SPOR EVIDENCE ALLIANCE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor and Director of the Knowledge Synthesis Platform at the George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation
Ahmed Abou-Setta is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Knowledge Synthesis Platform at The George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation, University of Manitoba. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed studies and his work has been cited over 2000 times by colleagues. His areas of research expertise includes clinical epidemiological research methods, methods for evaluation of the quality of data from clinical trials, the meta-analysis of trial data, and methods for utilizing indirect evidence. He is leading innovative research into methods for improving and streamlining the systematic review process including semi-automation of the review process and report creation.
Dr. Abou-Setta is involved in continuous education to clinical faculty at the University of Manitoba and students through epidemiological and biostatistical consultation, teaching, and collaborative innovative research on knowledge synthesis projects. He is also co-teaching the first accredited systematic review course where graduate students and clinicians at the University of Manitoba are being trained to produce high-quality systematic reviews of the literature.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
Annie LeBlanc is a clinical epidemiologist, Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Investigator in the Research Center of the Quebec Institute of Primary Healthcare and Social Services, Quebec, Affiliate Investigator, Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, USA, and Interim Director, Capacity Building & Professional Development Core, Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) Quebec SUPPORT Unit, Quebec.
Dr. LeBlanc's research centers around the translation of comparative effectiveness research into practice through the design, evaluation, implementation, and sustainability of patient-centered interventions and their impact on patient important outcomes. She lives in Quebec City with her husband and two children.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Committee
- Senior Scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research
Brian S. Mittman, PhD is a Senior Scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation with additional affiliations at the University of Southern California (USC) and University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where he co-leads the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Implementation and Improvement Science Initiative. He previously served as a Visiting Professor in the UCLA School of Public Health and Anderson Graduate School of Management.
Dr. Mittman convened the planning committee that launched the journal Implementation Science and served as co-editor in chief from 2005-2012. He was a founding member of the US Institute of Medicine Forum on the Science of Quality Improvement and Implementation and chaired the National Institutes of Health (NIH) peer review panel on Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health in 2007 and 2010. He directed VA's Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) from 2002-2004. He currently serves on the Methodology Committee for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), where he leads the Methodology Committee initiative to develop and disseminate methods standards for studying complex health interventions. He is a member of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH) Board of External Experts, the Association of American Medical Colleges' Advisory Panel on Research, and advisory boards for several additional U.S. and international research programs in implementation science. He is a past member of the AcademyHealth Methods Council and Education Council. He has led or supported numerous implementation and improvement science studies and has taught implementation science throughout the US and abroad.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Knowledge Translation Committee
Catherine Yu is a Staff Endocrinologist at St. Michaels Hospital, Associate Professor of Faculty of Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and Associate Scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital. After completing her undergraduate and postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at the University of Toronto, she then completed a MHSc in Public Health. Her research focus is on the care of the patient with diabetes in the context of a health care team, revolving around the role of integrative health informatics tools, patient and clinician education and behaviour change, shared decision-making and medical humanities in improving quality of care. She has been Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on several CIHR-funded projects. In addition, she is the past co-Chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Dissemination and Implementation Committee of Diabetes Canada, where-in she has developed evidence-based and innovative strategies to put guidelines into practice across Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the PartnershipS Committee
Charlene Soobiah is a PhD Candidate at the Institute for Health Policy, Management & Evaluation at the University of Toronto and a graduate student in the Knowledge Translation Program at St. Michael's Hospital. Her dissertation focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of geriatrician-led care models and seeks to identify optimal care models to improve health outcomes. Charlene has a background in systematic reviews and knowledge translation, and has contributed to over 15 systematic reviews and several papers on knowledge synthesis methods. Charlene is focused on finding ways to engage patients, clinicians and policymakers in systematic review processes to optimize uptake of evidence into clinical practice.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor at Queen 's University School of Nursing
Christina Godfrey is an Associate Professor at Queen's University School of Nursing and the Scientific Director/Methodologist for the Queen's Collaboration for Health Care Quality: A JBI Centre of Excellence. As a specialist in research synthesis methodologies, she has received formal synthesis training through the Cochrane Collaboration and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), and is a certified as a trainer in the JBI method of synthesis.
