Once our PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows take off from the starting line, they make strides as they move their knowledge translation activities and research program forward. As the finish line becomes clearer in their sight, we asked our 2024 PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellow, Dr. Kamila Premji, some questions to share her progress thus far, and what she looks forward to in the remainder of her KT Fellowship.

What are some of your accomplishments from the KT Fellowship thus far?

Since starting my KT fellowship, I have:

• Completed my PhD Family Medicine program. Thesis: “Improving access to comprehensive family physicians: Insights from workforce trends and policy initiatives.”
• Completed 3 first author papers from my KT Fellowship’s program of research (2 submitted, 1 published)
• Collaborated as a co-author on 14 studies published in high impact journals that also relate to primary care access
• Been invited to present my work at several different venues and to diverse audiences that have included researchers, decision-makers, patient partners, and clinicians. My presentation of my work from my KT Fellowship at the 2025 ICES Research Forum was awarded First Place.
• Led or been involved in 21 presentations at competitive international and local conferences as either first author or co-author – several of these directly from my KT Fellowship, and the others also aligned with my program of research on primary care access.
• Been awarded a Clinical Research Chair from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine so I can continue my work beyond my PSI Fellowship.
• Obtained an Investigator appointment with Bruyere Health Research Institute in Ottawa.
• Received as co-investigator various grants from CIHR, SSHRC, and Health Canada totaling $3,191,336
• Led my first Nominated PA grant application for the CIHR in their 2026 Spring Project grant competition (decision pending)
• Been included on a successful RFP from the Ministry of Health to assist in their Primary Care Action Team’s activities aiming to attach all Ontarians to a regular source of primary care by 2029.
• Received the University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine’s Scholarly Achievement Award.
• Received a patient-nominated recognition for my clinical work as a family physician from the Ontario College of Family Physicians.
• Had my work featured in the media, including CBC Radio and the Globe & Mail.

What are some items/deliverables that you look forward to coming to fruition in the remainder of your KT Fellowship?

Completing and publishing the remaining studies from my PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship and continuing to share my results with key stakeholders, including decision-makers and policymakers. I want my work to help Ontario and Canada achieve the ultimate goal of universal access to comprehensive primary care.

What are some things that surprised you during your fellowship thus far?

The PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship has been a game-changer for my research productivity. I am excited about the progress I have been able to make with the protected time this fellowship provides.

Once our PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows take off from the starting line, they make strides as they move their knowledge translation activities and research program forward. As the finish line becomes clearer in their sight, we asked our 2024 PSI Mid-Career KT Fellow, Dr. Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy, some questions to share his progress thus far, and what he looks forward to in the remainder of their KT Fellowship.

What are some of your accomplishments from the KT Fellowship thus far?

The overarching objective of my PSI Mid-Career KT Fellowship was to lead four major research initiatives focused on syncope care and knowledge translation:

• National Implementation of the Canadian Syncope Pathway (CSP):
  I led a multicentre stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial to implement the Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS)–based CSP across 16 hospitals in Canada. This work was supported by a CIHR grant of $1.25 million. Patient recruitment was completed in April 2026, and we are currently conducting data cleaning and analysis to evaluate the clinical and system-level impact of the pathway.
• Knowledge Translation Process Evaluation:
  This project was funded by PSI ($195,500) and aimed to formally evaluate how evidence-based implementation strategies influence CSP uptake in clinical practice. The study includes (1) pre- and post-implementation surveys at all 16 participating hospitals, with post-implementation surveys underway, and (2) qualitative interviews with physicians and clinical staff across low-, medium-, and high-uptake sites at four Ontario hospitals. The interview component is complete, and the findings have been submitted for publication. Through this work, I co-mentored a postdoctoral fellow who has since secured a faculty appointment.
• Validation and Prehospital Implementation of the Canadian Prehospital Syncope Risk Score (CPSRS):
  With CIHR funding of $397,800, we initiated a study to validate the CPSRS and prepare for its implementation in the prehospital setting, with the goal of diverting very-low-risk patients away from the emergency department. Recruitment began in late 2025, and we are currently expanding participation to additional EMS organizations.
• Development of an Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Syncope Algorithm:
  This project aims to develop an AI-based clinical decision support tool that integrates historical and comorbidity data to guide emergency department investigations, predict syncope etiology, and assess 30-day serious outcomes using the CSRS. Start-up funding from the local academic medical organization supported study design and pilot enrollment. Recruitment is currently underway at both emergency departments of The Ottawa Hospital.

