Health Research Methodology

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The Graduate Program in Health Research Methodology provides exciting new opportunities for advanced training in research methodology. The program is offered at the M.Sc. and Ph.D. level. Students are encouraged to enroll in full-time study, although requests for part-time studies will be considered at both the M.Sc. and Ph.D. level.

Through coursework and involvement in research projects students are exposed to evaluative frameworks and research methods derived from clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, epidemiology, health economics, health services research, health policy analysis, psychology, sociology, geography, political science, history, bioethics and education.

Trainees are challenged to integrate theory and methods from these alternative disciplinary perspectives to create innovative research and evaluation methods that can contribute to an improved understanding of health and disease (in individuals and populations) and strengthened health services and systems.

Students may choose to specialize in one of the following fields: Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics (Ph.D. level), Health Services Research, Population and Public Health and Health Technology Assessment.

Enquiries: 905 525-9140 Ext. 27718
Fax: 905 546-1129
E-mail: carrl@mcmaster.ca
Website: http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/grad/hrm

Faculty/Fall 2017 

Please refer to the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (HEI) (formerly the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics) for individual faculty webpages highlighting research interests and recent publications

This list includes HRM faculty members who are approved to participate on supervisory committees or be a thesis supervisor. Please refer to the HRM website (http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/hrm) for specific details re: thesis supervisors and supervisory committee members at the MSc and PhD level.

Professors

Julia Abelson, B.A. (Hons) (McMaster), M.Sc. (Harvard School of Public Health), Ph.D. (Bath)
Sonia Anand, B.A. (Queen’s), M.D., Ph.D. (McMaster), F.R.C.P(C)
Kathryn J. Bennett, B.A., M.Sc. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Waterloo)
Joseph Beyene, B.Sc. (Addis Ababa), M.Sc. (Guelph), Ph.D. (Toronto)
Stephen Birch, B.A. (Sheffield), M.Sc. (Bath), D.Phil. (York)
Michael Boyle, B.A. (Western), M.S.W. (Toronto), M.Sc. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Toronto)
Deborah Cook, M.D., M.Sc. (McMaster), F.R.C.P.(C)
Richard Cook, B.Sc. (McMaster), M. Math, Ph.D. (Waterloo)/Part-time
P.J. Devereaux, B.Sc. (Dalhousie), M.D., Ph.D. (McMaster)
Amiram Gafni, B.Sc., M.Sc., D.Sc. (Technion, Haifa)
Gordon H. Guyatt, B.Sc. (Toronto), M.D., M.Sc. (McMaster),F.R.C.P.(C)
Steven Hanna, B.Sc. (Toronto), M.A., Ph.D. (Western)
Roman Jaeschke, M.D. (Krakow, Poland), M.Sc. (McMaster)
John Lavis, M.D. (Queen’s), M.Sc. (London School of Economics),Ph.D. (Harvard)
Mitchell A. Levine, M.D. (Calgary), M.Sc. (McMaster), F.R.C.P.(C)
Mark Loeb, B.Sc., M.D. (McGill), M.Sc. (McMaster), FRCPC
Maureen Meade, M.Sc. (McMaster), M.D. (McGill)
Victor Montori, M.A. (Peruana Cayetano Heredia), M.Sc. (Medicine, Mayo Clinic)/Part-time
Parminder Raina, B.Sc. (Saskatchewan), Ph.D. (Guelph)
Holger J. Schünemann, M.D. (Hanover, Germany), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Buffalo)
Lehana Thabane, B.Sc. (Lesotho), M.Sc. (Sheffield), Ph.D. (Western)
Salim Yusuf, M.B.B.S. (Bangalore), Ph.D. (Oxford)

Associate Professors

Ellen Amster, B.A. (Chicago), M.A., Ph.D (Pennsylvania)
Kevin Brazil, B.A., M.A. (Carleton), Ph.D. (Toronto) /Part-time
Jan Brozek, Ph.D. (Jagiellonian)
Amit Garg, M.D., M.A. (Toronto), Ph.D. (McMaster), F.R.C.P.C.,F.A.C.P./Part-time
Matthew Hodge, B.A. (Yale), M.Sc. (London), M.D.C.M., Ph.D.(McGill)/Part-time
Alfonso Iorio, M.Sc., M.D. (Perugia)
Charmaine Lok, MD (McMaster), MSc (Harvard), FRCP(C)/Part-time
Mark Oremus, B.A. (McGill), M.A. (Concordia), M.Sc., Ph.D. (McGill)/Part-time
Daria O’Reilly, B.Sc. (Dalhousie), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Memorial)
Guillaume Pare, M.Sc. (McGill), M.D. (Montreal)
Lisa Schwartz, B.A., M.A. (McGill), Ph.D. (Glasgow)
Jean-Eric Tarride, B.A., M.A. (Toulouse), Ph.D. (Concordia)
Donald Willison, B.Sc. (Toronto), M.Sc. (McMaster), Sc.D. (Harvard)/Part-time
Feng Xie, B.Sc. (Shanghai), M.Sc. (Fudan), Ph.D. (Singapore)
John You, B.Sc. (McMaster), M.Sc., M.D. (Toronto), FRCPC

