Collaborators

Our work would not be possible without the strong collaborative partnerships we've built with so many talented professionals. Learn more about some of our current and past collaborators below.

Current Collaborators:

Rob Blanchard Photo UNB

Dr. Jeff Hebert, CCRF-NBHRF Musculoskeletal Research Chair
Dr. Hebert is a Professor at UNB Fredericton in the Faculty of Kinesiology. He was previously Associate Dean (Research) in the School of Psychology and Exercise Science from Murdoch University in Australia.
Our Collaboration(s):
Hebert JJ, Abraham E, Wedderkopp N, Bigney E, Richardson E, Darling M, Hall H, Fisher C, Rampersaud R, Thomas K, Jacobs B, Johnson M, Paquet J, Attabib N, Jarzem P, Wai E, Rasoulinejad P, Ahn H, Nataraj A, Stratton A, Manson N. Patients undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis experience unique courses of pain and disability: a group-based trajectory analysis. PLOS ONE.
Hebert JJ, Klakk H, Franz C, Sénéchal M, Manson N, Wedderkopp N. Spinal pain is prospectively associated with cardiovascular risk factors in girls but not boys (CHAMPS Study-DK). European Spine Journal.
Hebert JJ, Leboeuf-Yde C, Franz C, Lardon A, Hestbæk L, Manson N, Wedderkopp N. Pubertal development and growth are prospectively associated with spinal pain in young people (CHAMPS Study-DK). European Spine Journal.


Dr. Adesanya Tolulope Alugo, MD, MSc, DPCOAI, CIME, DCAPM, FIPP, CIPS, A SRA-PMUC
Dr. Alugo is an Assistant Professor Of Anaesthesia and a Chronic Pain Specialist at Horizon Health Network.
Our Collaboration(s):
• Effects of Intra-Operative Ropivacaine® Epidural Injection on Post-Operative Outcomes Following Elective Lumbar Fusion: A double blinded randomized controlled trial


Dr. Eva Gusnowski, MSc MD, FRCPC
Dr. Gusnowski is an Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in sports medicine and upper extremity reconstruction. Dr. Gusnowski has an extensive research background, having completed two Master of Science degrees. She has presented at multiple national and international conferences and was awarded the Dr. Stephen S. Burkhart Shoulder Innovation Research Award in 2019. Her current research interests include tendon transfers for massive rotator cuff tears, tendon repair in shoulder arthroplasty, fixation methods for ACL reconstruction as well as interventions for injury prevention in combat athletes. She is also on the Arthroscopy Association of Canada Executive Committee as part of the Research Executive.
Our Collaboration(s):
• REinForce: A Prospective, Single Blind, Multi-Center, Randomized, Controlled, Pivotal Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the BioBrace® Implant during Arthroscopic Repair of Full Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears


Dr.Robert Stevenson, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Stevenson practices in the Department of Cardiology at the Saint John Regional Hospital. He is also an Assistant Professor- Division of General Internal Medicine , Department of Medicine
Our Collaboration(s):
Elucidating the effects of a prehabilitation program on spinal surgery candidates with cardiac comorbidities outcomes: A randomized, controlled trial.


Stephen Mundle, PT
Stephen Mundle is a Physiotherapist at The New Brunswick Heart Centre’s cardiovascular health and wellness program, specifically with the Saint John Regional Hospital’s cardiac rehabilitation program.
Our Collaboration(s):
Elucidating the effects of a prehabilitation program on spinal surgery candidates with cardiac comorbidities outcomes: A randomized, controlled trial.


Dr. Lisa Best, PhD
Dr. Lisa Best is a Professor of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John.
Our Collaboration(s):
perception of what life is like following a traumatic spinal cord injury.

Beverley Blissett, MSWRSW
Social Worker- Saint John Regional Hospital
Our Collaboration(s):
• Assessing the Medical Experiences of High Acuity Patients Living in Homelessness in Saint John, New Brunswick
• Harm Reduction Housing: A Cost-Effective Program to Improve Care and Reduce Healthcare Burden for High Acuity Patients Living with Homelessness

Dr. Timothy Christie
Ethics Services- Saint John Regional Hospital
Our Collaboration(s):
• The impact of micro-aggression awareness training delivered to healthcare professionals. (Shades of Change)

Zachary Kilburn
Diagnostic Imaging- Saint John Regional Hospital
Our Collaboration(s):
• REGENETEN Global RCT Study- Resorbable collagen implant Augmentation In Surgical Repair of the rotator cuff

Dr. Bernard LaRue
Sherbrook Hospital, Montreal PQ
Our Collaboration(s):
• Pre-Operative Cannabis Use in Canadian Thoracolumbar Spine Surgery Patients
• Exploring the relationship between cannabis use and baseline reported health considerations in Canadian spine surgery patients

Dr. Mitra Kumari
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton NB
Our Collaboration(s):
• Assessing the Medical Experiences of High Acuity Patients Living in Homelessness in Saint John, New Brunswick
• Harm Reduction Housing: A Cost-Effective Program to Improve Care and Reduce Healthcare Burden for High Acuity Patients Living with Homelessness