In addition to these core projects, my broader research program received CIHR funding ($520,000) for a randomized controlled trial evaluating live cardiac monitoring for higher-risk syncope patients discharged from the emergency department. The program has also expanded into AI research, supported by $375,000 in funding, focusing on natural language processing and machine learning applications in chest pain presentations, diagnosis of obstructive myocardial infarction, and AI-assisted translation to promote equitable clinical care and patient education.

During the fellowship, I received the University of Ottawa Exceptional Leadership Award (2024), was nominated for the 2026 Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Clinician Scientist Award and was recognized by CIHR for outstanding contributions to peer review. In 2025, I was appointed Chief Research Information Officer for The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and currently serve as Chair of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine GRACE-5 Syncope Guidelines, which are forthcoming.

Throughout the fellowship, I have also mentored a PhD student completing a thesis on ethical and methodological aspects of prediction tool knowledge translation, as well as a postdoctoral fellow from France whose work focused on the development and implementation of emergency department prediction tools.

Please describe any challenges/barriers that you have encountered thus far and what actions were/will be taken to resolve them?

After the COVID pandemic, lack of trained health care personnel in the emergency department (ED) and in the prehospital setting has placed an enormous strain on the system leading to ED closures, long wait times and delays in ambulance off loading. It has been extremely challenging engaging ED physicians, paramedics, and their respective institutions/organizations to participate in research given the operational pressures.

We have mitigated these challenges by integrating research into clinical care and harnessing the capabilities of the electronic health records (EHR) and information technology to achieve our research data collection objectives.

What are some items/deliverables that you look forward to coming to fruition in the remainder of your KT Fellowship?

I hope to accomplish the following knowledge translation activities in the next year prior to the completion of my fellowship:

• Publish the results of the large SW-CRT assessing the implementation of the CSRS
• Publish the SAEM GRACE-5 guidelines on ED management of syncope
• Obtain funding to develop an AI algorithm for ED syncope care beyond the pilot phase
• Publish the other AI studies that are underway

What are some things that surprised you during your fellowship thus far?

One of the most unexpected and positive aspects of my fellowship has been the research potential of modern electronic health record platforms. Through targeted training on the EPIC system, I have been impressed by its capacity to support robust clinical research. In the context of mounting operational challenges, these enhanced EHR capabilities have enabled our program to advance evidence-based patient care through innovative, and integrated research approaches.

After a few years of tirelessly working towards their research program and knowledge translation (KT) activities, our PSI KT Fellows reach the finish line of their fellowship. As they cross the end point towards their award, we asked our fellows for reflections on their journey to share their highlights from the fellowship and advice for other aspiring or current KT Fellows.

What are the key accomplishments and outcomes from your award?

With the support of the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship, I was able to assemble a multidisciplinary team of key stakeholders to develop the first Canadian best practice recommendations for diagnosis and management of three types of skin and soft tissue infections: cellulitis, skin abscess, and necrotizing fasciitis. These best practice recommendations are endorsed by the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians. I also gained valuable experience through direct mentorship with experienced KT scientists for the duration of the Fellowship.

What are some lessons learned during the PSI KT Fellowship?

An important lesson I learned was the importance of working with all relevant stakeholders, who all bring important and varied expertise to the projects. The most important thing was to obtain mentorship from experienced KT scientists to ensure that the projects stayed on track for success.

What was the most memorable moment of this KT Fellowship?

The most memorable moment was obtaining full endorsement of the best practices checklists we had developed from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, which is the largest professional body for emergency physicians in Canada.

What are some general tips and advice you would give to those who are currently completing their KT Fellowship?

I would strongly recommend thinking carefully about the components of the team you will need to ensure success. This should include key stakeholders and experienced KT scientists. Working with patient partners with lived experience was a hugely valuable experience and can lead to much more robust patient-centred evidence generation.