Assistant Professors

Elie Akl, Ph.D., M.P.H. (New York), M.D. (Saint Joseph)/Part-time
Elizabeth Alvarez, B.Sc., M.D., M.P.H(Toledo), Ph.D (McMaster)
Gord Blackhouse, B. Comm., M.B.A., M.Sc. (McMaster)/Part-time
James Bowen, B.Sc.Ph.m., M.Sc. (Toronto)/Part-time
Matthias Briel, M.D. (Albert-Ludwigs), M.Sc. (McMaster)/Part-time
Dianne Bryant, B.Sc. (McMaster), B.A. (Waterloo), M.Sc. (Western),Ph.D. (McMaster)/Part-time
Jason Busse, BSc (University of Toronto), MSc (University of Toronto), DC (CMCC), PhD (McMaster)
Soo Chan Carusone, B.Sc., M.Sc. (Toronto), Ph.D. (McMaster)/Part time
Andrew Costa, B.Sc., Ph.D. (Waterloo)
Russell de Souza, B.A. (Queens), B.A.Sc. (Ryerson), M.Sc. (Toronto), Sc.D (Harvard School of Public Health)
Julie Emili, M.D., C.C.F.P., F.R.C.P. (McMaster)/Part-time
Gary Foster, B.A., Ph.D. (McMaster)/Part -time
Lauren Griffith, B.S., M.S. (Michigan), Ph.D. (Toronto)
Godefroy Emmanuel Guindon, B.A. (McGill), M.A. (Victoria), Ph.D. (McMaster)
Jemila Hamid, M.Sc. (Uppsala), Ph.D. (Swedish)/Part-time
Diane Heels-Ansdell, B.Sc., M.Sc. (Guelph)/Part-time
Robert Hopkins, Ph.D., MBA, M.A. (McMaster), B.Sc. (Calgary & McMaster), B.A. (Waterloo)/Part-time
Brad Johnston, P.D. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Alberta), ND (Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine), B.Sc (New Brunswick)/Part-time
John Marshall, M.D., M.Sc. (McMaster), F.R.C.P.C. (Medicine)
Lawrence Mbuagbaw, M.D. (University of Yaoundé), M.PH. (University-Hadassah), Ph.D. (McMaster)
Meghan McConnell, B.Sc. (Hons)(Acadia), Ph.D (McMaster)
Andrew Mente, B.A., M.A. (York), Ph.D. (Toronto)
David Meyre, M.Sc. (USTL), D.E.A., Ph.D. (Paris-Grignon)
Sandra Monteiro, Ph.D., M.Sc. (McMaster), B.Sc. (Toronto)
Sohail Mulla, Ph.D., M.Sc., B.H.Sc. (McMaster)/Part-time
Robby Nieuwlaat, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Maastricht, Netherlands)
Liana Nolan, M.D. (Western), M.H.Sc. (Toronto)/Part-time
John Oudyk, B.A.Sc. (Waterloo), R.O.H., M.Sc., (McMaster)/Part-time
Sameer Parpia, Ph.D., M.Sc., B.H.Sc. (McMaster)
Eleanor Pullenayegum, B.A. Cert. (Cambridge), Ph.D. (Toronto)/Part-time
Michael Pysklywec, B.A.Sc., M.D. (Queen’s), D.O.H.S., M.Sc.(McMaster), C.C.F.P., C.C.F.P. (EM)/Part-time
Pasqualina Santaguida, B.Sc. (Toronto), M.Sc. (Waterloo),Ph.D. (Toronto)/Part-time
Nancy Santesso, PhD (McMaster), MLIS (Western), BASc (Guelph), RD
Mike Walsh, B.Sc. (Simon Fraser), M.D., M.Sc. (Calgary), Ph.D (McMaster)
Michael Wilson, BH.Sc. (McMaster), Ph.D. (McMaster)

