Students and Trainees

Stuart Nicholls PhD

Post-Doctoral Fellow

I received my PhD in Applied Social Statistics from Lancaster University in 2010. My thesis used a mixed methods study to analyse the factors influencing parental perceptions of decisional quality in the context of newborn screening. This involved conducting and analysing interviews, developing a survey and then modelling survey responses using structural equation modelling.

In general my research can be classed as quantitative sociology with a public health ethics perspective, although I have a special interest in genetics and associated technologies. In particular I am interested in public or patient experiences, how technologies can be evaluated and how people make decisions regarding their acceptability.

I am an advocate of mixed methods approaches and interdisciplinary research and bring with me experience and training in both qualitative and advanced quantitative methods. Methodologically I have a keen interest in latent variable methods.

You can find out more about me on my academia.edu page, or at GenEthics.ca where I am the associate editor.

Curriculum Vitae

Supervisor: Dr Brenda Wilson

I received my Ph.D degree in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University. My dissertation focused on designing Web services-based approaches for integrating obstetrical databases and developing clinical decision support tools for risk assessment, specifically in the area of premature birth. Recently I have been working on techniques for integrating data mining and temporal abstraction to analyze multi-dimensional clinical data in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and applying health informatics techniques to quantify and improve patient information flow within NICUs. For my Master’s thesis, I will be exploring and validating the role of family history in patient care, although the specific topic is yet to be determined.

Hoda El-katerji

Supervisors: Dr Julian Little, Dr Zahra Montezeri

Thesis title: "The impact of smoking sheesha on mucosal gene expression."

Abstract: Recently, Western countries witnessed an unexplained sharp rise in sheesha use especially among young adults. The increase in popularity of sheesha among young people is possibly attributed to the belief that sheesha smoking is the healthiest way to smoke tobacco. So far we don’t have solid knowledge about the
adverse health effect of sheesha. What is known is still not enough to inform policy makers or health promoters. In order to gain a panoramic view on the effects of sheesha smoking we proposed this study with three aims.

Aim one is to assess the effect of sheesha tobacco smoking on cancer gene expression (under- or over-expressed genes) in the buccal mucosa among young smoker in Ottawa. By doing so, we can map the present gene performances with the risk of future cancer development.

Aim two is to conduct a systematic review to assess the impact of sheesha smoking on cancer development.

Aim three is to generate a framework used to recruit hard to access people for aim one, and highlight the main characteristics of sheesha smokers, by developing and pilot testing a questionnaire that could be used in the future to conduct and analyze quantitative studies.

Rachel Fernandes

Supervisor: Dr Julian Little

Research Interests:  I am interested in infectious diseases, primarily influenza. I am also interested in chronic diseases, including human papillomavirus related diseases, such as cervical cancer. My interest in the latter is primarily in the Gardasil and Cervarix HPV vaccines and their uptake in young women.

Gillian Gresham

Supervisor: Dr Julian Little

Degrees held: Hon. BSc in biochemistry, MSc. Candidate 

My research interests include genetic and cancer epidemiology with special interest in gastrointestinal cancers. I will be involved in the review and interpretation of genetic association studies on colorectal polyps. It is of interest to identify the genetic risk factors associated with colorectal polyp development and recurrence as well as their subsequent progression to malignancy. Genetic associations between dietary factors, such as folate and vitamin D consumption, will also be evaluated.

Leigh Jonah

Supervisors: Dr Brenda Wilson, Dr Beth Potter

Denise Landry

BSc (hons), MD, MSc candidate

Supervisors: Dr Julian Little, Kathryn Williams

Thesis title: "The association between body composition and vitamin D using the Canadian Health Measures Survey."

Supervisors: Dr Brenda Wilson, Dr Julian Little

Thesis title: "Informed Decision Making and Normalization in the Implementation of Health Technology: The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine and Canadian Public Health Policy."

Laure Tessier

Supervisors: Dr Brenda Wilson, Dr Beth Potter

Jodi Wilson

Supervisors: Dr Julian Little, Dr Nick Burkett

Thesis Title: "Family history, genetic variants, physical activity, and the risk of rectal and colon cancer using data from the Newfoundland Familial Colorectal Cancer Registry."

Background: There is convincing evidence that regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is protective against colon cancer, however the evidence for rectal cancer is less consistent.  Studies evaluating physical activity and rectal cancer risk typically have lower statistical power and broader measurements of physical activity.  The association of physical activity and colon cancer or rectal cancer risk modified by other factors including family history or risk status has not been well investigate. 

Objectives: To further evaluate the association between physical activity and rectal and colon cancer risk, we will examine recent and lifetime physical activity among men and women aged 20-75. To determine if risk status modifies the association between physical activity and colorectal cancer risk, a sub-analysis will consider both low and high risk populations.

Methods: A population-based case-control study is designed to assess the relation between physical activity and rectal and colon cancer among men and women aged 20-75 years. The Newfoundland Colorectal Cancer Registry (NFCCR) collected lifestyle and family history information via self-administered questionnaires from participants or next of kin. Physical activity was assessed by questions on frequency and duration of types of recreational activities during the participants’ 20’s, 30-40s, and since their 50s. Each activity will be classified as low intensity or moderate to high intensity, based on pre-defined metabolic equivalent (MET) categories. High and intermediate familial risk cases are those who met the Amsterdam criteria or revised Bethesda criteria, respectively. Low risk participants did not meet these criteria. Cases (n=730) include every consenting patient (or proxy) with pathology-confirmed primary colorectal cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2003 identified through their provincial tumor registry. Controls (n=713) include a random sample of Newfoundland residents who were frequency matched to cases on sex and 5-year strata, and were identified through random digit dialing (RDD) between 2001 and 2004. Odds ratios will be estimated using Multivariate logistic regression models.

Research Interests: Physical activity, injury prevention and rehabilitation; cancer epidemiology; genetic epidemiology