Upon receiving their approval letters and sharing the exciting news of the award with their community, the PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows begin preparing to get settled in their place at the starting line. As Dr. Robert Simpson embarks on their KT Fellowship journey, we asked them few questions to know them beyond their recipient biography, as well as some notes they could pass on to future applicants. 

Please use 3 words to describe how you feel as you begin your KT Fellowship.

Excited, engaged, committed (but also a little nervous).

Why did you apply for the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship? How does this award align with your current research and career goals?

I applied for this award because I felt the PSI definition of knowledge translation (‘taking clinical research findings and encoding them into clinical policies’) aligned very well with where my research was at the time.  I had completed many years of preparatory work to understand the scope of the issue at hand i.e., high levels of psychological distress in people with multiple sclerosis contrasted with limited treatment offerings in clinical care, but strong evidence in knowledge syntheses to support the effectiveness of psychological therapies in this context.  The need to translate this into practice was thus really clear and I think that created a strong sense of purpose in my mind to present the proposal to PSI. I’m glad I did.

What are 3 to 5 general tips and notes you would pass on to those preparing their KT Fellowship application?

• Be intentional and be organized – although there is a good lead in time from advertisement of the fellowship to submission of a letter of intent and then the full application, there is a lot of documentation required and this involves requests for time and support from collaborators, mentors, and sponsors, who themselves will need time to review materials and provide any necessary documentation.
• Be confident in communicating your passion for the work you propose.  You would not be doing this unless it is important and the passion you have will sustain you to be successful in your project whether in this opportunity or the next.
• Draw on the generous and invaluable support of your trusted colleagues and mentors. Their critical reviews can greatly enhance the messaging in how you present your application, and their expertise, which likely differs from your own, can bring enhanced design thinking and application of methods to bolster your ideas.

Upon receiving their approval letters and sharing the exciting news of the award with their community, the PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows begin preparing to get settled in their place at the starting line. As Dr. Sophiya Benjamin embarks on her KT Fellowship journey, we asked her a few questions to know her beyond her recipient biography, as well as some notes she could pass on to future applicants.

Please use 3 words to describe how you feel as you begin your KT Fellowship.

Grateful, Energized, Hopeful

Why did you apply for the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship? How does this award align with your current research and career goals?

My interest in sleep began through my work at GeriMedRisk. Over years of providing medication optimization consultations for older adults across Ontario, I noticed a persistent pattern: so many of the people referred to us were on sedative-hypnotic medications or off label antipsychotics for sleep. It became clear that insomnia was being managed almost entirely through potentially inappropriate prescribing, rather than through the evidence-based behavioural interventions we know are safer and more effective. That observation set me on a path that has shaped the last several years of my career.

The more I looked into it, the wider the gap appeared. Despite more than 40 randomized controlled trials establishing cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia as the gold standard first-line treatment, most clinicians still default to sleep hygiene advice that doesn’t work or medications that carry real risks for older adults. I realized that the problem wasn’t a lack of evidence, the challenge was with translating evidence into practice.

I have worked on this by co-chairing the Ontario Health’s Quality Standard for Insomnia Disorder, and started the Older Adult Insomnia Collaborative, a 45-member multidisciplinary network spanning Canada and the U.S. More recently, we completed co-design research with residents and staff across Ontario’s long-term care system. With grants in place to support some of this work and strong partnerships established, what I needed was protected time to focus on the next steps. The PSI Mid-Career KT Fellowship provides that. Over three years, I’m implementing a coordinated knowledge translation strategy focused on insomnia in older adults.

What are 3 to 5 general tips and notes you would pass on to those preparing their KT Fellowship application?

• Show your relationships and collaborations and how they will shape your KT activities. Knowledge translation doesn’t happen in isolation. Demonstrate that you have genuine partnerships with the people who will use, benefit from, or be affected by the knowledge you’re translating — whether that’s clinicians, patients, families, or policymakers. Letters of support are helpful, but describing how those relationships shaped your plan is even more compelling.
• Show what you’ve already built. The KT Fellowship isn’t about starting from scratch. Rather, it’s about having the right foundation in place and making the case that protected time is what will turn your groundwork into impact.
• Connect your goals so they reinforce each other. If you’re working across settings or populations, show how the pieces fit together. Shared frameworks, coordinated dissemination, and cross-sector learning can help make your plan more compelling beyond a collection of standalone activities.

