Faculty of Health Sciences

Current PhD Students

Health Policy PhD students are listed both alphabetically and chronologically within their respective cohort.

2008

Kathy Li

Kathy Li, a PhD student in the Health Policy PhD program at McMaster University began in September 2008. She was enrolled in the Ontario Training Centre Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research while she completed a Master's degree in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University, and also a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies (Co-op) at the University of Waterloo. She has held an Ontario Graduate Scholarship from the 3 consecutive years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Her faculty supervisor is Julia Abelson, who is a Professor with the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Kathy has professional experience in clinical research in cancer palliative care as well as methodology of complex interventions. Past research topics include determining the minimal clinically important difference of statin therapy and pain management in patients with bone metastases. Her current research interests include public engagement, health policy, mixed methods research and comparative methods. Her dissertation topic is on the use of public engagement outputs in health policy. Aside from her research activities, Kathy has been a Teaching Assistant for McMaster Health Sciences courses, Critical Appraisal of the Medical Literature, as well as Health Systems & Health Policy.

Stephanie Montesanti

Stephanie Montesanti has been a PhD student in the Health Policy PhD program at McMaster University since the fall of 2008. Her background is in global women's health research and she received a Master's in Medical Anthropology from the University of Toronto. She was awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship for the past two years, in 2010 and 2011. Her faculty supervisor is Julia Abelson in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She has professional experience in international development projects, assisting in research projects in Krong Kep, Cambodia since 2007. Past research topics include maternal health policy, and pregnancy and childbirth experiences among Khmer women in rural Cambodia. Her current research interests include: public engagement in health policy, the social determinants of health, and knowledge translation. Her dissertation research will examine community engagement initiatives with marginalized communities in Ontario. Her teaching areas of interest include health policy and health studies, and global health. She is enrolled in the Ontario Training Centre Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research.

Andrea Smith

Andrea Smith has been a student in the Health Policy PhD program at McMaster University since September of 2008. She received her Master's in Community Health and Epidemiology from Dalhousie University (2008). Andrea holds a CIHR Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Doctoral Award (2009-2012), and was a previous recipient of a CHEPA Doctoral Fellowship (2008-2009). Her faculty supervisor is Mita Giacomini in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Past research includes conceptual and normative dimensions of environmental genomics, health care use at the end-of-life, and needs-based resource allocation. Current research interests include policy implications of gene-environment interaction research, and the interplay between values and evidentiary standards in environmental health policy.

2009

Leslie Malloy-Weir

Leslie Malloy-Weir began with the Health Policy PhD program at McMaster University in September 2009. Her faculty supervisor is Cathy Charles in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Leslie is a successful recipient of a 3 year Social Science Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) award. Her current research and health policy interests are in the areas of health literacy and treatment decision making. Specifically, she is looking at the conceptual and empirical relationships between patients' health literacy and patients' involvement in different forms of treatment decision making. Leslie is also looking at the evidence that both supports, and does not support, beliefs underlying federal-level legislation promoting the implementation of shared decision making in the United States.

Kaelan Moat

Kaelan Moat has been a PhD Student in the Health Policy program at McMaster University since 2009 and is being supervised by John Lavis. He held the CHEPA Doctoral Fellowship in 2009-2010 and was also awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic year . His areas of interest include analyzing the effectiveness of synergistic efforts to link research evidence to health systems policy decisions, with an emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. He has also explored the impact of decentralization policy in India on its public health system and has a strong interest in comparative health systems studies in both low- and high-income countries. He is currently working within the Program in Policy Decision-Making as a research assistant on a project with the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre to help develop a database of systematic reviews focusing solely on health systems research. Currently he is also enrolled in the Ontario Training Centre Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research. Prior to arriving at McMaster, Kaelan earned a Master of Science degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science in International Health Policy and has worked for NGOs in both Canada and India. He is enrolled in the Ontario Training Centre Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research.

Yaw Owusu

Yaw Owusu joined the Health Policy PhD program at McMaster University in September 2009. He received his BSc (Honours)in Agricultural Economics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, his MSc in Economics and Finance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and an additional MSc in Environmental Science in Public Policy and Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Yaw held a CHEPA Doctoral Fellowship for 2009-2010 and also obtained an Ontario Graduate Scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic year. His research interest is with the migration and shortage of physicians in Ontario, including Internationally Educated Health Professionals (IEHPs) from a Canadian and Global perspective and their impact on equity and efficiency of health care utilizations. He is also interested in understanding the integration of Health Economics, Economic policy, Public Policy and Social Organization. Yaw has been a Teaching Assistant for McMaster's Health Sciences course, Critical Appraisal of the Medical Literature. His faculty supervisor is Michel Grignon, current Director of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, holds a joint appointment with the Department of Economics, and the Department of Health, Aging and Society.

