Overview of Research
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
RSV is the most common cause of lower respiratory track infections and hospitalizations among young children. There is also increasing recognition of the health burden RSV imposes on older adults and adults with immunocompromising conditions. My RSV research program has addressed the following:
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Population-based effectiveness and the equitable impact of palivizumab programs
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RSV transmission models
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Broad exploration of medical and social risk factors for severe, early-life RSV illness
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Contribution of RSV to early-life antibiotic prescribing
You can find a list of these publications here.
Social Inequities in Health
Health inequities arise when the health status or distribution of health resources differ between population groups. There is substantial work showing that these differences often arise through the social conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. Effective policies and interventions can address these social inequities. My research program has addressed inequities in the following:
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High cost healthcare users
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Severe early-life RSV illness
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Timing of pediatric orchidopexy
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Pediatric respiratory tract infection mortality
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Severe influenza illness
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Violent deaths
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Premature mortality
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Diabetes outcomes and costs
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Long-term use of social assistance
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COVID-19 testing and health outcomes among children, adolescents, newborns, and new mothers
You can find a list of these publications here.
Public Health Decision-Making
Effective public health decision- and policy making relies on quality evidence. My research program has addressed the following decision-making needs:
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COVID-19 testing guidelines for children and newborns
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Evaluating Ontario's RSV prophylaxis program for high-risk infants
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Informing targets for future revisions to RSV prophylaxis guidelines
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Informing the selection of optimal RSV vaccination strategies
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Upstream prevention of high cost health care use
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Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) screening and isolation policies
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Antibiotic stewardship
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Screening strategies for diabetes and pre-diabetes
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Supplemental vaccination activities
You can find a list of these publications here.
Epidemiologic Methods
My research program has included the development and application of numerous epidemiologic methods and study designs, including:
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Quasi-experimental designs
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Time series analysis
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Birth and population-based cohorts
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Transmission, Markov and cost-effectiveness modeling
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Costing studies
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Propensity scores
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Scoping and systematic reviews, meta-analysis
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Development and validation of an algorithm for estimating gestational ages from health administrative data
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Long-term follow-up of RCTs using health administrative data
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Development and validation of risk of bias tools
You can find a list of these publications here.