Upon receiving their approval letters and sharing the exciting news of the award with their community, the PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows begin preparing to get settled in their place at the starting line. As Dr. Saadia Sediqzadah embarks on her PSI KT Fellowship journey, we asked her few questions to know her beyond her recipient biography, as well as some notes she could pass on to future applicants. 

Please use 3 words to describe how you feel as you begin your KT Fellowship.

Excited (!), grateful, and curious.

Why did you apply for the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship? How does this award align with your current research and career goals?

Since starting my career as a clinician-investigator, I have been fortunate to have some protected time to develop my research career. I soon realized thought that it is very difficult to apply for grants, start and conduct research projects, hire and manage research staff, etc., with only one protected academic day in my week. What this ultimately meant was working on the research side of my career in the evenings and weekends (i.e., outside of clinic time). And that worked fine…until I had kids. As any parent knows, having and raising kids is both beautiful and will also turn your life upside down. Time is at a premium. By securing this Fellowship and increasing my protected research time, I have been given the gift of more time to do the research right.

I have a rewarding clinical career supporting youth living with psychotic illnesses. I truly love my clinical work but there are knowledge-gaps that impact the quality of care I can provide. I am driven to help try to fill these gaps and disseminate evolving knowledge in the field. As such, I applied for the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship and here we are today.

The Fellowship aligns with my research and career goals in other ways, too. I look forward to leaning into the KT side of my research projects. For example, we are starting a project to develop a patient decision aid to guide medical decision-making for youth living with psychosis. We are currently recruiting people with lived experience to join our steering committee which will oversee the entire three-year project. Additionally, knowledge users including patients, family members/caregivers, allied healthcare providers, and psychiatrists and family doctors will co-design the patient decision aid. This integrated KT approach was in part inspired by the KT plan I put together my PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship application. It’s wonderful to see it in action already.

What are 3 to 5 general tips and notes you would pass on to those preparing their KT Fellowship application?

1) Start early. It’s a huge application with many components. Give yourself a couple of months to work on it so you don’t feel rushed and your reviewers have adequate time to provide feedback, and you have enough time to integrate their feedback.

2) Seek feedback. At Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, we have mandatory peer review for grant and salary award applications. If you are not at a research institute and/or do not have access to formal peer review, seek it out on your own. Reach out to colleagues with expertise especially in KT. If you have a great reviewer in mind and you don’t know them personally, even better – they are more likely to provide impartial and honest feedback. Don’t be shy – the worst they can say is no. Just do it.

3) Applying is *never* a waste of time. This mantra has served me well with every grant or award application this past year. There was a time where I used to think for certain opportunities: “Ah, I probably won’t win, so why bother.” Now, I don’t see any application as a waste of time. Why? Because even if I don’t win, at least I have all that background work ready to go for the next application. In other words, the most work happens the first time around. After that, it’s simply a matter of refining, reformatting, copying and pasting into future applications until you finally secure that win.

Good luck!

Upon receiving their approval letters and sharing the exciting news of the award with their community, the PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows begin preparing to get settled in their place at the starting line. As Dr. Archna Gupta embarks on her KT Fellowship journey, we asked her a few questions to know her beyond her recipient biography, as well as some notes she could pass on to future applicants.

Please use 3 words to describe how you feel as you begin your KT Fellowship.

• Appreciative
• Excited
• Driven

Why did you apply for the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship? How does this award align with your current research and career goals?

With 15 years of experience as a comprehensive family physician in both community and academic environments, often serving underserved populations, I have seen how gaps in primary care can impact population health. Despite clear evidence that strong primary care leads to better health equity, is cost-effective, and keeps people healthier, Ontario’s primary care system still faces significant gaps. Many Ontarians continue to have difficulty finding a primary care provider or accessing the care they need when they need it.

