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Our Team
Denise Campbell-Scherer, MD PhD CCFP FCFP
ASSOCIATE DEAN, LIFELONG LEARNING AND PHYSICIAN LEARNING PROGRAM
Dr. Denise Campbell-Scherer is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, and the Associate Dean of the Office of Lifelong Learning and Physician Learning Program at the University of Alberta. She is Co-Lead of the Physician Learning Program, and Co-Chair of the CPD Provincial Network. She completed Medical School at the University of Toronto in 2000 and her residency in family medicine at McMaster University. She has worked in rural Northern Canada, the University of Michigan, and the University of Alberta as a family physician, with extensive experience in residency education. With a background in evidence-based clinical practice, she has been active internationally in education of multidisciplinary learners and is a past Associate Editor of BMJ, Evidence-Based Medicine (http://ebm.bmj.com). Dr. Campbell-Scherer’s research focuses on innovations to transform clinical practice which result in change of benefit to patients, providers and the healthcare system. She heads an interdisciplinary research group, the Illuminate Lab, as well as the 5As Team Program, which aims to improve the primary care of patients living with obesity. In addition, she has been an active co-lead and co-investigator on several large national and provincial research grants including BETTER, BETTER2, and BETTERWISE projects (www.better-program.ca) that are seeking to transform primary prevention and screening of multiple conditions in diverse regions of Canada.
Dr. Denise Campbell-Scherer is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, and the Associate Dean of the Office of Lifelong Learning and Physician Learning Program at the University of Alberta. She is Co-Lead of the Physician Learning Program, and Co-Chair of the CPD Provincial Network. She completed Medical School at the University of Toronto in 2000 and her residency in family medicine at McMaster University. She has worked in rural Northern Canada, the University of Michigan, and the University of Alberta as a family physician, with extensive experience in residency education. With a background in evidence-based clinical practice, she has been active internationally in education of multidisciplinary learners and is a past Associate Editor of BMJ, Evidence-Based Medicine (http://ebm.bmj.com). Dr. Campbell-Scherer’s research focuses on innovations to transform clinical practice which result in change of benefit to patients, providers and the healthcare system. She heads an interdisciplinary research group, the Illuminate Lab, as well as the 5As Team Program, which aims to improve the primary care of patients living with obesity. In addition, she has been an active co-lead and co-investigator on several large national and provincial research grants including BETTER, BETTER2, and BETTERWISE projects (www.better-program.ca) that are seeking to transform primary prevention and screening of multiple conditions in diverse regions of Canada.
Thomas Raedler, MD
ASSOCIATE DEAN, CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & PHYSICIAN LEARNING PROGRAM
Kelly W. Burak, MD, FRCPC, MSc(Epid)
ASSISTANT DEAN, CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & PHYSICIAN LEARNING PROGRAM
Dr. Kelly Burak received his BSc (Biology), MD and Internal Medicine training at the University of Saskatchewan before completing training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Calgary and a fellowship in Liver Transplantation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In 2005, Dr. Burak was awarded his MSc in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary, and in 2012 he obtained a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.
Dr. Burak is a Professor in the Cumming School of Medicine and is cross-appointed in the Departments of Medicine and Oncology and the Divisions of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Transplant Medicine, where he serves as the Scientific Director of the new Transplant Wellness program. Dr. Burak has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, which include several clinical practice guidelines. He has a passion for Medical Education and has won a number of awards, including the 2020 Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver Education Award and the 2021 Medical Council of Canada Outstanding Achievement Award for an Assessment of Clinical Competence (received with Dr. Lara Cooke and the PLP team).
Dr. Burak served as the Associate Dean of Continuing Medical Education & Professional Development and the Co-Lead of the Physician Learning Program at the University of Calgary from 2017-2021 and rejoined the PLP team in Calgary in January 2023 as the Assistant Dean.
Dr. Kelly Burak received his BSc (Biology), MD and Internal Medicine training at the University of Saskatchewan before completing training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Calgary and a fellowship in Liver Transplantation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In 2005, Dr. Burak was awarded his MSc in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary, and in 2012 he obtained a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.
Dr. Burak is a Professor in the Cumming School of Medicine and is cross-appointed in the Departments of Medicine and Oncology and the Divisions of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Transplant Medicine, where he serves as the Scientific Director of the new Transplant Wellness program. Dr. Burak has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, which include several clinical practice guidelines. He has a passion for Medical Education and has won a number of awards, including the 2020 Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver Education Award and the 2021 Medical Council of Canada Outstanding Achievement Award for an Assessment of Clinical Competence (received with Dr. Lara Cooke and the PLP team).