Jennifer Reddock

Jennifer Reddock began her PhD graduate studies with the Health Policy PhD program at McMaster University in September 2009. Her faculty supervisor is Michel Grignon, jointly appointed in the Department of Economics, and the Department of Health, Aging and Society. He is also the current Director of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis. Jennifer's current research interests compare how prioritization decisions are made in developing countries with different ideological persuasions with a particular focus on analyzing the decision-making processes of health policy-making groups. She has been a Teaching Assistant for the McMaster Social Science course, Health Economics.

Jessica Shearer

Jessica Shearer is a doctoral student in the Health Policy PhD program at McMaster University. Her faculty supervisor is John Lavis. She is a recipient of the prestigious Harry Lyman Hooker Senior Fellowship. Jessica's thesis will examine how innovations (including research evidence) are diffused through policy networks, specifically knowledge translation platforms (KTPs) in low- and middle-income countries. Jessica and colleagues at McMaster University will work closely with colleagues in low- and middle-income KTPs, including those supported by WHO's EVIPNet, the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, and the European Union (SURE).

Jessica's research interests include exploring innovative approaches to scaling up cost-effective public health interventions at sub-national and national policy levels. Jessica's past experience draws on both research and policy. As a Research Associate at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, she participated in the evaluations of large-scale community-based studies, primarily in India, and has also worked closely with decision-makers in national governments to translate research evidence to policy. In India, she provided technical and policy support for the national decision to introduce Hib-containing pentavalent vaccine into the routine immunization program. She is the co-author of a guide to support national program managers to scale-up condom programming, and the lead author of a research paper that explores factors that accelerate national policy decisions to adopt Hib vaccine.

2010

Sarah Boesveld

Sarah B Sarah Boesveld earned a M.Sc. in Health Systems and Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh, and a BScN from McMaster. She was awarded a Harry Lyman Hooker Senior Fellowship from McMaster when she joined the Health Policy PhD program. She was also awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarship for the 2001-2012 academic year. She has worked as a registered nurse with Hamilton Health Sciences and as a research intern with the Centre for International Public Health Policy in Edinburgh, in the area of socially relevant research in health policy focused on the principles of equity, access and universality. Through her PhD studies, she plans to advance her understanding of the design, governance and delivery of health systems. Her research interests include policy-relevant health systems research focused on the organization and financing of health systems for achievement of equitable access and health outcomes. Boesveld is supervised by Julia Abelson. She is enrolled in the Ontario Training Centre Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research.

Edward Gariba

Edward Gariba earned a BA in political science at the University of Ghana before coming to Canada where he earned two Master's degrees - one in political science from Brock University and the other in public policy and administration from Carleton University. Before coming to McMaster, he worked as a policy analyst and researcher with the Canadian Federal Government in Ottawa, focusing on social policy domain. His research interests are focused on knowledge transfer and exchange in health care policymaking, and he plans to examine capacity building, use of research evidence and implementation issues in health care policymaking and reform in Africa. Gariba is supervised by John Lavis.

Sandra Jelovac

Sandra Jelovac earned both a Master's and a Bachelor's degree in international economics and finance from Ryerson University, and has been a teaching assistant at Ryerson and McMaster. She has also worked in financial services in Serbia and Canada. She has a particular interest in the determinants of health status, the evolution and differences in health care policies across the globe, and the influence and economic effect that health policies have on a nation. She plans to use her academic training to further contribute to examining the effectiveness of health policies and health systems. Jelovac is supervised by Phil DeCiccca.

Mustafa Ornek

Mustafa Ornek, who earned both a Master's and a Bachelor's degree in international economics and finance from Ryerson, has a keen interest in health economics theory and practice, which he believes is one of the most important aspects of life. He has researched evaluations of national health care systems, and plans to pursue his investigation of how health economics affect peoples lives. His current research work is focused on comparing body mass index (BMI) distributions of Canada and the United States (U.S.), using novel econometric techniques for this literature. He will be looking into socio-demographic factors that may affect the changes we observe in the BMI distribution of these populations. He is also interested in developing a method to compensate for over and underreport biases that are known to exist in self-reported BMI data in surveys. This method will be immediately useful in the Canadian context, where most of our survey data rely on self-reporting from the respondents. He is a teaching assistant and a research assistant at McMaster University. Ornek is co-supervised by Paul Contoyannis and Arthur Sweetman.

Daniel Patiño

Daniel Patiño came to McMaster from Medellin, Columbia, where he has studied and worked in health-related fields for the past several years. He is a graduate of the Ulysses International Master's Program in Health Technology Assessment and Management, and holds a degree in biomedical engineering from the Antioquia School of Engineering in Medellin. He has taught at the University of Antioquia and at the Hospital Paublo Tobon Uribe, and was involved in the establishment of a health technology assessment centre at the university. In addition to HTA, Patino's research interests are centred on economic evaluation and knowledge transfer. He is supervised by John Lavis. He is enrolled in the Ontario Training Centre Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research.

J. Zhao

J. Zhao obtained a Master's degree in public health from Harvard University, where she was a research fellow in the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She previously was a research fellow at the National Institute of Injury Prevention with the Ministry of Health in Mexico. Zhao also earned a Medical degree and a Master's degree in medical molecular biology in China, before moving to North America. She has been involved in various research projects examining health outcomes, health care expenditures and decision-making. She plans to use her interdisciplinary training background in health to further her studies in evidence-based health policy research on health expenditure determinants, and the balance of equity and efficiency of health resource allocation. Zhao is supervised by Jeremiah Hurley.

