

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