Being a Public Scholar is making a commitment to conduct research that is meaningful and contributes to the public good. This includes developing productive working relationships throughout the research process with key stakeholders and knowledge users in the community to help ensure relevant and positive impact. A public scholar also uses their research and knowledge mobilization skills to translate their findings and inform change in ways that go beyond traditional academic formats.
Research Description
Major depressive disorder (MDD) can impact an individual’s daily activities and overall quality of life, and is considered to be a leading cause of disability worldwide. Antidepressant medication is a common treatment, however, given that there are over 40 antidepressants to choose from, healthcare providers and patients often undergo a trial-and-error approach to selecting one that is both effective and minimizes side effects. Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing (i.e., identifying variants in specific genes that can affect response to a drug) has shown promising results in helping guide treatment with studies indicating that PGx-guided antidepressant selection leads to improved response/remission rates and reduced side effects. A recent economic evaluation has also shown that adoption of PGx-guided antidepressant selection for MDD in British Columbia (BC) can result in improved patient outcomes (i.e., higher remission/survival rates, greater quality of life) and substantial cost-savings for the healthcare system. The next step towards realizing these potential benefits is to develop an effective and efficient implementation strategy that ensures accessible, equitable and sustainable access to PGx-testing for MDD patients in BC. My PhD research will strengthen the evidence base for implementation by identifying and evaluating feasible implementation strategies using an integrated knowledge translation approach and a mixed methods design.
What does being a Public Scholar mean to you?
Being a Public Scholar is making a commitment to conduct research that is meaningful and contributes to the public good. This includes developing productive working relationships throughout the research process with key stakeholders and knowledge users in the community to help ensure relevant and positive impact. A public scholar also uses their research and knowledge mobilization skills to translate their findings and inform change in ways that go beyond traditional academic formats.
In what ways do you think the PhD experience can be re-imagined with the Public Scholars Initiative?
The Public Scholars Initiative helps re-imagine the PhD because it supports students in building meaningful relationships and dialogues with stakeholders, peers, and experts across a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. This helps expose the student to new types of scholarship, methods, and approaches to conducting and communicating research which can help initiate a more direct and beneficial impact on the community. Furthermore, the Public Scholars Initiative builds a supportive environment and network that enriches the student’s studies and helps them make a positive impact on public good throughout their PhD journey and beyond.
How do you envision connecting your PhD work with broader career possibilities?
I envision that my PhD work will be an opportunity to gain experience in conducting research that is in collaboration with key knowledge users to gain insight and guidance that improves the relevance and impact of my research. The Public Scholars Initiative will provide me with experience and knowledge that extends beyond traditional academic training which will help me explore career paths that better bridge the gap between research and real-world impact.
How does your research engage with the larger community and social partners?
Using an integrated knowledge translation approach will enable the co-production of research through partnership with engaged knowledge users including patient-partners, clinicians, and policymakers who will ultimately use the findings in practice or policy. This will also help produce research outputs throughout the research process that are impactful and accessible to a wide variety of stakeholders.
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I wanted to further strengthen my skillset to become an impactful researcher who helps drive evidence-based decision-making that improves population health, patient outcomes, provider experience, health equity and overall healthcare system efficiency. PhD-level training will provide me with the opportunity to gain and perfect the skills that will enable me to lead research and make a positive impact throughout my future career.
Why did you choose to come to British Columbia and study at UBC?
UBC’s School of Population and Public Health provides excellent training in health economics, healthcare systems analysis, data analysis, statistics, epidemiology, and qualitative methods. Studying at UBC also provides me with the opportunity to work with my supervisor, Dr. Stirling Bryan, who is well experienced in taking a patient-oriented approach to conducting health services and policy research that informs the development of health policies and healthcare decision-making. Also, I grew up in Vancouver and I guess I just can’t get enough of that beautiful view of the mountains!
