Author: Emily Holton

Dr. Pat O’Campo named fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

Posted on by Emily Holton

Dr. Patricia O’Campo has been named a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, joining 2,000 Canadian artists, scientists and scholars in this prestigious group.

“It’s thrilling to be recognized by a group of outstanding scientists who are among the best scientists in Canada. Being recognized for the body of your research, not just one paper or study, just feels great,” said Dr. O’Campo.

With 30 years under her belt, O’Campo is a pioneer in epidemiology. When she began her training, traditional epidemiology focused on clinical care, epidemics and patient factors that determined major health problems like cancer and cardiovascular health. Her early research helped shape what is now known as social epidemiology.

Two MAP scientists awarded prestigious Canada Research Chairs

Posted on by Emily Holton

Two MAP scientists were appointed Canada Research Chairs earlier today, in an announcement made by Science and Sport Minister Kirsty Duncan at the University of Victoria.

Drs. Patricia O’Campo and Nav Persaud are joining eight other current Canada Research Chair holders at St. Michael’s Hospital. Learn more about their work below.

Dr. Patricia O’Campo

Canada Research Chair in Population Health Intervention Research

While we tend to think of health policies as responsible for keeping people healthy, social and economic policies are larger determinants of health than the health-care system.

Dr. Pat O’Campo, interim executive director of the Li Ka Shing Research Institute and a MAP scientist, is leading research into the advancement of population health interventions by evaluating current practices, and informing the design of health and social protection programs and policies to reduce urban health inequities.

Dr. O’Campo said she’s elated to receive this Tier 1 Canada Research Chair appointment, and excited about the ways in which it will allow her to focus her research and collaborate with others moving forward.

“Receiving this chair means we can develop new partnerships with organizations working on tough urban health challenges that impact health, and create new opportunities for training in this relatively new area of research,” said Dr. O’Campo. “It’s a real honour to be recognized for your body of research, but also to be recognized for your proposed program of research for the next seven years.”

Learn more about Dr. O’Campo

Dr. Nav Persaud

Canada Research Chair in Health Justice

Wealthy people tend to live longer and healthier lives than those who are disadvantaged.

MAP scientist Dr. Nav Persaud is studying initiatives aimed at narrowing the gap between the highest and lowest wealth brackets. In particular, he’s examining the effects of providing individuals experiencing poverty with tangible goods to improve their health, such as essential medicines and healthy foods.

Dr. Persaud said he’s looking forward to continuing his work with the support of St. Michael’s Hospital and the Canada Research Chairs Program.

“I’m delighted and grateful to be appointed a CRC,” said Dr. Persaud. “It can be difficult to secure funding, and with this appointment, I look forward to five years of support to continue studying ways to address serious global health inequalities.”

Learn more about Dr. Persaud

He’s been called a ‘lethal force’ who’s not afraid to take on medical authorities. And it all started with pain week

Posted on by Emily Holton

“At only 38, [Dr. Persaud] has distinguished himself as an advocate for patient safety, social justice, transparency and pharmacare — not to mention a brilliant researcher and practitioner. With a reputation for being principled and persistent, he has not been afraid to rock the boat if that’s what it has taken to effect change.”

Despite access to health care and medications, people with HIV in Ontario still dying at higher rates than general population

Posted on by Emily Holton

People who are living with HIV in Ontario have access to good health care and medications, yet they are still dying younger and at substantially higher rates than the rest of the population, according to a new study published today.

The findings suggest that the overall well-being of these people is being negatively impacted by the social determinants of health–non-medical or non-genetic factors such as income, job status, education, housing and incarceration, according to the study in the journal AIDS and Behaviour.

Led by Dr. Sean Rourke, a neuropsychologist at St. Michael’s Hospital and scientist at its Centre for Urban Health Solutions, researchers followed 602 people with HIV recruited from community-based agencies for five years. People with HIV conducted peer-to-peer interviews with other HIV-positive people and then verified who was still alive at one, three and five years, using information, if necessary, obtained from relatives, partners, friends, obituaries and local AIDS memorial lists.

Of the 454 people whose mortality the researchers were able to confirm at the end of the study, 53 had died, which is the equivalent of 22.3 deaths per 100,000 people, substantially higher than the rate in the general population of 6.7 per 100,000 people. Seventy-three per cent of those who died were under 50.

People outside of Toronto died at even higher rates, especially in northern Ontario. (59 per cent outside the Greater Toronto area vs. 42 per cent inside the GTA.)

The study was dedicated to six peer-to-peer researchers…

New report finds ‘critical and alarming gap’ in high quality, comprehensive and inclusive data for urban Indigenous populations in Canada

Posted on by Emily Holton

More than one-quarter of Indigenous adults living in Toronto have had a close friend or relative disappear or go missing, according to a comprehensive new report on the health and health-care needs of Indigenous people in Canada’s largest city.

Yet 18 per cent of those missing people were never reported to police, according to the report, Our Health Counts Toronto, released today.

The report also found that one in 10 Indigenous adults in Toronto have had to file a missing person’s report with police for a child or relative and one in three have had a close friend or relative die as a result of violence caused by another person.

Our Health Counts Toronto is the largest urban Indigenous population health study in Canada. The research was conducted by Indigenous people for Indigenous people, said project lead Dr. Janet Smylie, a researcher at St. Michael’s Hospital and one of the first Métis physicians in Canada…