Our department is supported by a centralized group of research staff who help conduct efficient, effective and high-quality research projects. Together, we build capacity across projects and teams through knowledge and resource sharing.
Watch the video to learn more about how we can help support your research through all stages of project administration, ethical review, recruitment, data collection, analysis and knowledge translation.
Research Support Staff
Neha Arora
Clinic Research Coordinator
Neha has been a part of McMaster since 2011 working in DFM since 2014 on the iGAP study. She is a trained physiotherapist and her research interests are in the care of the elderly.
Erin Beaulieu
RD, MPH
Manager, Knowledge Translation and Strategic Communications
Erin Beaulieu has worked for the Department of Family Medicine since March 2019 as a Knowledge Translation (KT) Specialist and then moved into the role of KT and Strategic Communications Manager in February 2022. In this role, she provides leadership, guidance and support for targeted, responsive and effective KT and communications initiatives across all departmental domains to further strategic objectives, strengthen internal and external engagement, enable greater research impact by furthering the uptake of evidence into practice and policy. Prior to joining McMaster University, Erin worked as a Registered Dietitian in public health and supporting local food policy and programs in the provincial government. Erin holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Human Nutrition and a Masters of Public Health in Community Nutrition. When she’s not at work, Erin enjoys cooking, cycling, and cuddling with her cat, Ollie.

Erin Beaulieu
RD, MPH
Manager, Knowledge Translation and Strategic Communications
Laura Cleghorn
Manager, Research
Laura Cleghorn has conducted research about the organization and delivery of health care in Ontario for over 15 years in the areas of home care, primary care, and cancer care, often focused on improving access to care for marginalized populations. Since 2016, Laura has been with the Department of Family Medicine in a role that supports the faculty and staff of the Research Enterprise to engage in high-quality research. Laura is also interested in cultivating a workplace culture that encourages personal and professional growth. When not at work, Laura can be found in arenas in the greater Hamilton area, enjoying her kids’ hockey and figure skating activities. Laura’s second favourite past-time is walking her dog in Cootes Paradise, in all seasons.
Bethany Elliott
BHSc, MPH
Administrative Director, David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative
Bethany is the Administrative Director of the David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative (PCRC). In this role, she supports the development and expansion of a network to explore important questions in primary care and amplify evidence to inform primary care practice, education, and health systems planning. Bethany has a Master of Public Health in health promotion and community development and prior to joining the PCRC worked in the public health sector in British Columbia and Ontario for over a decade. Through this work, Bethany collaborated regularly with health system partners, local and provincial governments and community organizations on projects ranging from health promotion and evaluation to health systems planning. Most recently, she provided strategic and operational support to the Hamilton COVID-19 Response Table – a collaborative table chaired by public health, primary care, and hospitals to prevent and respond to COVID-19 in Hamilton.

Bethany Elliott
BHSc, MPH
Administrative Director, David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative
Patricia Habran-Dietrich
BA
Administrative Assistant
Patricia Habran-Dietrich joined McMaster in 2013, as an administrative assistant for the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU), within the School of Nursing. In mid- 2014, Patricia joined the Department of Family Medicine as part of the HOPE program. Since 2015 she has been a member of the Research Enterprise, providing direct support to Drs. Dee Mangin and Michelle Howard in their research administrative tasks, as well as broadly supporting the staff of the research team.
Her broad interests include travel, reading and meeting people from diverse backgrounds.
Advina Kamaric
MPH
Knowledge Translation Specialist
Advina Kamaric has been working for the Department of Family Medicine since July 2023. In her role as Knowledge Translation Specialist, she works with DFM researchers to raise awareness of the outcomes of research projects in the department through the development of various knowledge translation products such as infographics, videos, reports, and social media posts.
Advina holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies with a Specialization in Health Research and a Master of Public Health.
Outside of work, Advina enjoys traveling, baking, and reading.