Dr. Burak served as the Associate Dean of Continuing Medical Education & Professional Development and the Co-Lead of the Physician Learning Program at the University of Calgary from 2017-2021 and rejoined the PLP team in Calgary in January 2023 as the Assistant Dean.
Karen Hunter, MBA PhD
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Dr. Karen Hunter joined the PLP as the Managing Director of the Edmonton office in July 2018. She first worked as a financial analyst and senior business analyst in industry, was a management professor, and moved over to academic administration in 2015. Since then, she has served as an Assistant Chair (Administration) and as an Operations Director at a UofA medical research institute. She holds undergraduate degrees in behavioural neuroscience and finance. She completed her graduate work at the University of Alberta, including an MBA (2003), and a PhD (2011) in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management.
780-492-8958 | karen.hunter@ualberta.ca
Dr. Karen Hunter joined the PLP as the Managing Director of the Edmonton office in July 2018. She first worked as a financial analyst and senior business analyst in industry, was a management professor, and moved over to academic administration in 2015. Since then, she has served as an Assistant Chair (Administration) and as an Operations Director at a UofA medical research institute. She holds undergraduate degrees in behavioural neuroscience and finance. She completed her graduate work at the University of Alberta, including an MBA (2003), and a PhD (2011) in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management.
780-492-8958 | karen.hunter@ualberta.ca
Joe MacGillivray, BA MSc
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Joe oversees daily operations in the Calgary PLP office while providing expertise and guidance towards PLP’s strategic and business plan objectives. Prior to joining the PLP in July 2018, Joe held various executive positions in primary care, acute care and cancer care. Joe holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from St. Francis Xavier University and a Master of Science in Health Administration from Central Michigan University.
Joe oversees daily operations in the Calgary PLP office while providing expertise and guidance towards PLP’s strategic and business plan objectives. Prior to joining the PLP in July 2018, Joe held various executive positions in primary care, acute care and cancer care. Joe holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from St. Francis Xavier University and a Master of Science in Health Administration from Central Michigan University.
Douglas Woodhouse, MD BScEng CCFP
MANAGING MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Douglas Woodhouse is a Medical Director of the Physician Learning Program. Dr. Woodhouse is physician-engineer with an interest in clinical process improvement. He has expertise in Lean, Theory of Constraints, Statistical Process Control and Change Management and has worked with over 100 healthcare teams throughout Europe and North America to improve care delivery. Dr. Woodhouse has degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Medicine from Queen's University, trained as a Family Physician at the University of Alberta, and holds academic appointments at the University of Calgary and at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He currently works as a hospitalist physician in Calgary.
Dr. Douglas Woodhouse is a Medical Director of the Physician Learning Program. Dr. Woodhouse is physician-engineer with an interest in clinical process improvement. He has expertise in Lean, Theory of Constraints, Statistical Process Control and Change Management and has worked with over 100 healthcare teams throughout Europe and North America to improve care delivery. Dr. Woodhouse has degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Medicine from Queen's University, trained as a Family Physician at the University of Alberta, and holds academic appointments at the University of Calgary and at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He currently works as a hospitalist physician in Calgary.
Lee A. Green, MD, MPH
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Lee Green is a practicing family physician and health services researcher at the University of Alberta, where he is Professor and immediate past Chair of the Department of Family Medicine. He is also Professor Emeritus on active status at the University of Michigan, where he is appointed to the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Dr Green’s primary research interest is transformational change in primary care. He has pioneered the adaptation of cognitive science and systems engineering tools such as Cognitive Task Analysis to the study of primary care delivery, teamwork, and the Medical Home model. Related interests are the cognitive and human factors issues in use of information technology in practice, the transformation to systems-based primary care, practice guidelines development and implementation, chronic disease management, and the issues of conducting research in real-world practice settings (practice-based research networks).
Dr. Lee Green is a practicing family physician and health services researcher at the University of Alberta, where he is Professor and immediate past Chair of the Department of Family Medicine. He is also Professor Emeritus on active status at the University of Michigan, where he is appointed to the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Dr Green’s primary research interest is transformational change in primary care. He has pioneered the adaptation of cognitive science and systems engineering tools such as Cognitive Task Analysis to the study of primary care delivery, teamwork, and the Medical Home model. Related interests are the cognitive and human factors issues in use of information technology in practice, the transformation to systems-based primary care, practice guidelines development and implementation, chronic disease management, and the issues of conducting research in real-world practice settings (practice-based research networks).
