Elizabeth Alvarez is an experienced family/public health physician and assistant professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI) at McMaster University. After completing her medical degree and family medicine residency at the University of Toledo in Ohio, she earned a master’s degree in public health through the Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health and a PhD in Health Policy at McMaster University. She also holds a certificate in medical cognitive behavioural therapy (CMCBT).

Her research uses policy analysis and qualitative and mixed methods for applied knowledge translation, spanning the role of context in evidence informed decision making, public health topics, sustainable health behaviour change across the lifespan and multidisciplinary care.

Research Interests: health promotion; behaviour change; chronic disease prevention and management; mental health; aging; health policy; health systems strengthening; public health; primary care; ecological approaches to health.

Elizabeth Alvarez is an experienced family/public health physician and assistant professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI) at McMaster University. After completing her medical degree and family medicine residency at the University of Toledo in Ohio, she earned a master’s degree in public health through the Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health and a PhD in Health Policy at McMaster University. She also holds a certificate in medical cognitive behavioural therapy (CMCBT).

Her research uses policy analysis and qualitative and mixed methods for applied knowledge translation, spanning the role of context in evidence informed decision making, public health topics, sustainable health behaviour change across the lifespan and multidisciplinary care.

Research Interests: health promotion; behaviour change; chronic disease prevention and management; mental health; aging; health policy; health systems strengthening; public health; primary care; ecological approaches to health.

Katherine Boothe is an associate professor in McMaster University’s Department of Political Science and a member of CHEPA. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of British Columbia and a BA (Hons.) from the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on comparative public policy in advanced industrial democracies with a focus on health policy, particularly the development and reform of public pharmaceutical insurance programs.

Research Interests: Canadian and comparative politics; public policy in advanced industrial democracies; health and social policy; federalism.

Katherine Boothe is an associate professor in McMaster University’s Department of Political Science and a member of CHEPA. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of British Columbia and a BA (Hons.) from the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on comparative public policy in advanced industrial democracies with a focus on health policy, particularly the development and reform of public pharmaceutical insurance programs.

Research Interests: Canadian and comparative politics; public policy in advanced industrial democracies; health and social policy; federalism.

Andrew Costa is an associate professor and Schlegel Research chair in Clinical Epidemiology & Aging in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McMaster University. He also serves as the research lead at the DeGroote School of Medicine, Waterloo Regional Campus. He is an interRAI fellow, where he is engaged in the Network of Excellence in Acute Care (iNEAC) and leads the Emergency Department Working Group. He has received CIHR awards for his research in health services and policy and is a member of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA).

Academic Interests: Dr. Costa’s research program promotes evidence-based care and policy in seniors and geriatric care. His program of research makes use of health information and technology to develop better models of care and decision support systems in home and community care, emergency departments and acute care. His current work is focused on the development and evaluation of models of care for avoidable emergency department use and care of the elderly in emergency departments. He is an interRAI Fellow where he is engaged in the Network of Excellence in Acute Care. Dr. Costa’s work makes use of large health care data repositories, multi-site prospective cohort studies and pragmatic trial methods. He also has an active interest in the development and use of funding and performance systems in health care reform.

Research Interests: Big Data and geriatric models of care; avoidable emergency department and acute care use among frail older adults

Andrew Costa is an associate professor and Schlegel Research chair in Clinical Epidemiology & Aging in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McMaster University. He also serves as the research lead at the DeGroote School of Medicine, Waterloo Regional Campus. He is an interRAI fellow, where he is engaged in the Network of Excellence in Acute Care (iNEAC) and leads the Emergency Department Working Group. He has received CIHR awards for his research in health services and policy and is a member of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA).

Academic Interests: Dr. Costa’s research program promotes evidence-based care and policy in seniors and geriatric care. His program of research makes use of health information and technology to develop better models of care and decision support systems in home and community care, emergency departments and acute care. His current work is focused on the development and evaluation of models of care for avoidable emergency department use and care of the elderly in emergency departments. He is an interRAI Fellow where he is engaged in the Network of Excellence in Acute Care. Dr. Costa’s work makes use of large health care data repositories, multi-site prospective cohort studies and pragmatic trial methods. He also has an active interest in the development and use of funding and performance systems in health care reform.

Research Interests: Big Data and geriatric models of care; avoidable emergency department and acute care use among frail older adults

Research Interests: health care financing, particularly public and private roles in health care financing; equity in health care; resource allocation and funding in the health sector; normative economic analysis in the health sector; experimental methods in health economics.

