Research - Our Team
Brandy Winquist, Executive Director, Academics and Learning: Dr. Brandy Winquist is the Executive Director, Academics and Learning in the Saskatchewan Health Authority. As a member of the senior leadership team, she provides oversight for the Research, Ethics, and Academic Health Sciences departments. Brandy obtained her PhD in Community and Population Health Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, after completing a strategic training fellowship in a CIHR-funded Community and Population Health Research training program.
Dr. Winquist is an adjunct professor in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan and her research interests span the areas of perinatal epidemiology, health services and population health. She is a co-principal investigator for the Canadian Mother Child Cohort initiative and studies trends in medication use and safety during pregnancy. Most recently, she received funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to develop a longitudinal pregnancy cohort in Saskatchewan using administrative and clinical data. The cohort is part of a national infrastructure to enhance surveillance of perinatal risk factors and outcomes. Brandy serves on various provincial and national research committees, including the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Board, HealthCareCan VP Research Committee, Health Research Data Network, and the SCPOR Learning Health System Council.
Dr. Elan Paluck, Director of Research
Elan Paluck, BSP, MSc., Ph.D. is the Director of Research for the Saskatchewan Health Authority. She began her career in research more than 23 years ago at the University of British Columbia (UBC) as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and an Adjunct to the UBC Institute of Health Promotion Research. Since returning home to Saskatchewan, she has been instrumental in leading and supporting research initiatives that make meaningful differences to patients, staff and the health care system. As the Director of Research, she helps broker valuable partnerships between the health authority and faculty at the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan wishing to engage in clinical, health services, health policy, evaluation, and/or implementation research
Sandy Kassir, Research Manager: Master of Science in Biochemistry with neuroscience focus, University of Regina; Master of Public Health with focus in epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Toronto. She joined the SHA Research Department in December 2019. Specialties include supporting research administration including national and provincial funding and development of new research-related policies and strategic initiatives. As the Research Manager, she helps ensure the provision of a high-quality, client-centered, research administrative services that will support the conduct of quality research to advance patient care, population health, and health care teams. She also ensures that effective and efficient research review processes are in place, and that there is broad organizational awareness of research supports available within the SHA.
Research Administration Team
The Research Administration team is a group of professionals with expertise regarding the policies, procedures and guidelines that must be followed through all phases of a research project. The Research Administration team works with researchers to facilitate the research ethics, operational approval, grant review and contract review/negotiation processes for research projects involving the SHA.
Brenda Anton-Tempel, Operational Approval Associate
Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Regina. Brenda joined the SHA Research team May 2019.
Sharleen Maley, BSc, PGD, CCRP, ACRP-CP, Research Approval Coordinator: Responsible for coordinating the Department Impact Assessments and Operational Approval Process. She began her career in clinical research more than 19 years ago at the University of Saskatchewan, working as a Clinical Research Associate for the Saskatchewan Drug Research Institute. She eventually went on to work as a Clinical Research Professional and Research Program Manager with the Clinical Trial Support Unit and with the Saskatchewan Cerebrovascular Centre. She is an ACRP-CP Exam Committee member, helping to craft the international certifying examinations for those with careers in clinical research, and lends her clinical research and regulatory expertise to Saskatchewan researchers needing support.
Casey McMahon, Contracts and Funding Specialist: Master of Science in Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan; Bachelor of Kinesiology, Brock University. Casey joined the SHA Research team in June 2021.
Mohamad Bayram, Contracts and Funding Specialist: Master of Business Administration in Project Management, Cardiff Metropolitan University; Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, Hariri Canadian University. Mohamad joined the SHA Research Department in July 2024.
Oluwadamilola (Dami) Odeleye, Research Ethics Associate: Master of Science in Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan; Bachelor of Education in Human Kinetics and Health Education, University of Ibadan. Oluwadamilola joined the SHA Research team June 2022.
Nick Reymond, Research Ethics Senior Specialist: PhD in Classics, University of Otago. After working in research ethics for ten years at the University of Auckland and the University of Saskatchewan, Nick joined the SHA Research Ethics Office in May 2024.
College of Medicine (Regina Campus) Clinical Research Team
The Regina Campus Clinical Research Team supports research projects being conducted by geographically based medical learners, residents and physicians. The team assists with all phases of the research process in order to find new and better ways to detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent disease and ultimately, improve patient care.
Sanjida Newaz, Research Specialist: Master of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada; Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Research specialties include refugee and migrant health, health policy and planning, qualitative research, and mixed methods research.
Karolina Gryzb, Research Specialist: Master of Science in Health Studies, University of Regina; Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, Faculdades Pequeno Principe, Brazil. Karol joined the SHA Research Team in March 2021, supporting the Clinician Research Support Program. In this capacity, she provides valuable support to early career Clinician Researchers to shape and enhance their research portfolio by achieving early successes and help them build a record of accomplishments that can strengthen their future funding applications to provincial, national, and international opportunities
Kirat Shukla, Research Specialist: Kirat holds a Doctorate in Biomechanics and Sensorimotor Neuroscience from the University of Saskatchewan, along with a Master's degree in Neuromuscular Physiology from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. His areas of interest include quantitative research, rehabilitation, community-based research methods, patient-oriented research, community engagement, biostatistics, knowledge translation, and research ethics. Kirat joined the SHA Research Department in September 2022.
Jyotpal (Joe) Singh, Research Specialist: Jyotpal joined the SHA research department as a research scientist in August 2023. His research interests include pathophysiology of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurological diseases, rehabilitation, acute care, and clinical trial methodology. Jyotpal is also a passionate teacher about research and works closely with acute care and frontline personnel, physicians, medical students, and other healthcare providers.
