Research in Medicine (RIM) Students

As part of being a medical student with Dalhousie Medical School, research is a requirement to graduate. Our doctors offer a supervised mentorship program where students are exposed to research as part of their degree. Students run their own study and are able to examine patient outcomes, satisfaction, and quality of life.

Current Research in Medicine students:

Alex Smith- Med 3
Mentor: Dr. Attabib
• Project with CESC: Mortality rates of spine surgery for degenerative pathologies in a Canadian population

Ali Sherazi- Med 3
Mentor: Dr. Manson
• Project with CESC: The impact of anaesthesia on lumbar spine fusion outcomes.

Amanda Vandewint- Med 3
Mentor: Dr. Abraham
• Project with CESC: Describing available preoperative education methods and comparing outcomes for spinal fusion candidates: a cross-Canada study.

Connor O'Brien- Med 2
Mentor: Dr. Small
• Project with CESC: The effects of antidepressants on pain management and disability scoring for patients who have had surgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis.

Daniel Smith- Med 2
Mentor: Dr. Small
• Project with CESC: Which psychosocial measures are most strongly related to surgical outcomes in patients with degenerative pathology of the spine?

Emily Weston- Med 3
Mentor: Dr. le Roux
• Project with CESC: 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Fluorescence Guided Surgery; Brain Tumor Resection Outcomes in Atlantic Canada - A Quality Improvement and Cost-Benefit Analysis.

Emma Dauphinee- Med 4
Mentor: Dr. Small
• Project with CESC: Gender & Diabetes- The Impact of Biological Sex on Thoracolumbar Surgery Outcomes in Patients with Diabetes.

Hirbod Abootalebi- Med 1
Mentor: Dr. Matz
• Project with CESC: Articular Cartilage and CFL Ligament Damage Following Fibular Nail Insertion: A Cadaveric Study.

Jared Kerr- Med 4
Mentor: Dr. Manson
• Project with CESC: Covid Mental Health- Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic/Lockdown on Spine Surgery Patients in Canada

Jon Nam- Med 3
Mentor: Dr. Matz
• Project with CESC: Risk factors of lower-extremity amputation in reconstructed diabetic patients with Charcot neuropathic ostioarthropathy of foot and/or ankle

Kevan Kostynski- Med 3
Mentor: Dr. Matz
• Project with CESC: Modified Dresden Technique with a Distal Locking Suture for Achilles Tendon Repair: Technique Tip.

Madeline Power- Med 2
Mentor: Dr. Matz
• Project with CESC: 3D Printing technology as a method for preoperative reconstructive surgical planning, phase 1.

Matthew MacLennan- Med 4
Mentor: Dr. le Roux
• Project with CESC: Comparing outcomes of patients admitted with acute non-surgical traumatic brain injuries to peripheral vs tertiary parafacilities.

Nick Ellingwood- Med 4
Mentor: Dr. Attabib
• Project with CESC: MIS vs Open- MIS vs Open spine surgery for patients who have lumbar spinal stenosis and an ASA score of greater than 2.

Samuel Arseneau- Med 1
Mentor: Dr. Manson
• Project with CESC: A look at Iatrogenic Dural Tears in NB: how often are they occurring, who's at risk, what are the outcomes, and are we repairing them correctly?

Siyum Mohiuddin- Med 1
Mentor: Dr. Matz
• Project with CESC: Anatomic Observation of Fourth-Generation Minimally Invasive Hallux Valgus Surgery: A Cadaveric Study.

Sufyan Faridi- Med 2
Mentor: Dr. Attabib
• Project with CESC: The impact of re-revision spinal fusion on postoperative pain, disability, and mental health: a Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network (CSORN) study

Thomas Camp- Med 4
Mentor: Dr. Abraham
• Project with CESC: Cardiac- The Impact of Cardiovascular Health as Measured with the Alberta Heart Disease Risk Calculator on the Outcomes of Lumbar Fusion Surgery

Xiuming Shi- Med 2
Mentors: Dr. Christie & Erin Bigney
• Project with CESC: Shades of Change- addressing racism and racial bias in medicine.

Past Research in Medicine students:

Dr. Alyssa Dickinson
• Project with CESC: Burr Hole Drainage- Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Addition to Either Twist Drill Drainage or Burr Hole Drainage as a Treatment for Chronic Subdural Hematomas - A Descriptive Analysis
• Mentored With: Dr. Attabib

Dr. Faith Moore
• Project with CESC: Multi-level Spinal Fusion Offers Clinically Significant Reductions in Pain and Disability
• Mentored With: Dr. Abraham

Dr. Jack Kerr
• Project with CESC: Predicting Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes following Major Scoliosis Surgery in Adolescents: A Latent Class Growth Analysis
• Mentored With: Dr. Manson

Dr. James Fowler MD
• Project with CESC: Nationwide quality assessment of the Canadian Spine Outcome and Research Network(CSORN).
• Mentored With: Dr. Manson

Dr. Jenny Wang
• Project with CESC: Postoperative recovery patterns following discectomy surgery in patients with lumbar radiculopathy
• Mentored With: Dr. Manson

Dr. Johnathan Rose
• Project with CESC: The ability of radiographic parameters to predict surgical failure for patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
• Mentored With: Dr. Abraham

Dr. Kalpesh Hathi
• Project with CESC: Minimally Invasive vs. Open Thoracolumbar Decompression for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in Patients with Diabetes – A CSORN Study
• Mentored With: Dr. Attabib

Dr. Lynn Symington
• Project with CESC: Same Day Readmission Following Outpatient Lumbar Spine Surgery.
• Mentored With: Dr. Manson

Dr. Marissa Sherwood
• Project with CESC: Presurgical Utilization of Physicians, Imaging and Injections Reported by Elective Thoracolumbar Surgery Candidates: a Retrospective Nationwide Cost-analysis from the CSORN Database.
• Mentored With: Dr. Abraham

Dr. Meghan Flood
• Project with CESC: Avoidable Emergency Department Utilization Within 6 Months Following Elective Thoracolumbar Spine Surgery for Degenerative Pathologies
• strong>Mentored With: Dr. Abraham

Dr. Mike Whitcomb
• Project with CESC: Does National Occupational Classification affect return-to-work time, post-operative opioid use, chronic pain, and disability in elective thoracolumbar surgery patients?
• Mentored With: Dr. Manson

Dr. Samantha Rogers
• Project with CESC: Impact of Undergoing Thoracolumbar Surgery on Patient Psychosocial Profiles
• Mentored With: Dr. Abraham