EpiBio Research Day 2024
We are very excited to announce that abstract submission is now open for the Second Annual EpiBio Research Day! The event will be on April 9th in PHFM 1150 starting at 10am. This event is open to all undergraduate and graduate students in the department, and we hope to see everyone there!
The event will feature a keynote address, as well as poster and oral presentations by students. Attendance is free of charge. If you wish to present, please submit a 300-word abstract by March 19th here.
Registration for attendance is also available through the same submission process.
Judges’ and participants awards will be given out for 3 categories: undergraduate, MSc, and PhD. Poster topics can include thesis proposals, preliminary findings, thesis results, course projects, or any other projects you have been working on.
We encourage students to contact their supervisor to cover the costs of poster printing. Please contact us if you do not have a supervisor or need assistance (epibioresearchday@gmail.com).
Keynote Address
Dr. Ava John-Baptiste, PhD
Dr. Ava John-Baptiste is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, where she also serves as Graduate Chair. She is cross appointed to the Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine and teaches in the Schulich Interfaculty Program in Public Health. Dr. John-Baptiste applies her expertise in health economics and health services research to inform health policy decisions. She uses a range of methods including evidence synthesis, cost analysis, economic evaluation, modelling, and the linkage of administrative and clinical databases.
Economic evaluation to inform Indigenous health policy
Indigenous people and communities have been working to reclaim Indigenous birth and invest in Indigenous midwifery programs. Persons giving birth who live in First Nations and Inuit communities are required to travel to urban centres at 36-38 weeks gestation to give birth away from home. When seeking to improve perinatal health supports and services, the question posed by Canadian health policy decision makers is, “What is the cost for obstetric evacuation or travel for birth compared to community-based Indigenous-led care?”. Economic evaluation provides a framework for comparing health care options to aid in policy decision making. Mi'kmaq Elders Albert and Murdena Marshall teach the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing, in which we recognize the strengths of Indigenous ways of seeing in addition to the strengths of Western ways. During the keynote address, I will share what our research team has learned while attempting to estimate the costs of obstetric evacuation. A weaving of Indigenous and Western perspectives can help us identify the strengths of economic evaluation and highlight areas for improvement, as we seek to apply this framework to inform Indigenous health policies.
Schedule
| 9:30-10:00 | Registration Opens |
| 10:00-10:10 |
Opening Remarks |
| 10:10-10:45 | Keynote – Dr. Ava John Baptiste |
| 10:45-11:00 | Break |
| 11:00-12:30 | Student Oral Presentations |
| 12:30-1:00 | Lunch and Poster Presentations |
| 1:00-3:00 | Poster Presentations |
| 3:00-3:15 | Awards and Closing Remarks |
