As an outstanding doctoral student and first graduate of UBC's Public Scholars Initiative (PSI), Dr. Sarah Munro (Interdisciplinary Studies) is now set to continue her knowledge translation research through a postdoc co-funded by CIHR and MSFHR.
On 15 August 2016, Sarah successfully defended her PhD dissertation titled "Birth after Caesarean: An Investigation of Decision-Making for Mode of Delivery". Using a knowledge translation framework in this research, Sarah partnered with Fraser Health Authority to respond to an important health question: how can we improve women’s experiences with shared decision-making for mode of birth after C-section? Her findings were shared in a policy brief, which was integrated into her dissertation.
Sarah's postdoctoral journey, which was confirmed weeks before her defence, will build directly on her doctoral work and include a study to explore the factors that influence the implementation of abortion practices in Canada. She will be serving as co-investigator on a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Partnerships in Health System Improvement grant.
To further support her research, Sarah also received a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Trainee Award. Sarah's fellowship will begin in Fall 2016 jointly through Dartmouth College and UBC Family Practice, where she'll continue to conduct knowledge translation and implementation research in women’s health.
Sarah believes that her involvement with the Public Scholars Initiative contributed to her vision of community engagement. As she puts it,
Without the Public Scholar program I would not have had the support to meaningfully collaborate with regional and provincial health organizations during my PhD studies. I also gained collegial support from a brilliant cohort of Public Scholars, who shared my passion for building university-community partnerships. I look forward to staying connected with that community of practice as I move forward in the next phase of my research career".
Congratulations Dr. Munro, and best of luck in your new position!