I applied for the PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship because it offers essential support for clinicians like me to address these challenges. To use my clinical and my health system experience to ask important questions and to help find solutions that can have an impact.  This fellowship provides me with protected time to focus on research and knowledge translation activities, allowing me to contribute to policy development, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful improvements in Ontario’s primary care system. This aligns strongly with my ongoing research and career goals, which center on advancing health equity and enhancing primary care for all Ontarians.

What are 3 to 5 general tips and notes you would pass on to those preparing their KT Fellowship application?

1. Highlight the ways you intend to incorporate knowledge translation into your projects.
2. Evaluate whether your plans are practical and consider how collaborating with others can help ensure their success.
3. Seek out mentors who can support you throughout your fellowship journey.

After a few years of tirelessly working towards their research program and knowledge translation (KT) activities, our PSI KT Fellows reach the finish line of their fellowship. As they cross the end point towards their award, we asked our fellows for reflections on their journey to share their highlights from the fellowship and advice for other aspiring or current KT Fellows.

What are the key accomplishments and outcomes from your award?

During the tenure of this award, I have achieved several meaningful accomplishment including:

• Supporting Trainees: I have had the privilege of supervising and supporting a diverse group of trainees, including Master’s students, PhD candidates, medical residents, and postdoctoral fellows. Watching their growth and success has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this period.
• Mentorship: Beyond direct supervision, I have provided mentorship to several new investigators across Canada, helping them establish their research programs and navigate early-career challenges.
• Research Excellence: My work has led to a series of high-impact publications in leading journals, including the European Respiratory Journal, CMAJ, Chest, and Thorax. These publications have contributed to advancing the field and enhancing the visibility of our research program.
• Knowledge Translation and Policy Impact: I have had opportunities to translate research into practice through collaborations with the Government of Ontario, the Canadian Thoracic Society, and the Lung Foundation. These partnerships have enabled our findings to inform policy and respiratory programs across the country.

What are some lessons learned during the PSI KT Fellowship?

One of the most valuable lessons I learned during the KT Fellowship is the importance of relationships with knowledge users. These relationships make research more relevant, meaningful, and impactful, and they truly energize a project. Engaging with our Respiratory Long COVID patient group was particularly inspiring — their insights, lived experiences, and enthusiasm shaped the direction of our work and reminded me of the real-world importance of translating research into action.

What were the most memorable moments of this PSI KT Fellowship?

Some of the most memorable moments of my KT Fellowship were watching my students achieve their goals. Seeing them publish their first papers, receive their first grants, or deliver their first conference presentations was incredibly rewarding — I felt proud to see their hard work and confidence grow.

Another highlight was working closely with patients, particularly those in our Respiratory Long COVID group. Their openness, resilience, and commitment to improving care brought a powerful sense of purpose to our work.

Finally, being recognized through awards during this period was both an honor and a reminder of the impact that collaborative, patient-centered research can have.

What are some general tips and advice you would give to those who are currently completing their KT Fellowship?

My main advice is to balance your projects — pursue some high-risk, high-reward ideas alongside more safe and steady ones. The ambitious projects push your boundaries and keep your work exciting, while the safer ones help build your track record and ensure steady progress. Early in my Fellowship, I took a risk by leading my first national prospective multicentre study, and it turned out to be an incredible learning experience that shaped my career.

I would also encourage fellows not to hesitate to take leadership positions. Leadership comes in many forms and personalities — you don’t have to fit a single mold to make an impact.

After a few years of tirelessly working towards their research program and knowledge translation (KT) activities, our PSI KT Fellows reach the finish line of their fellowship. As they cross the end point towards their award, we asked our fellows for reflections on their journey to share their highlights from the fellowship and advice for other aspiring or current KT Fellows.

What are the key accomplishments and outcomes from your award?

The award enabled me to achieve transformative milestones in two core areas: academic research and healthcare innovation.

First, the fellowship provided the crucial infrastructure and support that allowed me to engage in high-level academic research in ways that had previously been inaccessible to me. With this support, I was able to generate new knowledge in the field of virtual care service delivery in Ontario — work that is now helping shape how virtual care will be designed and deployed in the Canadian healthcare system in the coming years. This contribution is particularly timely, as virtual care continues to evolve into a foundational element of our national care strategy.

