Dr. Neil Andersson MD PhD MPhil MSc MFPH, joins the Department of Family Medicine
I am delighted to announce that Neil Andersson MD PhD MPhil MSc MFPH, currently science director of CIET and visiting scientist at the Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, has joined the McGill University Department of Family Medicine on October 1, 2013 as Professor and as director of the newly amalgamated CIET and Participatory Research at McGill (PRAM).
Dr Andersson studied medicine at the University of Cape Town, completed the MSc (Epidemiology) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and MPhil (Medicine) and MD at the University of London (UK). He holds a PhD (Public Health) from City University London and is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) in the Faculty of Public Health. He has been a full professor since 1986 at the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero in Mexico, where he was founding director of the Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET). CIET in Canada is one of an international group of academic NGOs, institutes, foundations and charities dedicated to community-based research and its use in policy and planning (www.cietresearch.org).
Dr Andersson has three decades of experience in evidence-based primary health care research initiatives. A medical epidemiologist dedicated to academic-community partnerships, he developed the user-focused community-based cross-design measurement tools known collectively as the CIETmethods, including open source epidemiological and mapping software and a linked decision tool for evidence-based planners. His main research interest are community-led cluster randomized controlled trials of primary prevention (diabetes, uptake of primary care, dengue, HIV, gender violence, maternal mortality). He holds active research grants from CIHR, Canadian Global Health Research Initiative, CIDA, IDRC and private European foundations.
His experienced team will be based in the McGill University Department of Family Medicine, as well as at sites across Canada and overseas. Kendra Tonkin (MSc Epidemiology) is the CIET office manager and research assistant based in Montreal. She also manages Anisnawbe Kekendazone (Original Knowledge), a multi-project initiative building Aboriginal research skills. Ashley Cunningham MA, leads CIET’s digital communications and maintains the websites, based in Family Medicine in Montreal. Anne Cockcroft MD (UK) FRCP FFOM Chest physician, former director occupational and environmental health at the Royal Free Hospital (London, UK), directs CIET field projects in southern Africa and the MSc Epidemiology overseas distant learning. Bev Shea PhD, nurse, worked with Aboriginal communities for eight years on issues of HIV and gender violence. Based in Ottawa and Montreal, she leads many of the CIET systematic reviews and the synthesis of systematic reviews. George Haas PhD (Environmental systems) is CIET liaison with the Akwesasne Mohawk, with whom he has worked for 20 years. He specialises in fuzzy cognitive mapping and is based in Ottawa. Dawn Caldwell MSc (Epidemiology) completing doctorate in epidemiology, based in Halifax. She works with Mi’kmaw and Maliseet communities of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and coordinates the CIET ethics review board. Her work has focussed on prevention of suicide.
Candyce Hamel MSc (eManagement) completing doctorate in epidemiology, supports CIET’s work in m-health and is based in Ottawa. Mario Beauchamp (open source programmer) has 30 years of programming experience, is lead programmer of the CIETmap software since 2005 and based near Montreal. Micere Ngatia BSc (IT), data manager and research assistant, is based in Ottawa. Lucia Langiano MA is the part time administrator based in Ottawa.
Very importantly please know that Jon Salsberg MA PhD(c), Associate Director of PRAM, Soultana Macridis BSc PhD(c) PRAM research assistant, and Paula Bush PRAM Post-doc are also continuing in their current positions with their current responsibilities including teaching the PR one and three credit courses in the Family Medicine Masters Program.
Dr. Howard Bergman, MD, FCFP, FRCPC
Chair, Department of Family Medicine