Michael C. Klein, Principal Investigator, M.D., C.C.F.P., F.C.F.P., F.A.A.P. (Neonatal/Perinatal), F.C.P.S., is a researcher, educator and physician based at the Child and Family Research Institute at Children’s & Women’s Hospital and the UBC Departments of Family Practice and Pediatrics where he is Emeritus Professor and Senior Scientist Emeritus. He is best known for his work on the failure of episiotomy as a strategy to prevent perineal trauma, which has contributed to a dramatic reduction in episiotomy use and resultant drop in rectal trauma. He is PI on a national 4-year CIHR study of the beliefs and attitudes of physicians, midwives, obstetrical nurses, doulas and women as well as a two year Vancouver Foundation and Michael Smith Foundation grant that explores the role of maternity care in rural community sustainability and decision-making in low volume maternity care settings. Dr. Klein has received numerous awards, including Honorary Rural Physician and the Morris Wood Award for Lifetime Contributions to Primary Care Research from the North American Primary Care Research Group, Family Physician Researcher of the Year from the College of Family Physicians of Canada and The Founders Award from Dona International (the international organization of doulas).

Janusz Kaczorowski, BA, MA, PhD, is a medical sociologist with research background in family medicine, epidemiology, psychology, sociology, and criminology. He is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Family Practice at University of British Columbia and a Director of Primary Care and Community Research at the Child & Family Research Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has over 15 years experience on developing, coordinating, and completing all aspects of research studies in primary care. He has had held large grants both as principal investigator and co-investigator and has co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts. In 2000, he obtained CIHR/SSHRC/NHRDP New Investigator Health Career Award focusing on the implementation of evidence-based medicine and clinical practice guidelines in primary care settings. His research interests include health services research, knowledge translation, primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke, optimal therapeutics and medical education.

William Donald Fraser, MD, MA, FRCSC, Co-Principal Investigator, Quebec & Atlantic Director

Robert Liston, MB ChB, FRCSC, FRCOG, FACOG, Co-Investigator, Obstetrical Consultant

 

Sharon Dore, RN, PhD, Co-Investigator, Nursing

 

Wendy Hall is a Professor in the UBC School of Nursing. She received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Manitoba (1974), her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of British Columbia (1986), and her PhD in 1999 from the University of Manchester. Wendy has taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs at UBC for over 20 years and is currently the Coordinator for PhD program. She is one of the Directors on the Collaboration for Maternal and Newborn Health, which is an interdisciplinary group fostering inter-professional education and capacity building of care providers in maternity care. Wendy sits as a committee member on the Committee for Interdisciplinary Support and Education for the British Columbia Reproductive Care Program. She is also part of a team to develop case-based learning for health sciences students at UBC and to develop clinical learning units in acute care settings. Wendy is a member of the Canadian Sleep Society, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, and Sigma Theta Tau International. Her research area focuses on the transition to parenting, with her primary research areas focusing on infant and child sleep and its effects on their growth and development and parents and maternal feelings, sleep deprivation and fatigue during pregnancy and their potential relationships and effects on birth outcomes. Wendy has published extensively and maintains international collaborations with researchers in Australia and Israel. She has also consulted with over 500 families to assist with their infants’ and children’s behavioral sleep problems. Wendy has also served as a sleep consultant for the Vancouver Coastal Health Community group. She has been awarded a Killam Prize for Teaching, the RNABC Award for Nursing Education, and the Canadian Association for Nursing Research Award as an Outstanding New Investigator.

Patricia McNiven, RM, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor, McMaster University, Midwifery Education Program, Department of Family Medicine, is one of the founding faculty members of the Ontario Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University. She is the member of a midwifery practice in Hamilton Ontario where she also served as head of midwifery service at Hamilton Health Sciences and St Joseph’s hospitals. Her research interests include randomized trial of low risk interventions, normal birth and midwifery education. She has worked as a consultant to hospitals experiencing difficulty integrating midwifery services as well as being the author of two reports for Health Canada regarding childbirth and midwifery in the Arctic.

Lee Saxell, RM, MA, Co-Investigator, Midwifery

Jude Kornelsen, PhD, Co-Investigator, Sociologist

Kathleen A. Lindstrom, CD, CDT (DONA International); LCCE; FACCE (Lamaze International), is in private practice as well as employed by Douglas College, David Lam Campus in Coquitlam, BC. She is with the Health Sciences Faculty and is the Perinatal Program Manager responsible for Prenatal and Continuing Education. She is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and a Fellow of the American College of Childbirth Educators with 24 years of experience, teaching prenatal classes, developing curriculum and presenting workshops. She is also the Chair of the International Committee for Lamaze International. Kathleen has been offering doula (labour support) services for 22 years, is a Doulas of North America (DONA International) certified doula and trainer and has served on the DONA Board of Directors for 8 years, her last two as president.

Rollin Brant received his B.Math and M.Math (Statistics) degrees from the University of Waterloo, and his Ph.D (Statistics) from the University of Toronto. He is presently a professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of British Columbia and a Research Scientist in the Centre for Community Child Health Research at Children's and Women's Hospital. His chief research activity is collaborating with scientists and physicians doing health research by providing advice and guidance in the design and conduct of health studies as well as assistance in the analysis and interpretation of data.

Sahba Eftekhary Shirkoohy, MD, MPH, MHA, PhD student, in addition to having a Medical Doctorate as an International Medical Graduate, Dr. Sahba Eftekhary holds a Master of Public Health (MPH), as well as a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from the University of British Columbia. Sahba has been working as a research associate with Dr. Michael C. Klein providing extensive grant development support for applications to provincial and national organizations. She is currently working with a team on a provincial, as well as a nationally funded study on maternity care services. She has previously worked with Ministry of Health and International Health Agencies in Iran, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and WHO on a variety of national projects. During this mandate, she provided strategic direction and coordination to several nationally and internationally sponsored health services research projects. In addition to working as a General Practitioner, her previous management roles have seen her play a key role in health care services planning and evaluation.
She recently started her PhD program at the University of Toronto in order to develop further knowledge on her interest areas and to progress her career. Her research interests lie in health human resources, performance measurement, quality of health care, women’s’ health, and evaluation studies.