Second, the award gave me the freedom to translate my academic work into real-world impact through entrepreneurship. I co-founded and led a healthcare technology startup rooted in my previous research, which operated for four years and built a strong professional and academic network across Canada and the United States. Along the way, we received multiple awards and were proud to complete the prestigious Rotman Creative Destruction Lab in 2024 — a capstone experience that brought further visibility and validation to the work we were doing.

Together, these accomplishments underscore the unique and essential role that this type of funding plays in catalyzing both academic discovery and innovation. This award didn’t just support my work — it unlocked it.

What are some lessons learned during the PSI KT Fellowship?

One of the most valuable lessons I learned during the fellowship is that while early plans are essential for setting direction, true impact often lies in the ability to adapt and respond to emerging opportunities. The preliminary goals we outlined at the outset were ambitious and well-intentioned — but as the work progressed, we found ourselves drawn toward newly opened pathways that were equally, if not more, important. These were areas of academic inquiry and influence that we hadn’t originally anticipated, but which proved deeply aligned with the fellowship’s broader aims of translating knowledge into meaningful change.

There’s a saying that “no plan survives first contact with reality,” and that was certainly true in our case. The key was not to abandon our ambition, but to remain nimble and pursue newly visible opportunities with equal intensity and purpose. This kind of pivot — toward unexpected but high-impact work — is only possible when scholars are given the time, space, and support to think creatively, follow the evidence, and engage deeply with new ideas.

What was the most memorable moment of this KT Fellowship?

The most memorable moments of the fellowship were deeply rooted in the remarkable teams I had the privilege of working with. On the academic side, I was fortunate to collaborate with talented individuals across a range of disciplines—locally and provincially—whose insights and dedication elevated the work in every way. Our partnerships with ICES, McMaster, and access to Ontario’s rich administrative datasets allowed us to conduct high-impact analyses that informed key areas of virtual care — a rapidly evolving space with real implications for patient access and system design.

But perhaps the most unforgettable experience came from the time I spent building and leading a private-sector team dedicated to translating research into real-world change. Thanks to the time and support this fellowship afforded me, I was able to pursue the commercialization of my academic work — an ambitious leap into the world of healthcare entrepreneurship. Over three years, we built a mission-driven company from the ground up, united by a shared vision to improve emergency medicine through data and innovation. Collaborating with a team of driven, creative, and like-minded individuals — each bringing unique expertise and perspective — was profoundly energizing and taught me as much about leadership, communication, and execution as it did about medicine or research.

These moments — whether at the research bench or in the startup boardroom — are enduring reminders of the power of collaboration, and of what can happen when visionary support like this fellowship meets an open and curious mind.

What are some general tips and advice you would give to those who are currently completing their KT Fellowship?

My advice is twofold.

First, lean deeply into the areas of research that align with your expertise and academic track record — these are often where your credibility, curiosity, and capability intersect most powerfully. But don’t stop there. Remain open to adjacent or emerging domains where your existing knowledge base can give you a unique advantage. Some of the most impactful and innovative work I pursued during my fellowship came from venturing just beyond the borders of my original focus — into spaces where opportunity met readiness.

Second, use this time not only to produce, but to reflect. These awards provide more than funding — they create rare intellectual space. Take this opportunity to ask big questions: about the status quo in your field, about the risks you’re willing to take, and about the kind of legacy you want your work to leave. While there are certainly productivity expectations, the true power of the fellowship lies in its capacity to let you challenge conventional thinking and pursue bold, ambitious ideas that might otherwise fall to the margins.

In short: capitalize fully on the freedom this fellowship affords. Think strategically, act ambitiously, and trust that this time — used well — can meaningfully elevate both your work and your future impact.

After a few years of tirelessly working towards their research program and knowledge translation (KT) activities, our PSI KT Fellows reach the finish line of their fellowship. As they cross the end point towards their award, we asked our fellows for reflections on their journey to share their highlights from the fellowship and advice for other aspiring or current KT Fellows.

What are the key accomplishments and outcomes from your award?

