Diabetes: In 2012/2013 I ran a CIHR funded pilot cluster randomised controlled trial to examine feasibility of diabetes prevention program using family physician lifestyle prescription facilitation.
Hypertension: Starting in 1994 I ran a 10,000-patient cohort study evaluating the role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and white coat hypertension in predicting mortality. I helped run other interventional studies focusing on accurate measurement of BP. I was chair of the hypertension guideline group in BC in 2020. We have just completed a survey of BP measurement during the Covid epidemic.
Evidence Based Medicine: 1994 – The setting up and running of the Masters of Evidence-Based Health Care at Oxford University with its international and national multi professional characteristics was a unique development setting a pattern for other courses. I edited a textbook on evidence-based practice followed by a 2nd edition.
Pharmacogenetics in Primary Care
At McGill in 2008, I ran a study on pharmacogenetics for warfarin in primary care. At UBC I led a team to investigate the implementation of pharmacogenetics in primary care. We set up a lab with a Quant Studio qPCR to develop a primary care pharmacogenetic assay. This work tested the software and genetic tests establishing the feasibility of implementing pharmacogenetics into primary care.
Medication Decision Support
For translation of pharmacogenetics data in practice I set up and led an interdisciplinary team of pharmacists, epidemiologists, and doctors at UBC. It has developed a software program to translate these test results into a list of safe effective drug options, tailored to each individual patient. A spin out company, GenXys Health Care Systems was formed, and I am CSO of that company.