Jennifer Lawson
Business Analyst
Jennifer has been a McMaster employee since 2002 and came to join the DFM in the fall of 2015, as part of the MUSIC (McMaster University Sentinel Information and Collaboration) team operating as a Primary Care Research Network. She has a background in Information Science and has applied that to Evidence-based Medicine literature delivery projects and services. More recent training in Health Informatics has had her interest peaked in leveraging primary care data to answer questions about how best to deliver quality care. Toward this work she is currently surveying the data collected in OSCAR for its fit of use and strategizing toward better data capture and data quality improvement initiatives. Jennifer lives in Dundas, Ontario with her husband and daughter and newly rescued dog.
Special Interests
Gardening
Outdoor Recreation (hiking
canoeing
biking)
Canadian music
Jennifer Salerno
MSc, PhD
Research Associate
Dr. Jennifer Salerno’s research interests include chronic disease epidemiology and the application of epidemiology methods to trial research, population and public health, and health services research. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto, MSc in Community Health and Epidemiology from Queen’s University, and Honours BSc from McMaster University’s Biology and Pharmacology Co-operative Program. She completed fellowship training at both the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute in the area of traumatic brain injury epidemiology and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute’s Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch) in the area of breast cancer epidemiology. Her previous research interests included studying the epidemiology of brain injuries and related vascular dementias, and specifically, examining the etiology of cognitive function in aging populations using molecular/biochemical methods and advanced statistical models. She previously worked for several years as a clinical epidemiologist in the Government of Ontario (MOHLTC and Health Quality Ontario) where she performed several health technology assessments, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. She also developed cancer clinical practice guidelines supporting Cancer Care Ontario’s Cancer Imaging Program through McMaster’s Program in Evidence-Based Care, Department of Oncology.
Currently, at McMaster University, she is a Research Associate for the Department of Family Medicine. She is involved in the TAPER research study (TAPER: Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction) which aims to reduce multiple medication use and the harmful effects of polypharmacy among older adults. She is also involved with the Primary Care Research Collaborative (PCRC) in the Department of Family Medicine by providing clinical faculty teaching and mentoring initiatives and opportunities and developing the patient/public/community advisory group for the PCRC. She currently teaches in the health research methodology program in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster and is currently the Vice Chair of the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) Ethics Committee. She has held numerous leadership positions in ACE and more recently, she is involved with the International Epidemiological Association as the North American Regional Councillor.
Kim Tucker
Administrative Assistant
Kim Tucker joined the Department of Family Medicine team in August 2022 as the Administrative Assistant. Prior to joining McMaster University, Kim worked at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital where she supported the Volunteer Resources team. Kim is a graduate of George Brown College where she successfully completed the Health Office Administration Program with honours. Kim is often referred to as a jack-of-all-trades and for being extremely organized. Driven by her dedication, Kim takes pride in providing the best support possible. When she’s not keeping busy with her work tasks, Kim enjoys spending time with her family, working out, listening to music, and cooking.
Neha Arora
Clinic Research Coordinator
Neha has been a part of McMaster since 2011 working in DFM since 2014 on the iGAP study. She is a trained physiotherapist and her research interests are in the care of the elderly.
Neha Arora
Clinic Research Coordinator
Neha has been a part of McMaster since 2011 working in DFM since 2014 on the iGAP study. She is a trained physiotherapist and her research interests are in the care of the elderly.
Erin Beaulieu
RD, MPH
Manager, Knowledge Translation and Strategic Communications
Erin Beaulieu has worked for the Department of Family Medicine since March 2019 as a Knowledge Translation (KT) Specialist and then moved into the role of KT and Strategic Communications Manager in February 2022. In this role, she provides leadership, guidance and support for targeted, responsive and effective KT and communications initiatives across all departmental domains to further strategic objectives, strengthen internal and external engagement, enable greater research impact by furthering the uptake of evidence into practice and policy. Prior to joining McMaster University, Erin worked as a Registered Dietitian in public health and supporting local food policy and programs in the provincial government. Erin holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Human Nutrition and a Masters of Public Health in Community Nutrition. When she’s not at work, Erin enjoys cooking, cycling, and cuddling with her cat, Ollie.
