The Knowledge Translation Unit (KTU) of the ODPRN focuses on the dissemination of the ODPRN’s activities to various stakeholders including policy-makers, researchers, health care providers, clinicians, patients, and the public, with the goal of making research findings more accessible. The KTU also evaluates the impact of the ODPRN, undertakes media relations, capacity building, and develops knowledge translation strategies for targeted projects.
The KTU is comprised of experts in knowledge translation, health communication, design and qualitative methods.
KTU Members
Sharon Straus – Knowledge Translation Lead
Dr. Straus is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Translation and Quality of care and more than $20 million in peer reviewed research grants as a principal investigator. She has >300 publications, and has supervised >20 graduate students from different disciplines including clinical epidemiology, health informatics and human factors engineering. She is co-PI of KT Canada, a CIHR and CFI funded national, Clinical Research Initiative, PI of KT Canada’s CIHR-funded Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research and PI of a network meta-analysis team grant for the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network. She is Division Director of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Toronto and Director of the KT Program at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s. In 2011, she was awarded the Complete Physician Award and the Mentorship Award from the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto.
Dana Shearer – Knowledge Translation Broker
Dana holds a Master of Arts in Health and Aging from McMaster University as well as an undergraduate Honours Bachelor of Arts in Comprehensive Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University. As Knowledge Broker for the ODPRN, Dana implements various dissemination strategies to increase awareness of ODPRN research; develops knowledge translation material and communication tools that summarize research findings; and builds stakeholder and patient engagement including managing the ODPRN Citizens’ Panel.