2011

Denis Ako-Arrey

Denis Ako-Arrey obtained his Masters in Public Health from the University of Saskatchewan and his Masters in Health Administration from University of Montreal. Prior to the program he worked at the Public Health Branch of Correctional Services Canada as a Surveillance Analyst/Epidemiologist. He has also worked as a Research Associate on various projects in different universities; University of Montreal, McGill University, University of Calgary and University of Saskatchewan (where he served as a Teaching Assistant as well). Current research interests resonate around using methodological and theoretical principles of knowledge translation science, to design, test and evaluate a tool to help policy makers mitigate or negotiate the effects of uncertainty in decision making. While his primary focus of investigation will be particularly in relation to cancer control and treatment, the goal is to create a tool that is generalizable across other health care scenarios defined by uncertainty. His supervisor is Melissa Brouwers.

Elizabeth Alvarez

Elizabeth Alvarez received her MPH, Public Health Administration from Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health, and her MD from the Medical College of Ohio. She has worked in multiple healthcare settings in the US, Canada and Honduras, including disaster relief work, family medicine clinics, migrant camps, walk-in clinics, student health, assisting in surgery, and Indian Health Services in Arizona. Additionaly, she has worked as the Associate Medical Officer of Health in Thunder Bay, Ontario. There is an international study underway to see what low- and middle-income countries are currently doing in their efforts to use research evidence in policy-making. Her PhD work will look at policy dialogues as a knowledge translation tool in these knowledge platforms to determine what works and what could be learned to help other countries improve their knowledge translation efforts. Her interests lie in improving the use of research evidence in developing health services and public health policies, especially in low- and middle-in come countries. She is supervised by John Lavis.

Francesca Brundisini

Francesca Brundisini obtained her Master's degree in Local and International Development and Cooperation Studies with the Faculty of Political Science (in collaboration with the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Statistics) from Bologna University. Her research interest is directed towards Health Technology Assessment and its use and impact in low/middle income countries. Improving access to health technologies is a constituent part of an integrated approach to address disease and poverty, consequently playing a significant role in a country's socio-economic development. Taking into account the wide range of different contexts of these countries and the great number of obstacles and limitations they encounter, she intends to explore the value and the implications of HTA not only regarding the main chronic deficiencies in health care systems and policies in lower income countries, but further analyze HTA's role and impact with respect to more acute situations, such as health relief in cases of humanitarian emergencies. Her supervisor is Mita Giacomini.

Mark Embrett

Mark Embrett received his degree Master's in Applied Health Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax. He hasworked for the Capital Health District Authority performing social marketing and quality assurance research. He was then hired as a research coordinator/manager in Dr. Patrick McGrath’s Centre for Research in Family Health at the IWK health Centre. Mark managed research on the effectiveness of pediatric preventative behavioral programs. Mark’s primary research interests lies in the exploration of health policy adoption methods, especially in the field of health technology assessment. Mark also has interests in drug policy, the future of a national pharmaceutical program, and Canada’s current process for assessing pharmaceuticals for reimbursement. Currently, he is growing his understanding of political sciences and health economics in order to broaden his knowledge base. He is being supervised by Glen Randall

Leigh-Anne Gillespie

Leigh-Anne Gillespie obtained her MSc in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University. While completing her MSc, she held Teaching Assistant appointments in the Faculty of Health Sciences. She also volunteered with the Centre for Global Health in Ottawa on a project relating to the development of an evidence-based framework to assist policymakers in assessing the impact of health policies. Prior to joining the Health Policy PhD program, she worked as a Research Assistant in evidence-informed public health. She has a keen research interest in humanitarian health care ethics and policy. Leigh-Anne's research will focus on better understanding aid agency policies and agendas, and ethical challenges in disaster response and complex humanitarian emergencies in low-income countries. Her supervisor is Lisa Schwartz.

Shawn Winsor

Shawn Winsor received both his MHSc and his Clinical Ethics Fellowship at the University of Toronto. Currently, he holds the position of Ethicist at LifeQuest Centre for Reproductive Medicine. Previously, he was Director of the Ethics Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Ethicist Lead at Trillium Health Centre. Shawn is Course Director of the MHSc (Bioethics) Practicum at the University of Toronto, and member of the Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board (OCREB). His research interests are at the intersection of ethics, health care decision-making, and health policy in the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Broadly stated, he is interested in the meta-ethical tensions underlying policy development in general: are policies as frameworks for guiding and/or proscribing practice suited to addressing ethically-challenging healthcare decisions that target specific communities? And, if so, in what ways does their application problematize the issues they are ostensibly resolving? In particular, he is interested in exploring the issue of access to ART treatment for clients whose social and/or medical circumstances are assessed by ART providers as inconsistent with perceived norms around childrearing. He is being supervised by Mita Giacomini.