Erin Beaulieu
RD, MPH
Manager, Knowledge Translation and Strategic Communications
Erin Beaulieu has worked for the Department of Family Medicine since March 2019 as a Knowledge Translation (KT) Specialist and then moved into the role of KT and Strategic Communications Manager in February 2022. In this role, she provides leadership, guidance and support for targeted, responsive and effective KT and communications initiatives across all departmental domains to further strategic objectives, strengthen internal and external engagement, enable greater research impact by furthering the uptake of evidence into practice and policy. Prior to joining McMaster University, Erin worked as a Registered Dietitian in public health and supporting local food policy and programs in the provincial government. Erin holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Human Nutrition and a Masters of Public Health in Community Nutrition. When she’s not at work, Erin enjoys cooking, cycling, and cuddling with her cat, Ollie.
Laura Cleghorn
Manager, Research
Laura Cleghorn has conducted research about the organization and delivery of health care in Ontario for over 15 years in the areas of home care, primary care, and cancer care, often focused on improving access to care for marginalized populations. Since 2016, Laura has been with the Department of Family Medicine in a role that supports the faculty and staff of the Research Enterprise to engage in high-quality research. Laura is also interested in cultivating a workplace culture that encourages personal and professional growth. When not at work, Laura can be found in arenas in the greater Hamilton area, enjoying her kids’ hockey and figure skating activities. Laura’s second favourite past-time is walking her dog in Cootes Paradise, in all seasons.
Laura Cleghorn
Manager, Research
Laura Cleghorn has conducted research about the organization and delivery of health care in Ontario for over 15 years in the areas of home care, primary care, and cancer care, often focused on improving access to care for marginalized populations. Since 2016, Laura has been with the Department of Family Medicine in a role that supports the faculty and staff of the Research Enterprise to engage in high-quality research. Laura is also interested in cultivating a workplace culture that encourages personal and professional growth. When not at work, Laura can be found in arenas in the greater Hamilton area, enjoying her kids’ hockey and figure skating activities. Laura’s second favourite past-time is walking her dog in Cootes Paradise, in all seasons.
Bethany Elliott
BHSc, MPH
Administrative Director, David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative
Bethany is the Administrative Director of the David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative (PCRC). In this role, she supports the development and expansion of a network to explore important questions in primary care and amplify evidence to inform primary care practice, education, and health systems planning. Bethany has a Master of Public Health in health promotion and community development and prior to joining the PCRC worked in the public health sector in British Columbia and Ontario for over a decade. Through this work, Bethany collaborated regularly with health system partners, local and provincial governments and community organizations on projects ranging from health promotion and evaluation to health systems planning. Most recently, she provided strategic and operational support to the Hamilton COVID-19 Response Table – a collaborative table chaired by public health, primary care, and hospitals to prevent and respond to COVID-19 in Hamilton.
Bethany Elliott
BHSc, MPH
Administrative Director, David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative
Bethany is the Administrative Director of the David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative (PCRC). In this role, she supports the development and expansion of a network to explore important questions in primary care and amplify evidence to inform primary care practice, education, and health systems planning. Bethany has a Master of Public Health in health promotion and community development and prior to joining the PCRC worked in the public health sector in British Columbia and Ontario for over a decade. Through this work, Bethany collaborated regularly with health system partners, local and provincial governments and community organizations on projects ranging from health promotion and evaluation to health systems planning. Most recently, she provided strategic and operational support to the Hamilton COVID-19 Response Table – a collaborative table chaired by public health, primary care, and hospitals to prevent and respond to COVID-19 in Hamilton.
