Division of Clinical Epidemiology

Deborah Da Costa, PhD

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 21:27:38 +0000

Academic title(s):

Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine

Address:

5252 de Maisonneuve West, 3E.10 Montreal, QC H4A 3S9

Deborah

Da Costa

Email address:

deborah.dacosta [at] mcgill.ca

Phone:

514-398-4400 Ext 44723

Area(s):

Chronic Illness

Mental Health

Reproduction

Rheumatology

Current research:

My research focuses on the interplay between modifiable psychosocial and behavioural (e.g. exercise) factors and health status in various chronic illnesses and in relation to depression in populations at risk. This has laid the foundation for the knowledge-transfer phase of my program which focuses on tailoring and evaluating evidence-based e-health interventions to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to optimize their health and wellness. My research activities focus on:

Maternal and paternal mental health during the transition to parenthood – identifying predictors and developing e-health psychoeducational interventions;
Delineating the role of behavioural and psychosocial variables on health outcomes and quality of life in patients with chronic conditions; and
Developing and testing gender-tailored tools to help individuals initiate and sustain healthy lifestyle behaviours over the lifespan.

Selected publications:

PubMed listing

Indexable Name:

Da-Costa

Nisha Almeida, PhD, MSc

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:26:30 +0000

Academic title(s):

Manager of the Health Technology Assessment Unit (TAU)

Nisha

Almeida

Email address:

nisha.almeida [at] mcgill.ca

Phone:

Tel.: 514 934-1934, ext. 71332

Area(s):

Health Informatics

Biography:

Nisha Almeida is manager of the Health Technology Assessment Unit (TAU) of the MUHC. She holds a BSc in Molecular Biology and a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from ��. She has advanced training in epidemiological and biostatistical methods and specific experience in the evaluation and implementation of health technologies and interventions.
She was previously a senior epidemiologist at TAU, and led the implementation of hospital quality improvement initiatives while coordinating the participation of various stakeholders, data collection and analytical efforts. She played a key role in the development of a decision-aid tool to translate scientific evidence into hospital policy recommendations. Her work has been published in the peer-reviewed literature and she has been successful in securing funds for hospital initiatives. Nisha is particularly interested in harnessing hospital data to improve health outcomes and services.

Selected publications:

PubMed Listing

Indexable Name:

Almeida

Nisha Almeida

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:26:30 +0000

Nisha

Almeida

Indexable Name:

Almeida

Nitika Pai

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 05:05:14 +0000

Nitika

Pai

Indexable Name:

Pai

Nitika Pai, MD, PhD

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 05:05:14 +0000

Academic title(s):

Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine

Address:

5252 DeMaisonneuve West, #3D.56
Montreal, QC H4A 3S9

Nitika

Pai

Email address:

nitika.pai [at] mcgill.ca

Phone:

514-934-1934 ext 44729

Area(s):

Global Health

Infectious Diseases

Biography:

Dr. Pai is a tenured Associate Professor at ��, in the Department of Medicine, Divisions of Clinical Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, and research scientist at the Research Institute of the �� Health Centre. Her research has been supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé, Grand Challenges Canada, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health, among others. She is the recipient of many research and innovation awards, including the CIHR New Investigator Award (2010), the ASAP Innovation Award (2013), the Maude Abbott Award for Research Excellence at �� (2013), GCC’s Stars in Global Health Award (2011 & 2013) and Transition to Scale Award (2015), and the FRQS Research-Scientist Salary Awards (2014, 2018, 2022).

In 2018, she was elected as a Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada.

She serves technical advisory groups of the WHO, UNAIDS, FIND, CDC, PEPFAR, and ASLM, PSI among others, and has advised the Office of US Congress.

Her work has been featured in the national and international media: The Economist, Macleans, The Globe and Mail, The Montreal Gazette, Times Now, Times, CTV, CBC, La Presse, Radio Canada, among others.

Current research:

Global interdisciplinary research program at �� is focused on innovation, implementation, and impact, with rapid point-of-care diagnostics for HIV and other sexually transmitted blood borne infections (STBBIs). She also synergizes qualitative research, meta-analyses, mathematical modelling and methodology in her research.
Develops and incorporates innovation, implementation science, and artificial intelligence to generate solutions aimed to plug health service delivery gaps across all upper, middle and low- income settings
Informs domestic and global policy on diagnostics and linkage programs for HIV/STBBIs
Strives to generate clinical, public health and social impact.

Innovations: Two flagship innovative programs owned by �� and Dr Pant Pai:

HIVSmart!: app-based HIV self-testing program of care from access to linkage, evaluated in South Africa and Canada
AideSmart!: an app-based strategy for point-of-care testing by health care workers, being evaluated in India and Canada

Link(s):

Website

Selected publications:

PubMed Listing

Trainees and Students:

Angela Karellis, MSc, PhD – Project Manager, Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Angela is managing both a Canada-wide AideSmart! study and Canada-wide HIVSmart! clinical trial, evaluating these app-based multiplex and HIV testing strategies, respectively.

