BSc, BScPT, MScPT, PhD
Dr. Liris Smith holds two undergraduate degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, a baccalaureate of science (Anatomy), and a baccalaureate in Physical Therapy. Liris completed her master’s degree in Physical Therapy at the University of Alberta in 1997. She spent 27 years working as a physical therapist, supervisor, manager and director of care in the Continuing Care Division of Yukon Government. In 2018, Liris resigned from YG to dedicate her time to her PhD studies, graduating in 2021 with a PhD in Health Sciences from the College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. Liris has remained active in her profession, representing the territory on national committees for the Canadian physiotherapy association, and received one of 100 Centenary Medals of Honor in 2021 for her dedication to the profession.
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.
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.
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.
Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai is a Research Scientist and the Director of the Centre for Excellence in Economic Analysis Research at St. Michael’s Hospital. She is also an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, and a Health Economist at the Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control.
Dr. Isaranuwatchai is dedicated to promoting the use of evidence in healthcare decision-making. Her research focuses on how to apply economic evaluation in the real world setting as well as how to advance methods in economic evaluation. She has experience conducting economic evaluations using person-level data and decision modeling. She has collaborated with researchers and decision-makers in various areas to help communicate the value of health initiatives using economic evidence.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
PhD, MSc
@ATricco
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. Tricco holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Synthesis and has over 325 peer-reviewed publications. She has conducted knowledge synthesis at the international (e.g. World Health Organization), national (e.g. Health Canada), provincial (e.g. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care), and local (e.g. Toronto Central Local Health Integrated Network) levels. She is the Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.