Dr. Godfrey provides methodological support to faculty, clinicians and graduate students internal to Queen's University and to emerging synthesis groups and centres throughout Canada. She is a member of five international methodology committees focused on advancing the methodology of synthesis.
Dr. Christine (Tina) Fahim (PhD, MSc) is an implementation scientist and leads the Team for Implementation, Evaluation and Sustainability at the Knowledge Translation Program, St. Michael's Hospital. She holds an Associate Scientist position in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health. She obtained her MSc in Health Systems at the University of Ottawa followed by a PhD in Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact from McMaster University and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management. Dr. Fahim's research focuses on the science and practice of knowledge translation to implement evidence-based interventions at the provider, organization, and systems level.
Dr. Cassidy is a registered nurse with expertise in implementation science, evidence-based practice, and behaviour change. She completed her BScN at the University of Prince Edward Island and PhD in Nursing at Dalhousie University. Dr. Cassidy also completed a CIHR Health System Impact Postdoctoral Fellowship at the IWK Health Centre and University of Ottawa with the Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) Research Network. Her program of research uses an IKT approach to design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based practices and knowledge translation interventions in pediatric care.
Job Titles:
- Research Coordinator
- Research Coordinator With the Central Coordinating Office
Clara Tam is a Research Coordinator with the Central Coordinating Office at the SPOR Evidence Alliance. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen's University. She has a strong passion for patient and public engagement in all steps of the research process and evidence-based decision-making, and has extensive experience in conducting primary research, literature reviews, and actively involving community in research activities.
Clara is responsible for coordinating and supporting the SPOR Evidence Alliance's initiatives, including coordinating multiple research and training activities as well as supporting capacity-building programming.
Job Titles:
- Senior Scientist
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
David Moher is a Senior Scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, where he directs the Centre for Journalology (publication science ). He is also an Associate Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. He holds an MSc in epidemiology and PhD in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics.
Dr. Moher has been involved in developing the science of how to optimally conduct and report systematic reviews for most of his professional career. Another part of his research has focused on how best to develop reporting guidelines. He spearheaded the development of the CONSORT statement and the PRISMA statement. He also leads an active program investigating predatory journals and publishers. More recently he led a program to develop core competencies for scientific journal editors. He is actively developing a program to investigate alternatives to current incentives and rewards in academic medicine.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Scientist and Director of the Knowledge Synthesis Team
Dr. Andrea C. Tricco is a Scientist and Director of the Knowledge Synthesis Team in the Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health & Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation. She is Co-Director & Adjunct Associate Professor for the Queen's Collaboration for Health Care Quality JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute) Centre of Excellence at Queen's University and Nominated Principal Investigator of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Evidence Alliance.
Dr. Angela Mashford-Pringle is Algonquin (Timiskaming First Nation/Bear Clan). She is Associate Director at the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. As the Indigenous Health Lead for DLSPH, she oversees the new Indigenous Post-Doctoral Fellowship program. She worked for over a decade at the federal government in Indigenous initiatives. Angela is the Director of the Master of Public Health - Indigenous Health program (MPH-IH), and Founding Editor of the Turtle Island Journal on Indigenous Health (TIJIH). She works with Indigenous communities with issues related to Indigenous health including cultural safety, land-based learning, climate action, and policy analysis and development.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Knowledge Translation Committee
Dr. Erna Snelgrove-Clarke is the Vice Dean (Health Sciences) and Director of the School of Nursing, Queen's University. She is the CIHR Embedded Clinical Researcher in the Maternal Newborn Program at the IWK Health Centre and her program of research focuses on the identification of successful strategies for improving use of evidence in maternal newborn practices. Dr. Snelgrove-Clarke explores the transfer of knowledge through multiple methodologies, concentrating on the relationships of health care professionals, organizations, and decision-makers; including patient participation and voice. Areas of interest include women's pain, obesity, breastfeeding, pregnancy, fetal health surveillance, practice development, and person centered practice.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Assistant Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. Jennifer Donnan is an Assistant Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, in the School of Pharmacy. She is also a pharmacist and teaches in the areas of Pharmacy Practice and Evidence Based Medicine. Her research interests are in health policy, drug safety and effectiveness, and integrating patient preferences into health care decisions. She also loves to foster a passion for evidence based medicine with the undergraduate pharmacy students.