Apoorva Anand, BDS, MSc – Project Manager
Apoorva is leading a COVIDSmart CARE! clinical trial in South Africa, as well as curating a live systematic review for COVID-19 self-testing.

Roni Deli-Houssein, MSc, MD – Research Assistant
Roni has previously worked on HIVSmart! in its infancy and is currently developing and assisting in the evaluation of AnkaSmart! – a sexual and reproductive health internet of things (IoT) solution.

Fio Vialard, MSc – MSc Candidate
Fio is contributing to systematic reviews on CT/GC self-testing and COVID-19 self-testing, as well as overseeing the AideSmart! app-based multiplex testing evaluation in India.

Cindy Leung Soo – MSc Candidate
Cindy is working with secondary data from previous HIVSmart! evaluations and using Bayesian regression to predict HIV infection in the South African context.

Ashlyn Beecroft – MSc Candidate
Ashlyn is transforming the HIVSmart! program into a Canadian indigenous focused iteration, to be used in its Canada-wide clinical trial, as well as drafting an updated systematic review on HIV self-testing.

Elizabeth (Liz) Woolhouse – Junior Research Assistant
Liz is compiling content for the AnkaSmart! platform, while producing a qualitative systematic review for sexual and reproductive health digital interventions, in parallel.

Olivia Vaikla – Laboratory Coordinator
Olivia provides administrative support within the laboratory, and is contributing to the development and evaluation of AnkaSmart!.

Indexable Name:

Pai

Louise Pilote

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 05:01:40 +0000

Louise

Pilote

Indexable Name:

Pilote

Louise Pilote, MD, PhD

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 05:01:40 +0000

Academic title(s):

Professor of Medicine, James �� Chair Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine

Address:

5252 De Maisonneuve Blvd, Office 2B.39
Montréal, QC H4A 3S5

Louise

Pilote

Phone:

514-934-1934, ext 44722 or 34667

Area(s):

Cardiovascular Disease

Biography:

Dr. Louise Pilote is a tenured Professor of Medicine at ��, holding a James �� chair since 2008. She is a member of the department of medicine in the divisions of general internal medicine (as �� division chief 2006-2016), clinical epidemiology and experimental medicine and associate member of the department of epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational health at the �� Health Center

Current research:

As a clinician scientist, Dr. Pilote has directed several research initiatives that led to important new insights into the determinants of premature coronary disease and the role of sex and gender in its diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. She is an international leader in the generation and translation of new knowledge about sex and gender differences in cardiovascular disease and is a principal investigator of the CIHR Vascular network.

Her work on the comparative effectiveness and safety of cardiac drugs and devices and on regional variations in access to care impacted quality of cardiovascular care internationally. She is a principal investigator of the CAnadian Network for Advanced Interdisciplinary Methods for comparative effectiveness research (CAN-AIM) team, funded by CIHR to develop novel methods to study drug safety and effectiveness.

Selected publications:

PubMed Listing

Indexable Name:

Pilote

Suzanne Morin

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:50:35 +0000

Suzanne

Morin

Indexable Name:

Morin

Suzanne Morin, MD, MSc

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:50:35 +0000

Academic title(s):

Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Division of Endocrinology, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine

Address:

5252 de Maisonneuve Ouest, 3E.11
Montreal, QC, H4A 3S5

Suzanne

Morin

Email address:

suzanne.morin [at] mcgill.ca

Phone:

(514) 934-1934 ext. 23934

Area(s):

Osteoporosis

Current research:

My research focuses on the evaluation of outcomes of osteoporosis and its treatment, and implementation of health system improvement initiatives for patients who have sustained fractures such as secondary fracture prevention, pain management and functional recovery. I also study the pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-associated atypical femur fractures and safety of calcium supplements on vascular health in postmenopausal women. I am a leader in clinical practice guidelines development for the management and prevention of osteoporosis and fractures.

Selected publications:

PubMed Listing

Indexable Name:

Morin

Elham Rahme, PhD

jennifer.day@��.Ca — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:44:10 +0000

Academic title(s):

Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine

Address:

5252 de Maisonneuve, 3E.12
Montreal, QC H4A 3S9

Elham

Rahme

Email address:

elham.rahme [at] mcgill.ca

Phone:

514-934-1934 ext. 44724

Area(s):

Drug Safety

Current research:

My research program focuses on the evaluation of the safety, effectiveness and economic implications of prescribed medications using large administrative databases and on the development of new biostatistical methods for the design and analyses of such studies. The Quebec health administrative databases are a resource for several of my projects in the pharmacoepidemiology domain. We are assessing the effectiveness and safety of the biologic medications (anti-TNF) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis; the risk of mental health disorders and suicide in patients with autoimmune diseases; and the use and safety, in terms of risk of major bleeding, of new oral anticoagulants in the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation as well as in the secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism. In terms of methodology development, my current research includes the validation of methods used to correct for outcome misclassification including multiple imputation and Bayesian methods.

Selected publications:

PubMed Listing

Indexable Name:

Rahme