Donna Manca, MD CCFP FCFP MCISc
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Donna Patricia Manca is Associate Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Family Medicine. Her research interests include primary care, privacy, ethics, research networks, cancer and chronic disease prevention, screening, and management. Dr. Manca was the Co-Principal Investigator of the BETTER trial (Building on Existing Tools to Improve Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening in Primary Care) and Principal Investigator of the BETTER Program and the BETTER WISE project. This role included: overseeing and coordinating the entire project; clinical engagement; conduct of research and evaluation; blending of clinical practice guidelines to develop care pathways, translation and dissemination of findings to various groups; and finally implementation of meaningful findings into practice. Dr. Manca became acutely aware that family physicians need to seek answers to their questions to improve their practice; however they are isolated in their practices. Family physicians lack good sources of information and lack the infrastructure to engage in practice improvement and research. She saw research networks as a method to improve knowledge exchange between policy, research and practice. She is the Director of the Northern Alberta Primary Care Research Network (NAPCReN), a network contributing data to the Canadian Primary Care Research Network (CPCSSN). NAPCReN extracts information from Electronic Medical Records, cleans and structures the information for the purpose of quality improvement, surveillance and research. Participating physicians receive individualized chronic disease feedback reports on the quality of their care as compared to their peers. Dr. Manca received the 2011 Alberta College of Family Physicians Recognition of Excellence Award for commitment to furthering primary care, community practice-based research, and she contributed to the implementation of privacy and information security system for the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network which obtained the international association of privacy professionals 2013 privacy innovation award.
Dr. Donna Patricia Manca is Associate Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Family Medicine. Her research interests include primary care, privacy, ethics, research networks, cancer and chronic disease prevention, screening, and management. Dr. Manca was the Co-Principal Investigator of the BETTER trial (Building on Existing Tools to Improve Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening in Primary Care) and Principal Investigator of the BETTER Program and the BETTER WISE project. This role included: overseeing and coordinating the entire project; clinical engagement; conduct of research and evaluation; blending of clinical practice guidelines to develop care pathways, translation and dissemination of findings to various groups; and finally implementation of meaningful findings into practice. Dr. Manca became acutely aware that family physicians need to seek answers to their questions to improve their practice; however they are isolated in their practices. Family physicians lack good sources of information and lack the infrastructure to engage in practice improvement and research. She saw research networks as a method to improve knowledge exchange between policy, research and practice. She is the Director of the Northern Alberta Primary Care Research Network (NAPCReN), a network contributing data to the Canadian Primary Care Research Network (CPCSSN). NAPCReN extracts information from Electronic Medical Records, cleans and structures the information for the purpose of quality improvement, surveillance and research. Participating physicians receive individualized chronic disease feedback reports on the quality of their care as compared to their peers. Dr. Manca received the 2011 Alberta College of Family Physicians Recognition of Excellence Award for commitment to furthering primary care, community practice-based research, and she contributed to the implementation of privacy and information security system for the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network which obtained the international association of privacy professionals 2013 privacy innovation award.
Katrina Nicholson, MD ChB CCFP
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Selena Au
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Sonia Butalia, MD, FRCPC, MSc
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Sonia Butalia is a Clinician-Scientist in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. Her research interests are in innovative tools and strategies to improve diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors in the community. She is the recipient of awards from Diabetes Canada (2018), Hypertension Canada (2020, team award), the Department of Medicine (2021), the Libin Cardiovascular Institute (2021) and is the recipient of the Diabetes Canada/CIHR Young Scientist Award (2022). Her award-winning program of work importantly engages and is informed by people (i.e., patient partners), health care providers and decision makers.
She is a co-author of several national guidelines in diabetes and high blood pressure (i.e., hypertension) and has contributed to several textbooks. She also teaches at the University of Calgary’s medical school, supervises graduate and medical trainees, and was awarded a Gold Star Resident Teaching Award for her contributions.
Dr. Sonia Butalia is a Clinician-Scientist in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. Her research interests are in innovative tools and strategies to improve diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors in the community. She is the recipient of awards from Diabetes Canada (2018), Hypertension Canada (2020, team award), the Department of Medicine (2021), the Libin Cardiovascular Institute (2021) and is the recipient of the Diabetes Canada/CIHR Young Scientist Award (2022). Her award-winning program of work importantly engages and is informed by people (i.e., patient partners), health care providers and decision makers.
She is a co-author of several national guidelines in diabetes and high blood pressure (i.e., hypertension) and has contributed to several textbooks. She also teaches at the University of Calgary’s medical school, supervises graduate and medical trainees, and was awarded a Gold Star Resident Teaching Award for her contributions.
