SAPCReN

Dr. Stephanie Garies

A Co-Director of SAPCReN-CPCSSN and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary. Her research interests centres around primary care electronic medical record (EMR) data, including data quality, disease classification, and improving the capture of social determinants of health information. She received her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Calgary (2020) and her MPH (Public Health) at the University of Warwick in the U.K. (2010).

Dr. Kerry McBrien

One of the Co-Directors of SAPCReN-CPCSSN and Director of Research for the Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, and an Associate Professor. As a clinician-researcher with an active practice in family medicine, her research focuses on health services and economics, with a specific interest in models of care that can improve the quality and efficiency of chronic disease management.

Boglarka (Larka) Soos

Our regional Data Manager. She has a background in Applied Math (BSc Honors, UofC; Math, uWaterloo) and is a current biostatistics PhD Student in the Department of Community Health Science, University of Calgary. Her research interests include secondary data analysis, machine learning, and heart failure.

Aimie Lee

A Research Assistant with SAPCReN-CPCSSN. Aimie received her Bachelor of Health Sciences (Health & Society) from the University of Calgary and also works as a Registered Nurse. She has previous work experience in a variety of healthcare settings at the University of Calgary, Alberta Health Services, and various private clinics. Aimie’s research interests lie at the intersection of public health, health services, and knowledge translation/implementation science.

Jonathan Gerber

A Research Assistant with SAPCReN-CPCSSN. Jonathan received his Bachelor of Science (Neuroscience) from the University of Lethbridge. He has research experience in cardiac arrhythmia and is currently a Research Assistant on the CanTreatCOVID clinical trial and the Family Medicine Professional Choices (FMProC) project. Jonathan’s research interests include treatments for acute COVID, methods for improving physician training in Canada, and behavioral neuroscience.

Himasara Marasinghe

A Research Associate with SAPCReN-CPCSSN. She has a background in public health (MScPH, McGill University). Her research interests include the use of routinely collected data for chronic disease management and prevention, and diabetes, CKD, and dementia in primary care.

Wendy Blunt

Dr. Wendy Blunt is a Senior Research Associate with SAPCReN. Her background is in health sciences, public health, and health promotion BHSc Honors, UWO; MPH, uWaterloo; PhD – health promotion stream, UWO). Her research interests include program evaluation, implementation science, and chronic disease prevention in primary care settings. Wendy is supporting the SPARK (Screening for Poverty And Related social determinants to improve Knowledge of and links to resources ) implementation study in 10 primary care clinics as well as the implementation of the Community Health Navigator program with Primary Care Networks in Alberta.

Sajjad Surani

Sajjad A Surani is our Research Administrator. Certified Research Administrator and Master of Administrative Sciences with expertise in supporting research administration, project management, and administrative and financial operations within healthcare, academic, and research-focused settings. Area of interest is learning AI intersection with modern research administration and development of efficient processes and best practices. Associated with the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) and Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI), USA.

Fama Thiam

Fama Thiam is a research assistant with SAPCReN, bringing a multidisciplinary background in biology, psychology, and community health. She earned a double major in Biology and Psychology from the University of British Columbia, where she completed an honours thesis focused on cellular respiratory biology. Fama has hands-on experience in diverse mental health settings, including overdose prevention sites and domestic violence centers. Her research interests lie at the intersection of mental health, community well-being, and the biological mechanisms underlying illness.