Dr. Kathryn Sibley is dedicated to bridging the gap between research and practical applications in the healthcare industry.
With a background in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo and graduate degrees in Rehabilitation and Medical Sciences from the University of Toronto, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute- University Health Network, Dr. Sibley is well-equipped to tackle the challenges of translating research into real-world solutions.
Her research focuses on fall prevention in older adults and optimizing balance exercise for this population. By engaging research users throughout the research process, Dr. Sibley is able to address critical research-to-practice gaps in rehabilitation and improve the health outcomes for Canadians.
As the Director of Knowledge Translation at the George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation, a member of the Integrated Knowledge Translation Research Network, and an affiliate scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Dr. Sibley is at the forefront of innovation in the field.
With a focus on fall prevention and extensive publication in the field, Dr. Sibley has received support and recognition from leading organizations such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Knowledge Translation Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Professor
Dr. Linda Li is Professor and Harold Robinson/Arthritis Society Chair at the Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, and Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada. She holds a Canada Research Chair in Patient-oriented Knowledge Translation. Dr. Li's research centers on improving the care for people with arthritis and supporting patient self-care. Her work focuses on the integration of online, mobile, and wearable tools in health care. Examples include the use of interactive decision aids for improving communication between patients and health professionals, and the use of wearables and apps to promote a balance of activity, rest and sleep in people with arthritis. Dr. Li's work in knowledge translation and implementation science has led to a new line of studies on the benefits of engaging patients and the public in the research process.
Job Titles:
- Professor and Associate Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Marilyn Macdonald is a Professor and Associate Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Nursing, and Director of the Joanna Briggs Centre of Excellence in the conduct of systematic reviews, Dalhousie University. She has a varied background in clinical nursing including; general surgery, cardio-vascular surgery, public-health nursing, home care, and a decade as a clinical nurse specialist. The primary focus of her research is homecare with a focus on caregivers. Dr. Macdonald is an Affiliate Scientist with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, and theme lead for Transitions in Care with the Canadian Frailty Network. Research interests are in home care, patient/caregiver safety and qualitative inquiry.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Committee
- Position of Professor of Surgery
- Professor
Dr. Nancy Baxter holds the position of Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at University of Toronto and is an Affiliate Scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital. In addition, she is a senior scientist in the Cancer Theme Group, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. She is a clinical epidemiologist and health services researcher interested in the effectiveness of cancer screening, long-term cancer survivorship of cancer, and the quality of surgical care. She has extensive experience in the use of administrative data and cancer registry data to evaluate long-term consequences of cancer care for adults.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Member of the PartnershipS Committee
Dr. Tanya Horsley is the Associate Director, Research, at the Royal College. She is also the Principal Scientist with over 100 peer-reviewed abstracts and publications. She is a proud faculty member within the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, where she teaches approaches to evidence syntheses including systematic and scoping review methods. Tanya leads a program of research looking at the formalization of integrated knowledge translation for the co-creation, use and influence of research and complex systems of care with an interest on patient & caregiver engagement. She is frequently sought after for her expertise in evidence synthesis approaches and work in reporting guideline development.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Member of the International Advisory Committee
- Physician - Scientist and Director of the Knowledge Translation Research Network