Oliver David, MD
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. David is a family physician working in Southeast Calgary. Previously, he was the medical director of the Mosaic Primary Care Network and primary care speciality integration lead for Calgary Zone Primary Care Networks. He also holds an advisory role with the Health Quality Council of Alberta on their panel reports and steering committee. In addition, he is the primary care lead with the Alberta Surgical Initiative for orthopedics in the Calgary Zone.
Dr. David has an active clinical practice and is a champion for the patient-centred medical home and team-based care. He’s passionate about quality improvement and resource optimization.
Dr. David is a family physician working in Southeast Calgary. Previously, he was the medical director of the Mosaic Primary Care Network and primary care speciality integration lead for Calgary Zone Primary Care Networks. He also holds an advisory role with the Health Quality Council of Alberta on their panel reports and steering committee. In addition, he is the primary care lead with the Alberta Surgical Initiative for orthopedics in the Calgary Zone.
Dr. David has an active clinical practice and is a champion for the patient-centred medical home and team-based care. He’s passionate about quality improvement and resource optimization.
Rose Yeung, MD FRCPC MPH
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Rose Yeung is a clinical endocrinologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, Canada. Her research interests include diabetes, quality improvement in healthcare, and implementation science.
Dr. Yeung is a member of the Alliance for Canadian Health Outcomes Research in Diabetes, and is collaborating with Dr. Padma Kaul to examine the effects of ethnicity on gestational diabetes, which was recognized by the American Diabetes Association with the Vivian Fonseca Scholar Award in 2015. She has led the co-creation of an educational website diabetes-pregnancy.ca , involving women affected by diabetes in pregnancy as well as front line health care providers. She is working on co-creating improved care in endocrine and diabetes care with patients and other healthcare providers, and supporting other quality improvement and implementation science projects as the Medical Director for the Office of Lifelong Learning at the University of Alberta.
Dr. Yeung is passionate about patient education and empowerment, co-founding the Edmonton Zone Diabetes Resources Review Committee. She values broad community engagement, and is the 2018-2019 Chair for the Edmonton Area Professional Section of Diabetes Canada, and is a Core Committee Member of the Alberta Diabetes, Obesity, and Nutrition Strategic Clinical Network. She is also a board member of the Type 1 Diabetes Think Tank Network, a consortium that brings together patients and health care providers to break down communication barriers and inform more humanistic practice.
Dr. Rose Yeung is a clinical endocrinologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, Canada. Her research interests include diabetes, quality improvement in healthcare, and implementation science.
Dr. Yeung is a member of the Alliance for Canadian Health Outcomes Research in Diabetes, and is collaborating with Dr. Padma Kaul to examine the effects of ethnicity on gestational diabetes, which was recognized by the American Diabetes Association with the Vivian Fonseca Scholar Award in 2015. She has led the co-creation of an educational website diabetes-pregnancy.ca , involving women affected by diabetes in pregnancy as well as front line health care providers. She is working on co-creating improved care in endocrine and diabetes care with patients and other healthcare providers, and supporting other quality improvement and implementation science projects as the Medical Director for the Office of Lifelong Learning at the University of Alberta.
Dr. Yeung is passionate about patient education and empowerment, co-founding the Edmonton Zone Diabetes Resources Review Committee. She values broad community engagement, and is the 2018-2019 Chair for the Edmonton Area Professional Section of Diabetes Canada, and is a Core Committee Member of the Alberta Diabetes, Obesity, and Nutrition Strategic Clinical Network. She is also a board member of the Type 1 Diabetes Think Tank Network, a consortium that brings together patients and health care providers to break down communication barriers and inform more humanistic practice.
Nonsikelelo Mathe, Ph.D
SENIOR PROJECT OFFICER
Maria-Alexandra Restrepo, MSc
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Maria has over 10 years of experience in project management and strategic planning in the Oil and Gas industry in Colombia. She studied Economics and holds a Postgraduate diploma in Environmental Engineering and a Masters in Environmental Management from Colombia. She is passionate for project management, planning, quality improvement processes and defining strategies to support high-risk decisions. Maria supports the team in reaching effectiveness in the entire life-cycle of PLP projects.
Maria has over 10 years of experience in project management and strategic planning in the Oil and Gas industry in Colombia. She studied Economics and holds a Postgraduate diploma in Environmental Engineering and a Masters in Environmental Management from Colombia. She is passionate for project management, planning, quality improvement processes and defining strategies to support high-risk decisions. Maria supports the team in reaching effectiveness in the entire life-cycle of PLP projects.