Associate Members

Gina Agarwal (Family Medicine)
Noori Akhtar-Danesh (Nursing)
Donald Arnold (Medicine)
Cynthia Ballion (Pathology)
Mohit Bhandari (Surgery)
Louise Bordeleau (Oncology)
Khrista Boylan (Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences)
Luis Braga (Surgery)
Scott Brimble (Medicine)
Melissa Brouwers (Oncology)
Regina Browne (Nursing)
John Cairney (Family Medicine)
Angelo Canty (Mathematics & Statistics)
Karen Choong (Pediatrics)
Catherine Clase (Medicine)
Jennifer Couturier (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
Mark Crowther (Medicine)
Elizabeth Darling (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
Maureen Dobbins (Nursing)
Lisa Dolovich (Family Medicine)
Kelly Dore (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
James Douketis (Medicine)
Eric Duku (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
Jonathan Dushoff (Biology)
Peter Ellis (Medicine)
Laurie Elit (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
Forough Farrokhyar (Surgery)
Mark Ferro (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
Kathy Georgiades (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
Hertzel Gerstein (Medicine)
Andrea Gonzales (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
Lawrence Grierson (Family Medicine)
Michel Grignon (Economics)
Wael Hanna (Medicine)
Jeff Healey (Medicine)
Nancy Heddle (Medicine)
Anne Holbrook (Medicine)
Michelle Howard (Family Medicine)
Jeremiah Hurley (Economics)
Eileen Hutton (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
Susan Jack (Nursing)
Magdalena Janus (Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences)
Sanjit Jolly (Medicine)
Lydia Kapiriri (Health, Aging & Society)
Clive Kearon (Medicine)
Anne Klassen (Pediatrics)
Andre Lamy (Surgery)
Yannick Le Manach (Anesthesia)
Darryl Leong (Medicine)
Mark N. Levine (Oncology)
Ellen Lipman (Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences)
Alice Lytwyn (Pathology & Molecular Medicine)
Joy MacDermid (Rehabilitation Science)
Harriet MacMillan (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences and Pediatrics)
Maureen Markle-Reid (Nursing)
Sarah McDonald (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
Natalia McInnes (Medicine)
Shamir Mehta (Medicine)
Dominik Mertz (Medicine)
Paul Moayyedi (Medicine)
Amber Molnar (Medicine)
Paola Muti (Oncology)
Alexandra Papaioannou (Medicine)
Melissa Parker (Pediatrics)
Gregory Pond (Oncology)
Peter L. Rosenbaum (Pediatrics)
Koroush Sabri (Surgery)
Constantine Samaan (Pediatrics)
Zena Samaan (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
Roberto Sassi (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
J-D Schwalm (Medicine)
Hsien-Yeang Seow (Oncology)
Sam Shulman (Medicine)
Marko Simunovic (Surgery)
Marek Smieja (Pathology and Molecular Medicine)
Ranil Sonnadara (Surgery)
Wendy Sword (Nursing)
Koon Teo (Medicine)
Achilleas Thoma (Surgery)
Ryan Van Lieshout (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
Harriet Van Spall (Medicine)
Meredith Vanstone (Medicine)
Scott Water (Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences)
Timothy Whelan (Medicine)
Richard Whitlock (Surgery)
Andrew Worster (Medicine)

Professors Emeriti

Mita Giacomini, B.S., M.P.H., M.A., Ph.D. (California)
Charles H. Goldsmith, B.Sc., M.Sc. (Manitoba), Ph.D. (N. Carolina State)
R. Brian Haynes, B.Sc., M.D. (Alberta), M.Sc., Ph.D. (McMaster),F.R.C.P.(C)
Brian Hutchison, M.D. (Western), M.Sc. (McMaster)
Ann McKibbon, B.Sc. (Guelph), M.L.S. (Western), Ph.D. (Pittsburg)
Geoffrey Norman, B.Sc. (Manitoba), M.A. (Michigan), Ph.D.(McMaster)
Harry S. Shannon, B.A. (Oxford), M.Sc. (Birmingham), Ph.D. (London)
Gregory L. Stoddart, B.A. (Western), Ph.D. (British Columbia)
David L. Streiner, B.A. (City College of New York), M.S., Ph.D.(Syracuse)
Stephen D. Walter, B.Sc. (London), Ph.D. (Edinburgh)

Fields of Specialization

In addition to our regular offerings, the HRM program provides students with the opportunity to specialize in one of five ‘fields of specialization’. The five fields are: clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, health services research, population and public health and health technology assessment. All five fields are offered at the MSc and PhD level except for Biostatistics, which is offered at the PhD level only. The original HRM program, wherein students opt not to declare a field of specialization will continue to be available as “HRM Classic”.

Students in HRM classic pursue a general methods degree, or explore other areas such as medical education research, health informatics or health ethics, to name but a few.