First off, I’m so grateful to the PSI Foundation, reviewers and staff for this award. It allowed me the protected time to complete several foundational steps in my research program, focused on targeted child mental health prevention and family-centered care. These include publishing the results of our randomized controlled trial of the “Family Check-Up®” (FCU) in 204 families of young children at high risk of mental health challenges by virtue of early-onset emotional dysregulation and/or several psychosocial risk factors. This was the first trial of this brief, evidence-based, targeted child mental health prevention program in Canada. We demonstrated significant reductions in child emotional and behaviour problems 12 months after baseline. We have also adapted the program for delivery within an Ontario Autism Service setting and successfully completed a hybrid implementation-effectiveness randomized controlled trial including 82 families of Autistic children and youth, with analyses underway.

This award also enabled me to develop key partnerships with community agencies, school boards, child protection services and shelters – from which we were able to recruit underserved families. We have since build on this work by developing a sustainable team of research and clinical Family Check-Up® coaches and embedded the program during a pilot study within early childcare settings in high-needs Hamilton neighbourhoods (https://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/share/family-check-up-partners-with-local-day-care/). Next steps include integrating the  FCU within a larger-scale system of universal and targeted prevention, including supportive and sustainable methods of identifying families who may benefit the most.

I have also been fortunate to benefit from the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Shaw, one of the world’s leading experts in long-term outcomes (>20 years) of targeted early childhood prevention programs and a co-developer of the FCU. Our team represents Canada on the International FCU Governing Council, together with the U.S., Netherlands and Sweden and we successfully hosted the biennial international retreat last year with over 100 delegates visiting McMaster University and Hamilton. Our next step is to create a Canadian Centre for training and innovation in child mental health prevention, building on these experiences.

What are some lessons learned during the KT Fellowship?

I learned that knowledge translation takes time! In my line of work, translating findings from observational and clinical trials research into sustainable psychosocial programs requires building a lot of trust with communities, agencies and families. Partners sometimes feel like they have given to research endeavours without receiving a lot in return, so taking the time to hear about their needs, integrate their expertise and collaboratively build programs and systems is essential. The time taken is not always recognized by the usual productivity, or promotion and tenure, metrics, but it is meaningful, impactful and highly rewarding.

What was the most memorable moment(s) of this KT Fellowship?

This has been a deeply enriching few years, with many memorable moments.

These include – wrapping up our last of over 600 assessment visits in the community as part of our first randomized controlled trial, waiting with bated breath for our (blinded) analyst to reveal the study results, meeting our inspiring family advisory members who have shared so willingly their expertise. We were fortunate to learn from our generous colleagues at De Dwa Da Dehs Nye Aboriginal Health Centre about family-centered care through an Indigenous Lens. We have been inspired by the many people and agencies in our community who are committed to levelling the playing field for children and families who experience inequity. Finally, our team of clinicians, researchers and students have celebrated and supported each other as clinicians have become credentialed as certified Family Check-Up coaches, students have graduated, postdoctoral fellows have found faculty positions, and young adults have gotten married and started families of their own. It truly has been an experience of healthcare, innovation and knowledge translation through “fellowship” with others.

What are some general tips and advice you would give to those who are currently completing their KT Fellowship?

I found crafting the initial proposal to be such a helpful exercise in refining and communicating my vision for the change I wished to see through my research program, so having it ready to review was motivating and focusing.

At the same time, knowledge translation should involve “exchange” – so being open to learning from others and taking an iterative approach to knowledge translation is key.

Many activities and benchmarks related to knowledge translation – e.g., uptake of programs, training agencies, developing new clinical models – are not always recognized by traditional metrics of productivity within Academia, so try to find champions in your hospitals and communities who are willing to speak to the real-world impact of your work.

Finding a guiding implementation or knowledge translation framework to guide you – this helps organize a research program and set measurable benchmarks.

Don’t underestimate the value of “hallway chats” about what is NOT working in healthcare, what gets front-line clinicians and patients frustrated, what do they think we need? These were the inspiration for my research program, and these are often great litmus tests for your ideas about change.

Healthcare research and front-line work feel very challenging and under-resourced these days – find ways to build in celebration and support with your clinical and research colleagues. This work is hard, and clinician scientists are often pulled in many directions, so practise self-compassion.