Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact

The importance of clearly communicating our work and its significance has never been greater. Allow us to reintroduce ourselves. At its heart, what we do is simple: develop innovative health research methods, generate actionable evidence, and achieve real-world impact. Access our 2024 annual report to learn about where we came from and what we do. ⬇️

April 17 marks World Hemophilia Day, an annual observance highlighting the need for awareness and support for those with the rare bleeding disorder. 🩸 Learn about the work of Alfonso Iorio, professor and chair of the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, his insights on treatment options, and his hopes for the future. Access the full story: https://lnkd.in/eee-5TpR McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences

A multi-year research project will work on new assessment tools to diagnose and care for patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia related illnesses to meet the unique care requirements for Indigenous patients. Jennifer Walker, associate professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, and principal investigator on the project spoke with CityNews. Access the video: https://lnkd.in/eNkUex78 SSHRC-CRSH, McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences

Led by Gordon Guyatt, distinguished professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, a research team has made a major leap forward in Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) is the leading global system for rating the certainty of evidence and translating evidence into clinical recommendations. While it has become the gold standard for clinicians worldwide, its complexity has grown over two decades and more than 50 publications. Now, for the first time, a simplified and more coherent version of GRADE has been introduced: Core GRADE. This is a game-changer for systematic review authors, guideline developers, health technology assessment teams, and EMB educators. The essentials of Core GRADE are outlined in a new seven-paper series published in The BMJ, offering a single, accessible resource for those using GRADE. ➡️ Watch a summary video from Guyatt himself: https://lnkd.in/g3WBrD66 ➡️ Access the series introduction: https://lnkd.in/gfsZZWBr ➡️ Explore a Core GRADE learning opportunity: https://lnkd.in/e8KRKSK4 McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University Department of Medicine, MAGIC Evidence Ecosystem Foundation, Cochrane Canada

For people living with diabetes, the push for medical coverage is personal. Katharine Mackett, Health Research Methodology PhD candidate in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, spoke with The Globe and Mail about helping individuals manage their diabetes will reduce costs to the health-care system. Access the full story: https://lnkd.in/gwgcj7qW

What better way to wrap up Canadian Public Health Week than by applying to our fully online Graduate Diploma in Community and Public Health? Find our more on our website: https://lnkd.in/guwTHdz3 #cphw25 #PublicHealthMatters Laura N. Anderson, Ayesha Siddiqua, PhD, Jessica Hopkins, Ahmed Atef Belal, Nigar Sekercioglu, Nazila Assasi, Sarah Neil-Sztramko, Elizabeth Alvarez, Rachel Harris, Rachel Roy (Curry)

The McArthur family has long supported the pursuit of ground-breaking research at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. Each year, a world-renowned researcher is honoured with the Anne & Neil McArthur Research Award. We are honoured to celebrate the 2024 recipient, Dr. Mark Loeb – professor, McMaster University Pathology and Molecular Medicine and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact; and associate member of the McMaster University Department of Medicine. Dr. Loeb’s research focuses on the epidemiology of infectious diseases, including the transmission and control of respiratory infections like Influenza, West Nile, COVID-19 and Dengue. His work has helped shape public health policies and strategies for managing the spread of infectious disease with valuable insights into vaccine efficacy. Among his many distinctions, Dr. Loeb was recognized as a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, one of the highest honours in the field of infectious disease; and as a Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada | La Société royale du Canada, the highest honour received in the arts, humanities and social sciences. His research has appeared in more than 400 publications and has been cited nearly 48,000 times. All are invited to join us for the presentation and reception on Thursday, April 24, 2025 from 1pm to 3pm in the Miller Amphitheatre (St. Joe's Charlton Campus). Register here: https://bit.ly/3RzfBGQ #WeAreStJoes #HamOnt #research #infectiousdiseases

An Indigenous-led group of university and community-based researchers, including principal investigator and McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences researcher Jennifer Walker, have been awarded $24 million in funding to transform and develop dementia assessment tools that will benefit Indigenous groups across Canada and internationally.  A study released by the Alzheimer Society of Canada in 2024 estimated that by 2050, the number of people with Indigenous ancestry living with Alzheimer’s disease will increase by 273%. (Significantly higher than the 187% increase the report estimates for the overall population in Canada.) The tools developed by the research group will be culturally safe, trauma-informed, and tailored to the unique needs of Indigenous communities. “Brain health assessment, particularly cognitive assessment, is challenging for people. For Indigenous people, there are added barriers and layers, like the history of racism in health care and colonization,” says Walker. “We want to transform these assessments for the better.” More: https://ow.ly/HPAr50VwIft

Indigenous university and community researchers are coming together to revolutionize brain health for Indigenous people across Canada. Through $24 million in funding, the group will create a bundle of dementia assessment tools. These tools will be culturally safe, trauma-informed, and tailored to the unique needs of Indigenous communities. This research is led by Jennifer Walker, associate professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, and principal investigator on the project. “Brain health assessment, particularly cognitive assessment, is challenging for people. For Indigenous people, there are added barriers and layers, like the history of racism in health care and colonization,” shares Walker. Access the full story to learn more. ⬇️ SSHRC-CRSH, McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences

Congratulations to our exceptional Master of Public Health candidates — Randil Vithanage, Laura Gendron, Sierra Gaspari, and Olivia Adams (pictured left to right) — who earned second place at Public Health Ontario’s inaugural Student Case Event, held during The Ontario Public Health Convention. Selected through a highly competitive process, the team presented on the case topic Climate Preparedness and Vector-Borne Disease: Innovative Planning for a Strategic Public Health Response. Their presentation focused on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, addressing problem analysis, health equity considerations, and risk communication strategies.