Brenda Wilson

Professor, Division of Population Health and Applied Health Sciences MBChB MSc MRCP(UK) FFPH

Division of Population Health and Applied Health Sciences

I joined Memorial University in 2018, moving from the University of Ottawa and, before that, the University of Aberdeen. I’m a physician, specializing in public health and preventive medicine.

Research

Over the span of three decades, my research addressed the population and health system aspects of developments in genetics, genomics, and precision health. I also maintained research and professional and academic service oriented towards evidence-based approaches to prevention in primary care and population screening. During the pandemic, I became interested in the challenges faced in public health decision-making under uncertainty, and in public health governance and leadership. 

As I plan for retirement, I am winding down my own research activities, and directing my energies to supporting colleagues and, especially, the next generation of population health and applied health researchers. I am therefore supporting my colleagues in their supervisory role and not available to take on master’s or doctoral students as primary supervisor. If you are a student seeking a supervisor, please visit the web pages of my talented colleagues.

Recent publications

Wilson BJ. Public health evidence for provincial border management. In Flood CM, Chen YYB, Deonandan R, Halabi S, Thériault S. (Eds), Pandemics, public health, and the regulation of borders: lessons from COVID-19. Abingdon: Routledge (forthcoming 2023).

Thériault G, Limburg H, Klarenbach S, et al. Recommendations on screening for primary prevention of fragility fractures. CMAJ 2023; 195: E639-49.

Lang E, Colquhoun H, LeBlanc JCC, et al. Recommendation on the use of screening instruments for depression during pregnancy and the postnatal period. CMAJ 2022; 194: E1000-9.

Anaraki NR, Jewer J, Hurley O, et al. Implementation of an ED surge management platform: a study protocol. Implementation Science Communications 2022; 3: 21.

Chow AJ, Pugliese M, Tessier LA, et al. Family experiences with care for children with inherited metabolic diseases in Canada: a cross-sectional survey. The Patient – Patient-Centered Outcomes Research 2022; 15: 171-185. doi: 10.1007/s40271-021-00538-8.

Chow A, Iverson R, Lamoureux M, et al. Families’ health care experiences for children with inherited metabolic diseases: protocol for a mixed methods cohort study. BMJ Open 2021; 12: e055664.

Carroll JC, Morrison S, Miller FA, Wilson BJ, Permaul JA, Allanson J. Anticipating the primary care role in genomic medicine: expectations of genetics health professionals. Journal of Community Genetics 2021; 2: 559-568. doi: 10.1007/s12687-021-00544-1.

Moore A, Traversy G, Reynolds DL, et al. Recommendation on screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in primary care for individuals not known to be at high risk. CMAJ 2021; 193: E549-559. doi:10.1503/cmaj.201967.

Pillay J, Riva JJ, Tessier LA, et al. Fall prevention interventions for older community-dwelling adults: systematic reviews on benefits, harms, and patient values and preferences. Systematic Reviews 2021; 10: 1-18.

Tingley K, Lamoureux M, Pugliese M, et al. Evaluation of the quality of clinical data collection for a pan-Canadian cohort of children affected by inherited metabolic diseases: lessons learned from the Canadian Inherited Metabolic Diseases Network. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2020; 15: 1-12.

Etchegary H, Wilson B, Rahman P, Simmonds C, Pullman C. Public interest in whole genome sequencing and information needs: an online survey study. Personalized Medicine 2020; 17: 283-93.