Clinical Epidemiology

Clinical epidemiology employs sound research principles, tempered with practicality, to find the best answers to “real world” questions about clinical practice and health care. Individuals training in this field (who usually have a clinical background) acquire the skills required to undertake research that addresses fundamental questions about the effectiveness of clinical therapies, usefulness of screening and diagnostic tools, prognosis and disease causation. Issues related to research synthesis and knowledge translation may also be a focus. Individuals training in clinical epidemiology work alongside world leading clinical epidemiologists who are conducting their research in multiple sites around the world and changing the way medicine is practiced globally. The field of clinical epidemiology in the Health Research Methodology Program offers a unique opportunity to learn and work with the best clinical epidemiologists in the world, thus enabling graduates to make profound contributions to the practice of clinical medicine through research.

Students can enter the clinical epidemiology stream if they fulfill the following criteria:
1. They have a designation of a health care provider based upon a degree or diploma (e.g., doctors, physiotherapists, nutritionists).
2. Their HRM degree research primarily focuses on studies directly relevant to patients (e.g., randomized controlled trials, observational studies, or systematic reviews of health related questions).

If a student is not a designated health care provider and wants to appeal these criteria then towards the end of their HRM training they can submit a summary of the research (eg., course papers, studies and research) they have undertaken to the Clinical Epidemiology Stream Committee. The committee will review the student’s request to determine if it merits the designation of the clinical epidemiology stream.

Biostatistics (Ph.D. level)

The HRM Biostatistics PhD field is specially designed for applicants with an MSc in Mathematics and/or Statistics who wish to pursue doctoral work in Biostatistics. The program aims to provide trainees with the skills they need to conduct independent research into biostatistical topics, provide leadership as biostatistical collaborators in clinical, health systems and population health investigations and effectively teach biostatistics from introductory through to advanced levels. Graduates will possess the following skills: ability to apply biostatistical concepts, techniques and data-analytic strategies across the full spectrum of research questions and study designs; ability to contribute to grant proposals in the areas of research design, data analysis and interpretation; ability to teach biostatistical concepts to research colleagues who are not biostatisticians; and ability to adapt existing statistical techniques or to develop new techniques to solve research design and analytical programs. Graduates may pursue career opportunities in academia, government or private industry.

In addition to coursework related to research design, all students participate in a course on Biostatistical Collaboration. The aim is to develop the skills needed for successful collaborative research in the role of biostatistical consultant. These include communication of biostatistical concepts and the provision of leadership with respect to research design, analysis and reporting.

Health Services Research

Health services research focuses on questions about the most effective ways to organize, manage, finance, and deliver high quality clinical and health care, reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. The research domains utilized by health services researchers may include individuals, families, organizations, institutions, communities, and populations. Graduates acquire a broad range of skills in research synthesis, research design, data analysis and writing for publication that enable them to conduct rigorous research in numerous areas including: patterns of care/process of care, small area practice variation studies, appropriateness of care, knowledge translation, economic analysis of health care, service and system organization, patient experience, theoretical underpinnings of health services organization, management, and financing and delivery. The curriculum emphasizes mixed methods approaches that utilize skills in both quantitative and qualitative research.

Population and Public Health

Canada faces many public health challenges, including emerging and existing infectious diseases and alarming increases in many chronic diseases. Research to address the determinants of these health problems is of paramount importance to maintaining a healthy population. The field of population and public health provides students with the methodological expertise needed to conduct cutting edge research, including investigations into the biological, economic, and social factors that protect, precipitate or perpetuate disability and disease, and to improve public health. Graduates will acquire the following skills: ability to critically appraise and interpret research evidence, formulate research questions, justify research and analysis methods and understand ethical issues involved in research in this field; ability to conduct research into biological, social, cultural, and environmental determinants of health; ability to conduct basic or applied research in public health aimed at improving the health of individuals, communities and populations; and ability to apply population and public health methods across a range of disease conditions.

Health Technology Assessment

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is defined as the evaluation of the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and broader impact of drugs, medical technologies, and health systems, both on patient health and the health care system. HTA has gained increasing importance in health care decision making locally and around the world and over the last decade there have been numerous important methodological advances in the techniques of HTA. As a result there is a growing gap between the need for HTA and the availability of skilled researchers to conduct HTAs. The goal of the HTA field specialization is to train individuals who, upon graduation, will have the necessary skills to be actively involved in independent and collaborative research in the field of HTA. Graduates will possess the following skills: a strong foundation in the basic principles of HTA; advanced decision analysis; ability to apply research methods derived from health economics; understand and use basic and advanced biostatistics; and utilize health services research and health policy analysis concepts and methods.

Students will be expected to collaborate with one of the many research groups conducting HTA at McMaster University. 

Programs

• Health Research Methodology, M.Sc.

• Health Research Methodology, Ph.D

• Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology

• Health Research Methodology Courses

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