Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

My work focuses on examining the burden of infectious diseases, including vaccine-preventable diseases, at the population level, focusing on important subgroups of interest and the impact on the healthcare system in Ontario. Having recently transitioned from a doctoral program in epidemiology to a position as an independent researcher, I have maintained my interest in working in applied public health research, but have the opportunity to expand my areas of interest and networks. I am in the process of developing my research program, but am focusing on using administrative data to estimate the burden of infectious disease in Ontario, incorporating data based on laboratory confirmation where possible. I am also aiming to incorporate an additional focus of providing relevant information for diseases for which there may be upcoming preventive measures (e.g. new vaccines) or expanded policy opportunities (e.g. expanded use of current vaccines) and to evaluate the impact of relevant interventions that have already been implemented. These interests align with the mandate of the Institute of Population and Public Health given my interest in addressing applied public health questions that provide scientific evidence for informed decisions. Specifically, I plan to focus on high priority public health issues given their potential to impact policy decisions, which can help reduce the burden of infectious diseases and improve population health.