Dr. Grunfeld is a physician-scientist and Director of the Knowledge Translation Research Network, Health Services Research Program, at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. At the University of Toronto, Dr. Grunfeld holds the post of Giblon Professor and Vice-Chair (Research) at the Department of Family and Community Medicine; professor at the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation; and professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She also holds the position of Chair of the Institute for Cancer Research, Institute Advisory Board, at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Dr. Grunfeld is a leader in cancer health services and outcomes research. Her research focuses on evaluation and knowledge translation of cancer health services, covering the entire spectrum of cancer control activities. She is internationally recognized for research on cancer survivorship, integration of care, and on cancer outcomes. Dr. Grunfeld uses a mixed-methods approach including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), qualitative research and outcomes research. Knowledge translation is an integral part of all her research activities. She has conducted several multi-centre RCTs on cancer survivorship which have influenced clinical practice guidelines and policies internationally. Dr. Grunfeld holds many peer-review grants as Principal Investigator and has served on many committees to further the goals of cancer control in Canada and internationally. She obtained her medical degree from McMaster University and doctoral degree in cancer epidemiology from Oxford University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Fiona Clement has extensive training in Health Services Research, Health Economics and Health Policy. She is the Director of the Health Technology Assessment Unit within the O'Brien Institute of Public Health, University of Calgary; a policy responsive research unit that completes evidence synthesis, economic evaluations, health technology assessments and reassessments in response to decision-makers' needs. Her research interests include drug and non-drug technology reimbursement and cost containment policy, evidence in decision-making, and evidence in health policy development.
Dr. Clement was selected as the Canadian Harkness fellow in 2014; a unique opportunity to study US healthcare policy. She has also received the Maurice McGregor Award for outstanding leadership and excellence in HTA in Canada. She is the first from Alberta to be awarded either of these awards. As a result, in 2015, she was named one of Calgary's Top 40 under 40 for her work in health policy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Knowledge Translation Committee
- Arthritis Research Canada, BC SUPPORT Unit
Graham Macdonald is a PhD candidate in UBC Medicine's Rehabilitation Science program, co-supervised by Drs. Linda Li and Laura Nimmon. Graham is a qualitative researcher, trained in social science theory and methodology. Formerly, Graham was employed as a research assistant at Arthritis Research Canada, and a research coordinator at UBC's department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Graham's interests include patient and public engagement in research and healthcare, medical anthropology and sociology, political economy of health, chronic illness, and disability.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor in the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department at the University of Toronto
Heather Colquhoun is an Associate Professor in the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department at the University of Toronto. She has over 29 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist and researcher. Her research focuses on the science of knowledge translation (KT) with an emphasis on the identification, prioritization and closing of evidence-to-practice gaps in healthcare.
Dr. Colquhoun's research program includes application of behaviour change theory to implementation problems, the use of theory and theoretical constructs to design and understand interventions, optimizing audit and feedback as a KT intervention, investigation of reporting and terminology issues in KT science, and exploring methods of knowledge user engagement and barriers assessment for intervention design. She also has experience in knowledge syntheses methods including systematic and scoping reviews, including developing best practice methods for the conduct and reporting of scoping reviews.
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant
- Research Assistant for the Knowledge Synthesis Team
Jacqueline Sally Co is a Research Assistant for the Knowledge Synthesis Team in the Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. She completed her Bachelor of Health Sciences degree with an Honours Specialization in Rehabilitation Sciences from Western University. As an aspiring occupational therapist, she is committed to client-centered care and hopes to empower individuals and populations who face disproportionate inequities in health access and outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Member of the Executive Committee
Janet Curran is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and the Department of Emergency Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University. She is Co-Director of the Aligning Health Needs and Evidence for Transformative Change: Joanna Briggs Centre in the School of Nursing and holds a scientific appointment in pediatrics and emergency medicine at the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre.
Dr. Curran's program of research is focused on developing and evaluating interventions to improve transitions in care for children and their families/caregivers. She received the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC) Terry Klassen Young Investigator Award and the Dalhousie University Faculty of Health Professions Early Career Research Excellence Award in 2015. Her program of research is supported by a CIHR New Investigator Award in Knowledge Translation and her research is directly informed by the inclusion of multiple stakeholders (patients, caregivers, clinicians, and administrators). She currently leads a CIHR-NSHRF funded multi-centred national study exploring best practice strategies for discharge communication in paediatric emergency practice settings.
