Research and Evaluation

I have supported and stewarded a number of community-based research studies and evaluation initiatives over the years. Below are a few examples of projects I’ve contributed to:

I conducted a process evaluation of this implementation trial: Enhanced Syphilis Screening Among HIV-Positive Men (ESSAHM) at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital

I coordinated activities for three interrelated clinical ethics and harm reduction studies at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

For my Masters of Public Health practicum, I designed and conducted an internal evaluation of a UNAIDS-funded program aiming to connect pregnant women living with HIV to long-term HIV treatment, as part of AMPATH’s Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) Program in Eldoret, Kenya

A few specific examples of my contributions:

• Worked closely with principal investigators across a number of clinical and academic sites

• Supported end-to-end study coordination, including timeline management, meeting facilitation and stakeholder engagement

• Supported evaluation planning; identified key indicators and measurement tools

• Developed and stewarded community advisory committees to ensure input and engagement of affected communities in research

• Supported proposal development and research ethics board applications

• Performed data collection and transcription: Conducted qualitative interviews and field site observations in a variety of clinical settings; organized and facilitated focus groups; transcribed interview audio

• Performed qualitative data coding and analysis

• Drafted reports, provided actionable recommendations based on preliminary findings; supported manuscript preparation and writing

• Utilized problem solving and creativity in time- and resource-limited clinical contexts

Select publications:

Strike C, Robinson S, Guta A, Tan DH, O'Leary B, Cooper C, Upshur R, Chan Carusone S. Illicit drug use while admitted to hospital: Patient and health care provider perspectives. PLoS One. 2020 Mar 5;15(3):e0229713. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229713. PMID: 32134973; PMCID: PMC7058273. Link

Chan Carusone S, Guta A, Robinson S, Tan DH, Cooper C, O'Leary B, de Prinse K, Cobb G, Upshur R, Strike C. "Maybe if I stop the drugs, then maybe they'd care?"-hospital care experiences of people who use drugs. Harm Reduct J. 2019 Feb 13;16(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12954-019-0285-7. PMID: 30760261; PMCID: PMC6373073. Link

More examples and publications available, upon request.