Dr. Ian Maxwell
Plastic Surgery- Saint John Regional Hospital
Our Collaboration(s):
• 3D Printing technology as a method for preoperative reconstructive surgical planning, phase 1

Amy McCavour
Surgical Department- Saint John Regional Hospital
Our Collaboration(s):
• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)


Dr. Priscilla Medeiros
Sick Kids Hospital, Toronto ON
Dr. Priscilla Medeiros is the Knowledge Mobilization and Community Engagement Specialist at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children in Toronto. She has over 10 years of experience leading community-engaged research across the Maritime Provinces and in Ontario.
Our Collaboration(s):
• Assessing the Medical Experiences of High Acuity Patients Living in Homelessness in Saint John, New Brunswick
• Harm Reduction Housing: A Cost-Effective Program to Improve Care and Reduce Healthcare Burden for High Acuity Patients Living with Homelessness

Daphne Stewart, RN
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery- Saint John Regional Hospital
Our Collaboration(s):
• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)

Dr. Duncan Webster
Infectious Disease Department- Saint John Regional Hospital
Our Collaboration(s):
• Assessing the Medical Experiences of High Acuity Patients Living in Homelessness in Saint John, New Brunswick
• Harm Reduction Housing: A Cost-Effective Program to Improve Care and Reduce Healthcare Burden for High Acuity Patients Living with Homelessness

Dr. Thomas Whelan
Urology- Saint John Regional Hospital
Our Collaboration(s):
• 3Predictors of Post-Operative Urinary Retention in a Spinal Surgery Patient Population

Dr. Eric Weissman
University of New Brunswick, Saint John
Our Collaboration(s):
• Assessing the Medical Experiences of High Acuity Patients Living in Homelessness in Saint John, New Brunswick
• Harm Reduction Housing: A Cost-Effective Program to Improve Care and Reduce Healthcare Burden for High Acuity Patients Living with Homelessness

Past Collaborators:

Dr. Anil Adisesh- MB ChB, MSc, MD, FRCP, FFOM, FRCPC
Dr. Adisesh is the Director of the Division of Occupational Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and Head of the Division of Occupational Medicine at St Michael’s Hospital.
Our Collaboration(s):
Bao, H., Baker, C. J., & Adisesh, A. (2019). ACA-NOC: Development of an Automated Coding Algorithm for the Canadian National Occupation Classification (Preprint). JMIR Formative Research. doi:10.2196/16422

Dr. Wayne Albert, PhD
TBD
Our Collaboration(s):
• Dr. Albert has collaborated with the Canada East Spine Centre on the study "Patient-Reported disability vs. Objective Physical Performance Measures in Assessing Patient Recovery." Aimed to compare objective measures of biomechanical ability to patient-reported pain and disability.
http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/kinesiology/research/profiles/walbert.html

Dr. Amelia Barry, MD, FRCP
Dr. Barry is a Fellow of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with the Royal College of Physicians Canada.
Our Collaboration(s):
• TBD

Dr. Caroline Brunelle, PhD
TBD
Our Collaboration(s):
• Canada East Spine Centre collaborated with Dr. Brunelle on the study of "Opioid Analgesic Use in Patients with Degenerative Thoracolumbar Spine Pathologies: Impact of Surgical Intervention and Predictors of Long-Term Use." http://www.unb.ca/saintjohn/arts/depts/psychology/people/brunelle.html

Dr. M. Patricia Forgeron, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Forgeron is presently practicing in the Province of New Brunswick in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Our Collaboration(s):
• Provides in-patient and out-patient consultation services for Horizon Health Network, Saint John and Moncton zones.

Heidi Kelly BNRN, CPN(c)
Clinical Leader, Orthopaedic Spinal Surgery and Neurosurgery
Our Collaboration(s):
• Various neurosurgery research projects, including the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry. As Spine resource nurse, Heidi collaborates with our interdisciplinary team to provide the best care and outcomes possible for our patients in the operating room. Her clinical interests are spinal cord injury, infection prevention and the impact of technological advances in the operating room on patient outcomes.

Sharon MacEwen RN(c)
Clinical Leader Neurosurgery Operating Room
Our Collaboration(s):
• Sharon provides extensive OR experience in neurosurgery and spine surgery specifically. She contributes to intraoperative technique and technology decisions to optimize patient outcomes in the OR and postoperatively.

Shawn Kroetsch, BSc, MSc
Shawn is a Biology PhD student at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John.
Our Collaboration(s):
• Minimally invasive percutaneous C1–C2 transarticular screw fixation as a palliative management option in C2 metastases
• Does National Occupational Classification affect return-to-work time, post-operative opioid use, chronic pain, and disability in elective thoracolumbar surgery patients?

Dr. Dean Tripp, B.A, M.A, Ph.D
Dr. Tripp is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, Anesthesiology, and Urology at Queens University in Ontario.
Our Collaboration(s):
Biopsychosocial factors predict quality of life in thoracolumbar spine surgery