Katelynn Crick, BSc
PROJECT MANAGER
Katelynn joined the PLP Edmonton office in February 2019 as a Project Coordinator. She has a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Alberta, graduate-level training in epidemiological methods, and a certification in project management. Before coming to the PLP, Katelynn worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Alberta. She enjoys working with clinical teams and learning about the spaces in which they work. In her free time, Katelynn enjoys being in nature and can often be found roaming the backcountry of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Katelynn joined the PLP Edmonton office in February 2019 as a Project Coordinator. She has a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Alberta, graduate-level training in epidemiological methods, and a certification in project management. Before coming to the PLP, Katelynn worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Alberta. She enjoys working with clinical teams and learning about the spaces in which they work. In her free time, Katelynn enjoys being in nature and can often be found roaming the backcountry of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Taylor McGuckin, BA MSc
PROJECT MANAGER
Taylor McGuckin joined PLP in March of 2019 as a Project Coordinator in the Edmonton office. She holds a Master of Science from the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. Here she conducted research on cannabis use among individual in inpatient psychiatric care. She also holds a BAH in Health Studies from Queen's University. Taylor is passionate about population health and improving health care quality and healthcare outcomes across Canada.
Taylor McGuckin joined PLP in March of 2019 as a Project Coordinator in the Edmonton office. She holds a Master of Science from the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. Here she conducted research on cannabis use among individual in inpatient psychiatric care. She also holds a BAH in Health Studies from Queen's University. Taylor is passionate about population health and improving health care quality and healthcare outcomes across Canada.
Diane Duncan, BSc Pharm, PMP, MEd (c)
PROJECT MANAGER
Sampson Law, MSc
PROJECT MANAGER
Sampson first joined the PLP in 2016 and is currently a Health Care Professional Project Manager. He oversees provincial projects in the areas of critical care medicine, hepatology, and gastroenterology. He has knowledge and expertise in the field of knowledge translation, healthcare quality improvement, and in using physician practice data to inform opportunities for improvement and education. Prior to joining the PLP, Sampson obtained an MSc from the University of Alberta. He's held roles producing research technologies for biomedical research and medical therapeutics and has established and managed a high-level biosafety containment research facility.
Sampson first joined the PLP in 2016 and is currently a Health Care Professional Project Manager. He oversees provincial projects in the areas of critical care medicine, hepatology, and gastroenterology. He has knowledge and expertise in the field of knowledge translation, healthcare quality improvement, and in using physician practice data to inform opportunities for improvement and education. Prior to joining the PLP, Sampson obtained an MSc from the University of Alberta. He's held roles producing research technologies for biomedical research and medical therapeutics and has established and managed a high-level biosafety containment research facility.
Brenna Murray, BA MPH, PMP
PROJECT MANAGER
Brenna Murray joined PLP in July of 2017 as a Project Manager. Prior to joining PLP, she worked for five years with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health leading projects to enhance patient safety and quality improvement in the health system and in the public service. She holds a Master of Public Health from Simon Fraser University and certification in process improvement. Brenna is passionate about working with clinicians to deliver high-quality, effective care to patients in our health system.
Brenna Murray joined PLP in July of 2017 as a Project Manager. Prior to joining PLP, she worked for five years with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health leading projects to enhance patient safety and quality improvement in the health system and in the public service. She holds a Master of Public Health from Simon Fraser University and certification in process improvement. Brenna is passionate about working with clinicians to deliver high-quality, effective care to patients in our health system.
Aaron Peterson, BSc
PROJECT MANAGER
Aaron joined the PLP in October of 2017 as a Project Manager. He comes from a background in mental health research. He previously worked at the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education as a Clinical Research Coordinator on studies focused on schizophrenia and depression. Aaron holds a BSc. in Zoology from the University of Calgary and certification in conducting patient oriented clinical trials.
Aaron joined the PLP in October of 2017 as a Project Manager. He comes from a background in mental health research. He previously worked at the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education as a Clinical Research Coordinator on studies focused on schizophrenia and depression. Aaron holds a BSc. in Zoology from the University of Calgary and certification in conducting patient oriented clinical trials.
Nathan Solbak, MSc
PROJECT MANAGER
Sarah Seymour, BScHK BScN RN
PROJECT MANAGER
Bryce Hardy, BSc
PROJECT MANAGER
Johanna Blaak, MSc
HUMAN-CENTRED DESIGN LEAD
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