Patricia Habran-Dietrich
BA
Administrative Assistant
Patricia Habran-Dietrich joined McMaster in 2013, as an administrative assistant for the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU), within the School of Nursing. In mid- 2014, Patricia joined the Department of Family Medicine as part of the HOPE program. Since 2015 she has been a member of the Research Enterprise, providing direct support to Drs. Dee Mangin and Michelle Howard in their research administrative tasks, as well as broadly supporting the staff of the research team.
Her broad interests include travel, reading and meeting people from diverse backgrounds.
Patricia Habran-Dietrich
BA
Administrative Assistant
Patricia Habran-Dietrich joined McMaster in 2013, as an administrative assistant for the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU), within the School of Nursing. In mid- 2014, Patricia joined the Department of Family Medicine as part of the HOPE program. Since 2015 she has been a member of the Research Enterprise, providing direct support to Drs. Dee Mangin and Michelle Howard in their research administrative tasks, as well as broadly supporting the staff of the research team.
Her broad interests include travel, reading and meeting people from diverse backgrounds.
Advina Kamaric
MPH
Knowledge Translation Specialist
Advina Kamaric has been working for the Department of Family Medicine since July 2023. In her role as Knowledge Translation Specialist, she works with DFM researchers to raise awareness of the outcomes of research projects in the department through the development of various knowledge translation products such as infographics, videos, reports, and social media posts.
Advina holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies with a Specialization in Health Research and a Master of Public Health.
Outside of work, Advina enjoys traveling, baking, and reading.
Advina Kamaric
MPH
Knowledge Translation Specialist
Advina Kamaric has been working for the Department of Family Medicine since July 2023. In her role as Knowledge Translation Specialist, she works with DFM researchers to raise awareness of the outcomes of research projects in the department through the development of various knowledge translation products such as infographics, videos, reports, and social media posts.
Advina holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies with a Specialization in Health Research and a Master of Public Health.
Outside of work, Advina enjoys traveling, baking, and reading.
Jennifer Lawson
Business Analyst
Jennifer has been a McMaster employee since 2002 and came to join the DFM in the fall of 2015, as part of the MUSIC (McMaster University Sentinel Information and Collaboration) team operating as a Primary Care Research Network. She has a background in Information Science and has applied that to Evidence-based Medicine literature delivery projects and services. More recent training in Health Informatics has had her interest peaked in leveraging primary care data to answer questions about how best to deliver quality care. Toward this work she is currently surveying the data collected in OSCAR for its fit of use and strategizing toward better data capture and data quality improvement initiatives. Jennifer lives in Dundas, Ontario with her husband and daughter and newly rescued dog.
Special Interests
Gardening
Outdoor Recreation (hiking
canoeing
biking)
Canadian music
Jennifer Lawson
Business Analyst
Jennifer has been a McMaster employee since 2002 and came to join the DFM in the fall of 2015, as part of the MUSIC (McMaster University Sentinel Information and Collaboration) team operating as a Primary Care Research Network. She has a background in Information Science and has applied that to Evidence-based Medicine literature delivery projects and services. More recent training in Health Informatics has had her interest peaked in leveraging primary care data to answer questions about how best to deliver quality care. Toward this work she is currently surveying the data collected in OSCAR for its fit of use and strategizing toward better data capture and data quality improvement initiatives. Jennifer lives in Dundas, Ontario with her husband and daughter and newly rescued dog.
Special Interests
Gardening
Outdoor Recreation (hiking
canoeing
biking)
Canadian music
Jennifer Salerno
MSc, PhD
Research Associate
Dr. Jennifer Salerno’s research interests include chronic disease epidemiology and the application of epidemiology methods to trial research, population and public health, and health services research. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto, MSc in Community Health and Epidemiology from Queen’s University, and Honours BSc from McMaster University’s Biology and Pharmacology Co-operative Program. She completed fellowship training at both the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute in the area of traumatic brain injury epidemiology and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute’s Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch) in the area of breast cancer epidemiology. Her previous research interests included studying the epidemiology of brain injuries and related vascular dementias, and specifically, examining the etiology of cognitive function in aging populations using molecular/biochemical methods and advanced statistical models. She previously worked for several years as a clinical epidemiologist in the Government of Ontario (MOHLTC and Health Quality Ontario) where she performed several health technology assessments, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. She also developed cancer clinical practice guidelines supporting Cancer Care Ontario’s Cancer Imaging Program through McMaster’s Program in Evidence-Based Care, Department of Oncology.
