Postdoctoal Award Competition Results 2005
Sixteen applications were reviewed in this fifth competition for the CHSRF/CIHR Postdoctoral Awards within the CADRE program.
Merit Review Process
This year the postdoctoral applications were reviewed by the same panel that reviewed the letters of intent received to the Foundation's Research, Exchange, and Impact for System Support (REISS) competition. The membership of the merit review panel included an equal mix of researchers and decision makers that balanced regional and disciplinary distribution and perspectives. For the postdoctoral awards
competition, the panel was chaired by John Gilbert; François Champagne and Charles Wright performed scientific officer duties.
The merit review panel met on February 17th and 18th, 2004 in Ottawa to assess the postdoctoral applications received from across the country. Of the postdoctoral applications, nine were in health services, three in nursing, and four in knowledge transfer. One application was received from Quebec, eight from Ontario, six from the western provinces, and one from the Atlantic region.
Applicants Recommended for Funding
The panel recommended 10 applicants for funding. Of these candidates, five are in the health services field, one is in nursing, and four have a knowledge transfer focus.
Candidates must take up the award by February 28, 2006.
The recommended candidates are listed in alphabetical order:
Yukiko Asada is working as a postdoctoral fellow in the department of bioethics at Dalhousie University. She will conduct her postdoctoral award in the department of community health and epidemiology at Dalhousie University and will be supervised by George Kephart. Dr. Asada's decision-maker partner will be Russell Mellett who is in the Strategic Policy and Research division of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Privy Council Office. Her program
will focus on ethical resource allocation and accountability in health system funding in Canada; she aims to estimate differential needs for healthcare in the provinces and territories with the purpose of reducing health inequities.
Rana Charafeddine is completing her PhD in the department of environmental health, school of public health at Boston University. She will conduct her postdoctoral work at the Centre de recherche Léa-Roback with her supervisor Louise Potvin (University of Montreal). Ms. Charafeddine's decision-maker partner will be Marie-France Raynault of the Direction de santé publique de Montréal. Her program will examine the influence of local
environment on health and its role in the development of social inequities in health. Specifically, she will focus on the mechanisms by which place of residence shapes health.
Rachel Engler-Stringer is completing her PhD in the college of pharmacy and nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan. She will conduct her postdoctoral work at the University of Montreal with her supervisor Louise Potvin. Ms. Engler-Stringer's decision-maker partner will be Lise Bertrand at the Agence régionale de développement des réseaux de santé et de services sociaux Montréal. Her program will examine attitudes and
barriers to food preparation from basic ingredients in young low-income women and its relation to food security status. She will also focus on translating the information from this research into the public health policy environment.
Robert Geneau is working as a case study co-ordinator at the Elizabeth Bruyère Research Institute. He will conduct his postdoctoral work at the University of Ottawa with his supervisors Carol Amaratunga and William Hogg. Dr. Geneau's decision-maker partners will be Sylvie Stachenko and Felix Li from the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control - Public Health Agency of Canada. His program will provide him with extensive knowledge of
international and national health policies and issues related to the prevention and control of chronic diseases. Specifically, he will focus on better understanding the experience of older Canadians living with hypertension.
Kristine Hirschkorn is completing her PhD in the department of sociology at McMaster University. She will conduct her postdoctoral work at the University of Toronto with her supervisor Heather Boon. Ms. Hirschkorn's decision-maker partner will be Mary Lou Gignac at the College of Dieticians of Ontario. Her program will focus on examining the knowledge gap regarding the relationship between health providers and natural health products by exploring
the legal and ethical dimensions of professional responsibilities of regulated health providers in Ontario (dieticians and pharmacists).
Anne Hofmeyer is working as an assistant professor in the faculty of nursing at the University of Alberta. She will conduct her postdoctoral work at the University of Alberta with her supervisor Carole Estabrooks. Dr. Hofmeyer's decision-maker partners will be Joanna Pawlyshyn and Glenda Coleman-Miller at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. Her program will look at social capital networks and examine knowledge transfer and relational
capital within networks in a healthcare organization. She will specifically look at the perspectives of unit managers in a large hospital regarding the nature of a healthy workplace.
Sharon Kaasalainen is working as an assistant professor in the school of nursing at McMaster University. She will conduct her postdoctoral work at McMaster University with her supervisors Kevin Brazil and Alba DiCenso. Dr. Kaasalainen's decision-maker partners will be Tim Burns from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Krista Robinson from the Ontario Long Term Care Association. Her program will focus on examining and evaluating
the role of nurse practitioners within new interdisciplinary team models of care for pain management in long-term care settings.
Melanie Moore is completing her PhD in the department of human ecology, agriculture forestry and home economics at the University of Alberta. She will conduct her postdoctoral work at the University of Calgary with her supervisors Suzanne Tough and Barry Trute. Ms. Moore's decision-maker partners will be Brenda Fischer and Toni MacDonald at the Calgary Health Region. Her program will focus on examining the effects of a cognitive intervention on
parents' interaction with their infant, and on infant attachment with the aim of identifying infants at risk.
Amanda Newton is working as an assistant professor in the faculty of health sciences at McMaster University. She will conduct her postdoctoral work at the University of Alberta with her supervisor Carole Estabrooks. Dr. Newton's decision-maker partners are Marguerite Rowe in the Capital Health Authority and Tom Mill from Alberta Health and Wellness. Her program will examine the role of organizations in influencing research use by healthcare
providers, decision makers, and policy makers.
Mike Patterson is working as a research associate in the community health research unit at the University of Ottawa. He will conduct his postdoctoral work at the University of Ottawa with his supervisors Nancy Edwards and Janet Smylie. Dr. Patterson's decision-maker partner will be Simon Brascoupé in the primary health care - e-health solutions unit at Health Canada. His program will focus on examining how telehealth might best be delivered
to different aboriginal communities across Canada, given the need for knowledge translation of health information to the population.