Research Interests: health care financing, particularly public and private roles in health care financing; equity in health care; resource allocation and funding in the health sector; normative economic analysis in the health sector; experimental methods in health economics.

Lydia Kapiriri is an associate professor in McMaster’s Department of Health, Aging and Society and a member of CHEPA. She holds a bachelor’s degree in medicine and general surgery and a diploma in public health from Makerere University, Uganda; she has master’s degrees in public health from Royal Tropical Institute and in medicine, public health from Makerere University. She earned her PhD at the University of Bergen, Norway, Faculty of Medicine, Centre for International Health, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. Her research is focused mainly on health systems and global health research, including priority setting in health care at the different levels of decision making (macro, meso, and micro levels). She is also involved in research related to ethical issues in public health and global health, including international research ethics.

Research Interests: global health; HIV preventative behaviour; priority setting in health care.

Lydia Kapiriri is an associate professor in McMaster’s Department of Health, Aging and Society and a member of CHEPA. She holds a bachelor’s degree in medicine and general surgery and a diploma in public health from Makerere University, Uganda; she has master’s degrees in public health from Royal Tropical Institute and in medicine, public health from Makerere University. She earned her PhD at the University of Bergen, Norway, Faculty of Medicine, Centre for International Health, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. Her research is focused mainly on health systems and global health research, including priority setting in health care at the different levels of decision making (macro, meso, and micro levels). She is also involved in research related to ethical issues in public health and global health, including international research ethics.

Research Interests: global health; HIV preventative behaviour; priority setting in health care.

Asif Khowaja is an assistant professor in health economics at Brock University in St. Catharines, with expertise in advanced health economics and simulation modelling. He was a recipient of a CIHR Vanier doctoral award (2015) and the Warren George Povey Award in Public Health (2016). Before joining Brock, he worked as a CIHR Health System Impact postdoctoral fellow at the British Columbia Patient Safety and Quality Council in Vancouver, BC. He holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation.

Research Interests: application of health economics modelling and mixed-methods research to inform policy decisions about resource allocation in healthcare.

Asif Khowaja is an assistant professor in health economics at Brock University in St. Catharines, with expertise in advanced health economics and simulation modelling. He was a recipient of a CIHR Vanier doctoral award (2015) and the Warren George Povey Award in Public Health (2016). Before joining Brock, he worked as a CIHR Health System Impact postdoctoral fellow at the British Columbia Patient Safety and Quality Council in Vancouver, BC. He holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation.

Research Interests: application of health economics modelling and mixed-methods research to inform policy decisions about resource allocation in healthcare.

Boris Kralj holds both a doctorate and master’s in economics from York University. He has more than 30 years of experience working in the government sector, non-profit sector, academia and consulting. He is a specialist in health economics and medical (physician) economics, in particular. He is a noted expert on physician compensation models and physician pay equity or “relativity”. For over two decades he was employed at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) where he provided leadership to the Economics, Research & Analytics functions and the Technology function, as well as serving as the Chief Information/Chief Analytics Officer. Kralj provided guidance and oversight to the economic research, policy and evaluation work associated primarily with the negotiation and implementation of physician fee-for-service (FFS) and non-FFS agreements and the physician fees/tariff setting processes.

Kralj served as a member of Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee (OHTAC) from January 2010 to June 2014.  He has authored and published a broad variety of research reports. His publications relate to physician payment reform, gender pay gap in medicine, primary care, medical services utilization, physician human resources, workers’ compensation, physician billing, oncology practices, prescribing patterns and walk-in clinics.

Research Interests: health economics, and medical (physician) economics – physician compensation models and physician pay equity or “relativity.”

Boris Kralj holds both a doctorate and master’s in economics from York University. He has more than 30 years of experience working in the government sector, non-profit sector, academia and consulting. He is a specialist in health economics and medical (physician) economics, in particular. He is a noted expert on physician compensation models and physician pay equity or “relativity”. For over two decades he was employed at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) where he provided leadership to the Economics, Research & Analytics functions and the Technology function, as well as serving as the Chief Information/Chief Analytics Officer. Kralj provided guidance and oversight to the economic research, policy and evaluation work associated primarily with the negotiation and implementation of physician fee-for-service (FFS) and non-FFS agreements and the physician fees/tariff setting processes.