Currently, at McMaster University, she is a Research Associate for the Department of Family Medicine. She is involved in the TAPER research study (TAPER: Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction) which aims to reduce multiple medication use and the harmful effects of polypharmacy among older adults. She is also involved with the Primary Care Research Collaborative (PCRC) in the Department of Family Medicine by providing clinical faculty teaching and mentoring initiatives and opportunities and developing the patient/public/community advisory group for the PCRC. She currently teaches in the health research methodology program in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster and is currently the Vice Chair of the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) Ethics Committee. She has held numerous leadership positions in ACE and more recently, she is involved with the International Epidemiological Association as the North American Regional Councillor.
Jennifer Salerno
MSc, PhD
Research Associate
Dr. Jennifer Salerno’s research interests include chronic disease epidemiology and the application of epidemiology methods to trial research, population and public health, and health services research. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto, MSc in Community Health and Epidemiology from Queen’s University, and Honours BSc from McMaster University’s Biology and Pharmacology Co-operative Program. She completed fellowship training at both the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute in the area of traumatic brain injury epidemiology and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute’s Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch) in the area of breast cancer epidemiology. Her previous research interests included studying the epidemiology of brain injuries and related vascular dementias, and specifically, examining the etiology of cognitive function in aging populations using molecular/biochemical methods and advanced statistical models. She previously worked for several years as a clinical epidemiologist in the Government of Ontario (MOHLTC and Health Quality Ontario) where she performed several health technology assessments, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. She also developed cancer clinical practice guidelines supporting Cancer Care Ontario’s Cancer Imaging Program through McMaster’s Program in Evidence-Based Care, Department of Oncology.
Currently, at McMaster University, she is a Research Associate for the Department of Family Medicine. She is involved in the TAPER research study (TAPER: Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction) which aims to reduce multiple medication use and the harmful effects of polypharmacy among older adults. She is also involved with the Primary Care Research Collaborative (PCRC) in the Department of Family Medicine by providing clinical faculty teaching and mentoring initiatives and opportunities and developing the patient/public/community advisory group for the PCRC. She currently teaches in the health research methodology program in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster and is currently the Vice Chair of the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) Ethics Committee. She has held numerous leadership positions in ACE and more recently, she is involved with the International Epidemiological Association as the North American Regional Councillor.
Kim Tucker
Administrative Assistant
Kim Tucker joined the Department of Family Medicine team in August 2022 as the Administrative Assistant. Prior to joining McMaster University, Kim worked at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital where she supported the Volunteer Resources team. Kim is a graduate of George Brown College where she successfully completed the Health Office Administration Program with honours. Kim is often referred to as a jack-of-all-trades and for being extremely organized. Driven by her dedication, Kim takes pride in providing the best support possible. When she’s not keeping busy with her work tasks, Kim enjoys spending time with her family, working out, listening to music, and cooking.
Kim Tucker
Administrative Assistant
Kim Tucker joined the Department of Family Medicine team in August 2022 as the Administrative Assistant. Prior to joining McMaster University, Kim worked at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital where she supported the Volunteer Resources team. Kim is a graduate of George Brown College where she successfully completed the Health Office Administration Program with honours. Kim is often referred to as a jack-of-all-trades and for being extremely organized. Driven by her dedication, Kim takes pride in providing the best support possible. When she’s not keeping busy with her work tasks, Kim enjoys spending time with her family, working out, listening to music, and cooking.