Job Titles:
- Patient Partner, CHILD - BRIGHT Network
Job Titles:
- Member of the PartnershipS Committee
- National Expert, Co - Investigator, and Consultant
Kelly Mrklas is a national expert, co-investigator, and consultant supporting the development, execution and evaluation of knowledge translation (KT) and implementation science (IS) strategies on local, provincial, national and international scales. Kelly helps clinicians, researchers, decision- and policy makers, health care leaders and staff across Alberta turn high quality knowledge, innovations and improvements into daily work. Kelly works in partnership to design and troubleshoot implementation within workflow, care pathways, research and improvement programs for efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability. Kelly is a named KT/IS investigator, collaborator and/or knowledge user on 30 major research initiatives totaling more than $23M and facilitated over double that number of major funding submissions in the past 6 years. During the same time, she conducted more than 300 consults, gave 85 presentations, with roles as lead/co-lead in clinical and research initiatives involving knowledge synthesis, integrated KT, implementation and its evaluation, and sustainability. Kelly's doctoral work focuses on tools for assessing the outcomes and impacts of health research partnerships and integrated KT, supported by a CIHR Foundation Scheme
Liris has been a sessional instructor at YukonU (and Yukon College) for more than a decade, teaching courses such as Anatomy and Pathophysiology for the Practical Nursing program. She is committed to working in partnership with Yukon First Nations, and all citizens who received health care services in the newly formed Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) unit. Liris and her husband have a son, daughter and granddaughter, all residing in Yukon. She enjoys music, handicrafts and outdoor pursuits, such as recreational running, hiking and biking.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Committee
- Senior Research Fellow
Matthew Page is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University, funded by an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. He leads a programme of research on methods for evidence synthesis, which builds on the research undertaken during his PhD (2011-2015) and NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (2015-2019). Matthew's research interests span many areas of evidence synthesis, including examination of the transparency and reproducibility of systematic reviews; methods to address reporting biases (e.g. publication bias, selective reporting bias); tools to assess risk of bias in randomized trials and non-randomized studies of interventions; and examination of selective inclusion of results in meta-analyses. He is leading the 2020 update of the PRISMA reporting guideline for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and was an associate editor for the 2019 edition of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. He frequently collaborates with clinicians on systematic reviews of interventions for a range of conditions, which often informs his research agenda.
Job Titles:
- Patient Partner, Arthritis Research Canada
Ms. Kelly English is a 62 year old who has difficult to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis. Ms. English also has permanent neurological damage from one of her meds on her right side. This has made activities difficult and increased pain. Despite this, Ms. English has made Rheumatoid Arthritis research her passion and goal. Participation in research, attendance at conferences, writing about her disease and being interviewed or speaking about it has helped her and others with arthritis. Working with researchers on teams as also increased her knowledge as opposed to simply being a participant in the research project. Ms. English has been a member of Arthritis Research Canada's Arthritis Patient Advisory Board for 6 years - 3 of which were co-chair of the board. Ms. English also holds a part time job as a bookkeeper - dependent on how she is feeling at the time. Currently, Ms. English is on the Training and Capacity Development Committee of SPOR Alliance as patient co-chair. The experience has opened her eyes to a new area of research.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Patient Partner
Priscille-Nice Sanon is a sickle cell survivor. She was diagnosed with Sickle Cell type SS at birth. Due to complication to this disease, she has received over 100 blood transfusion and a bone marrow transplant. She is involved in patient engagement and has a passion for health research. She graduated with a master degree in pharmaceutical science: pharmacoepidemiology from Université Laval. She was also involved with the Quebec SPOR unit as a patient coordinator for University Laval and collaborated on several research projects as a patient. Being a patient partner allowed her to put her passion for research and volunteering at work while being able to make a lasting impact on health research.