Kralj served as a member of Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee (OHTAC) from January 2010 to June 2014.  He has authored and published a broad variety of research reports. His publications relate to physician payment reform, gender pay gap in medicine, primary care, medical services utilization, physician human resources, workers’ compensation, physician billing, oncology practices, prescribing patterns and walk-in clinics.

Research Interests: health economics, and medical (physician) economics – physician compensation models and physician pay equity or “relativity.”

Dr. Mitch Levine is a professor in McMaster University’s Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI) and is the assistant dean for the graduate school program in Health Research Methodology in the Faculty of Health Sciences. He is also a professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, and is a consultant physician at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. He is the director of the Centre for Evaluation of Medicines, Father Sean O’Sullivan Research Centre, at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. In February 2018, he was appointed chair of Canada’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) by her Excellency, the Governor General in Council, having served as the vice-chair since 2011.

Research Interests: clinical epidemiology; pharmaco-economics.

Dr. Mitch Levine is a professor in McMaster University’s Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI) and is the assistant dean for the graduate school program in Health Research Methodology in the Faculty of Health Sciences. He is also a professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, and is a consultant physician at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. He is the director of the Centre for Evaluation of Medicines, Father Sean O’Sullivan Research Centre, at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. In February 2018, he was appointed chair of Canada’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) by her Excellency, the Governor General in Council, having served as the vice-chair since 2011.

Research Interests: clinical epidemiology; pharmaco-economics.

Research Interests: health policy, mental health, co-design and co-production of services for structurally vulnerable populations.

Research Interests: health policy, mental health, co-design and co-production of services for structurally vulnerable populations.

Hsien Seow, PhD (Johns Hopkins), BSc (Yale), is the Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care and Health System Innovation at McMaster University and director of the ICES-McMaster site. Previously, he held a CIHR New Investigator award and the Cancer Care Ontario Chair in Health Services Research.

Hsien Seow, PhD (Johns Hopkins), BSc (Yale), is the Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care and Health System Innovation at McMaster University and director of the ICES-McMaster site. Previously, he held a CIHR New Investigator award and the Cancer Care Ontario Chair in Health Services Research.

Research Interests: economic and empirical aspects of health human resources and industrial relations; quantitative program evaluation.

Research Interests: economic and empirical aspects of health human resources and industrial relations; quantitative program evaluation.

Research Interests: health technology assessment and management; methods for the economic evaluation of health technologies and programs.

Research Interests: health technology assessment and management; methods for the economic evaluation of health technologies and programs.

Meredith Vanstone is an associate professor in McMaster University’s Department of Family Medicine, an adjunct scientist with McMaster’s Education Research, Innovation & Theory (MERIT) Program and a member of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA). She holds a PhD in health and rehabilitation sciences (health professional education) from Western University.

Vanstone uses a variety of qualitative research methods to investigate the ethical implications of health professional education and practice. She examines how health professionals respond to explicit, implicit and structural policies that shape their professional lives. By focusing on policy and practice areas with an ethical or moral valence, her research aims to support ethical health professional practice through education and policy initiatives. Vanstone’s work is supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Greenwall Foundation. Vanstone supervises in the following graduate programs: Health Sciences Education (MSc), Health Research Methodology (Msc and PhD) and Health Policy (PhD).

Area of Expertise: qualitative methods; education policy; health policy; health professions education.

Meredith Vanstone is an associate professor in McMaster University’s Department of Family Medicine, an adjunct scientist with McMaster’s Education Research, Innovation & Theory (MERIT) Program and a member of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA). She holds a PhD in health and rehabilitation sciences (health professional education) from Western University.

Vanstone uses a variety of qualitative research methods to investigate the ethical implications of health professional education and practice. She examines how health professionals respond to explicit, implicit and structural policies that shape their professional lives. By focusing on policy and practice areas with an ethical or moral valence, her research aims to support ethical health professional practice through education and policy initiatives. Vanstone’s work is supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Greenwall Foundation. Vanstone supervises in the following graduate programs: Health Sciences Education (MSc), Health Research Methodology (Msc and PhD) and Health Policy (PhD).

Area of Expertise: qualitative methods; education policy; health policy; health professions education.

Research Interests: knowledge translation; citizen engagement methods and evaluation; politics of health systems.

Research Interests: knowledge translation; citizen engagement methods and evaluation; politics of health systems.