Sabiha Sultana, Research Specialist: Master of Science in Health Studies, University of Regina; Master of Public Health, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh; Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Sabiha joined the SHA Research Team in April 2024. Her research specialties include cardiovascular diseases, pediatrics, mixed methods, and patient-oriented research.
Health Services/Strategic Priorities
The Health Services and Strategic Priorities (HSSP) research team investigates how social, personal, and organizational factors affect healthcare access, utilization, and service delivery, and ultimately, health outcomes. Health services research can provide data and tools to support evidence-informed decision making and policy development, helping to ensure that the people of Saskatchewan have access to high quality, affordable, effective, and equitable patient-centered health care.
Michelle McCarron, Research Scientist: Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental and Applied Psychology, University of Regina; Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, University of Regina; Bachelor of Arts (High Honors) in Psychology, University of Regina. Research specialties include qualitative research, program evaluation, and research ethics, with research interest in areas of mental health (e.g., post-traumatic stress injuries among Public Safety Personnel, moral injury in frontline healthcare workers), online training/education, and ethics.
Mamata Pandey, Research Scientist: Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental and Applied Psychology, University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; Master of Arts in Experimental and Applied Psychology, University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India; Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India. Research specialties include mixed methods research, art based methods, community participatory research methods, patient-oriented research, Indigenous research methodologies, program evaluation, community engagement, knowledge translation and multi-disciplinary and sectoral research designs.
Daniel Adeyinka, Research Specialist: Doctor of Philosophy in Community and Population Health Science, University of Saskatchewan, Canada; Master of Public Health, Cardiff University, United Kingdom; Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Daniel joined the SHA Research team September 2022. Research specialties include quantitative research, interdisciplinary research, health equity, maternal and child health, infectious diseases, healthcare strengthening, mental health, and quality improvement.
Alicia Husband, Research Specialist: Specialty in Knowledge Translation; Master of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan; Bachelor of Health Studies, University of Regina. Alicia joined the SHA in the fall of 2022. Alicia has worked in Research for the past 10 years. As a Research Specialist with a specialty in Knowledge Translation, Alicia supports knowledge creation, translation and dissemination of Patient-Oriented Learning Health Systems Projects in the SHA.
Deanna Bickford, Evaluation Specialist: Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, University of Saskatchewan. Deanna has been a registered nurse for over 25 years working in acute and community care, education, and research. Her areas of interest and specialty are qualitative research, visual methods, community based participatory research, Indigenous research methodologies, health equity, and wise practices.
Joshua Shitta, Research Specialist: Master of Science in Community and Population Health Science and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management and Toxicology from the University of Saskatchewan. Joshua joined the SHA Research Department in October 2023. Research specialties include qualitative research, environmental health, and indoor air quality. Joshua works with the SHA to support Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) projects.
Adelaide Amah, Research Specialist: Master of Science in Health Sciences, University of Saskatchewan; Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan. Adelaide joined the SHA Research team in September 2022. Research specialties include quantitative research, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders with an emphasis on stroke. Adelaide works with SHA to support Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) projects.
Donna Dumitrescu, Research Specialist: Master of Science in Clinical Psychology (in progress), University of Regina; Bachelor of Arts (Honours) In Psychology, University of Regina. Donna joined the SHA Research Team in April 2024. Her research specialties include qualitative research, patient-oriented research, resilience and coping, and the social determinants of aging and ageism among middle-aged adults. Through her work with the SHA, Donna provides support for learning health systems projects with the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) projects.
Health Data Access and Statistical Analysis
The Health Data Access and Statistical Analysis group is a multidisciplinary team that combines statistics, economics, mathematics, and technology to conduct healthcare data analytics (statistical analysis plans, survey designs, descriptive analyses, and data modeling). They gather and integrate data from various sources to unearth insights regarding health care access and utilization, health outcomes, cost and effectiveness of programs and services. Their work enables decision makers to develop evidence-informed strategies that align with the SHA’s strategic goals.
Charles Plante, Research Scientist: Doctor of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Master of Arts, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Bachelor of Arts, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. Charles joined the SHA Research team in 2021. Research specialties include Population Health, Social Epidemiology, and Health Systems, Policy, and Economics. Charles is a sociologist.
Francis Abayateye, Research Specialist: Master of Science in Agricultural Economics and Master of Science in Community and Population Health Sciences. Francis joined the SHA Research Team in September 2022, supporting the Health Research Data Platform - Saskatchewan (HRDP-SK). In this capacity, he provides valuable support to researchers accessing the platform, assisting them in navigating the intricacies of health data research and ensuring compliance with data governance and privacy regulations. Francis serves as the site representative for Saskatchewan within HDRN Canada, showcasing his leadership and commitment to advancing health data research at the provincial level. He also provides expertise and guidance to researchers interested in accessing multi-provincial data through the Data Access Support Hub (DASH), which includes the datasets held by HRDP-SK.
Bong Soo Kim, Research Analyst: Master of Arts in Economics, University of Saskatchewan. Bong Soo joined the SHA Research team in 2022. Research specialties include quantitative research and policy research.
Anousheh Marouzi, Research Specialist: Master of Science in Community and Population Health Sciences, University of Saskatchewan; Doctor of Pharmacy, Mashad University of Medical Sciences. Anousheh joined the SHA research team in 2022. Research specialties include quantitative research, social epidemiology, and health equity.