Job Titles:
- Member of the PartnershipS Committee
- Patient Partner
Rita Wiebe comes to us, as a Patient Partner from a small city in Northern BC. Prince George BC is what she has called home for her entire life. With a background in "real-life, citizen centred" outreach, brings a Patient partner lens to rural communities and cities, so prevalent in our great Nation.
Her post secondary education also includes many facets of communication, social and media relations.
She is no stranger to writing content for blogs, media releases and websites and especially enjoys being able to apply that "plain language" humanistic approach!
She has been a Patient Partner in various capacities for the past decade, starting with Patient Voices Network in BC. She has held engagements with the BC Cancer Agency, has worked on a couple engagements with a cancer researcher from Eastern Canada, is part of the BC Support Unit Patient Council and others.
Rita became serious about the "Citizen approach" to Patient Engagement about two years ago, after the death of her son from pancreatic cancer. The passing was with assistance from the MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) program. At that time, it was within the first 1000 cases since legalization in Canada.
Her journey as a team caregiver created a painful awareness of the need for a more humanizing lens for patients and families, which continues to fuel her passion. Her other passion lies with the 45-64 age demographic in terms of living a purposeful, engaged life for as long as possible. She reminds us that the ages of 45-64 is the best time to intentionally unlearn bad habits and replace with healthier ones.
This preventative, holistic (body, mind & spirit) approach has gained more traction since COVID. The healthcare decision makers seem to recognize the importance of going into the 65+ years with less health concerns. From the Citizen (patient) perspective, she knows the importance of the "whole person approach" to wellness!
Job Titles:
- Research Coordinator
- Research Coordinator for the Central Coordinating Office
Safa Al-Khateeb is a research coordinator for the Central Coordinating Office of the SPOR Evidence Alliance. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from McMaster University. She has extensive experience in knowledge synthesis, including conducting rapid reviews and environmental scans, and has contributed to a range of knowledge products for Canadian decision-makers, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association, and Ontario's COVID-19 Evidence Synthesis Network.
She has a strong interest in knowledge synthesis and community-based research in informing and strengthening health equity, health service delivery, and health systems.
Safa is responsible for supporting the SPOR Evidence Alliance's daily operations, managing the coordination of patient and public partner engagement and queries, and providing input on SPOR Evidence Alliance's initiatives and activities.
Job Titles:
- Research Coordinator
- Research Coordinator for the Central Coordinating Office
Sharmila Sreetharan is a research coordinator for the Central Coordinating Office of the SPOR Evidence Alliance. She holds a Master of Science degree from the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour from McMaster University. She has extensive experience in conducting primary research, experimental research design, literature reviews, and quantitative data analysis. She has a strong interest in working with decision-makers to improve patient care.
Sharmila is responsible for supporting the SPOR Evidence Alliance's daily operations, managing the coordination of patient and public partner engagement, and providing input on SPOR Evidence Alliance's initiatives and activities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Steering Committee
- Geriatrician
Sharon E. Straus is a geriatrician and clinical epidemiologist who trained at the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford. She is the Director of the Knowledge Translation Program and Deputy Physician-in-Chief, St. Michael's Hospital; Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Toronto; Vice Chair, and Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto.
Dr. Straus currently holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Translation and Quality of Care and has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and 3 textbooks in evidence-based medicine, knowledge translation and mentorship. She is in the top 1% of highly cited clinical researchers as per Web of Science. She holds more than $57 million in peer reviewed research grants as a principal investigator. She has received national awards for mentorship, research and education.
Job Titles:
- Research Manager
- Manager of the SPOR Evidence Alliance Based at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael 's Hospital
Wasifa Zarin (MPH) is the manager of the SPOR Evidence Alliance based at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital. She holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She has a strong interest in the science of evidence synthesis and its uptake in the decision-making process and has contributed to a range of knowledge products for decision-makers locally (Ontario Drug Policy Research Network), nationally (Health Canada), and internationally (World Health Organization).