Seminar Series: Parisa Mokhtari Hesari and Karina Tassiopoulos
PhD Thesis Proposal Defense Public Lectures
Causal mediation analysis of time-to-event data in the context of intersectionality in breast cancer
Parisa Mokhtari Hesari, PhD Candidate
Program: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Supervisor(s): Dr. Greta R. Bauer and Dr. Daniel J. Lizotte
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University
Short Biography:
Parisa Mokhtari Hesari is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Epidemiology. Parisa has completed MSc in Biostatistics from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. She has been involved in numerous projects on breast cancer, focusing on health-related quality of life, genetics, risk factors, and more for over a decade. These projects have included observational studies and randomized clinical trials.
You can find more on her research here.
Abstract:
Systemic racial disparities in access to healthcare still persist in breast cancer. As part of the PhD thesis objectives, a DAG-based systematic review was conducted to develop a causal mediation analysis relating racial disparities, time to treatment initiation, and survival in breast cancer patients. The methodological research centers on causal inference, utilizing advanced statistical methods and simulation studies with time-to-event data. A simulation study is conducting to investigate racial disparities across ethnoracial groups of breast cancer patients, focusing on penalized methods such as LASSO and sparse data bias and its challenges within the context of intersectionality in high-dimensional setting. Ultimately, the output of this study will suggest solutions and interventions based on combined factors to health authorities to guide policy for redressing inequity in breast cancer.
Area of research:
Causal inference, sparse data bias, DAGs, intersectionality, accelerated failure time model, survival, breast cancer.
Process evaluation of the Making Mindfulness Matter© in Children with Epilepsy Study, a live-online mindfulness-based program for children living with epilepsy and their families
Karina Tassiopoulos, PhD Candidate
Program: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Supervisor(s): Dr. Kathy Speechley
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University
Short Biography:
Karina is a second-year PhD student in Epidemiology under the supervision of Dr. Kathy Speechley. She began her MSc in Epidemiology in 2020 and in May of 2022 transferred into the PhD program. Prior to starting graduate school at Western University, she completed her Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her current research interests include social determinants of health, program and policy evaluation, quality of life in children with chronic illness, and health equity.
Abstract:
Childhood epilepsy detrimentally affects long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL), with family environment playing a crucial role. The Making Mindfulness Matter in Children with Epilepsy (M3-E) study aimed to assess the feasibility of a mindfulness-based program (M3©) for improving HRQOL for children with epilepsy (CWE) and their parents. Interventions like M3© are complex, with success depending on factors beyond the program itself. This thesis aims to understand M3© implementation and its impact on HRQOL in CWE and explore suitable methods for evaluating outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of complex behavioural interventions (CBIs). Objectives are 1) to conduct a process evaluation of the M3-E Study, and 2) to assess the treatment effect of M3© on HRQOL in CWE based on both intention-to-treat (ITT) and as-treated (AT) analyses, discussing insights for interpretations and implications. The M3-E study is an RCT comparing the 8-week M3© intervention to waitlist control for children ages 4-10 with epilepsy in Ontario. Non-clinician staff from a local epilepsy agency delivered M3© online to parent-child dyads. Data collected through questionnaires tracked program implementation and changes in HRQOL. Process evaluation outcomes include reach, recruitment, fidelity, dose delivered, dose received, and context. Quantitative data will be reported descriptively, complemented by content analysis of qualitative data. Adjusted linear mixed models will evaluate M3©'s effect on child HRQOL, accounting for clustering of groups who received M3© together. ITT analysis will compare HRQOL between intervention and control arms to determine M3©’s real-world effect. AT analysis will examine the effect of attending M3© sessions on HRQOL. This dissertation uniquely evaluates factors affecting the implementation of mindfulness programs in pediatric epilepsy. By addressing real-world complexities of RCTs on CBIs, this project will enhance our understanding of implementing community programs to improve HRQOL for families and children living with chronic illness.
Area of research:
Behavioural intervention, pediatric, quality of life, mental health, program evaluation
Date: Friday, March 15
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: PHFM 3015 (Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine) or via Zoom (Zoom link may be requestet at EpiBio@uwo.ca)
