Starting in Fall 2026, the Primary Care Innovation & Collaboration Series will bring together researchers, clinicians, patient partners, trainees, and system leaders to explore priority topics in primary care. This series will prioritize small, high-impact, panel-style sessions, focused on dialogue, collaboration, and the development of research and practice innovations.
Through themed sessions held every 1-2 months, participants will explore key issues and emerging opportunities in primary care. Invited presenters and panelists will help frame the conversation by sharing insights from their relevant work, expertise, and lived experiences. All are welcome to attend and participate in the discussion.
Sessions will feature brief expert perspectives, interactive discussion, opportunities for shared learning, and networking across research, practice, policy, and community sectors. Throughout each session, participants will have opportunities to ask questions, contribute ideas, share experiences, and engage in facilitated discussions.
Upcoming Series Information:
The Primary Care Innovation & Collaboration Series will launch in October 2026. Additional details, including session topics, presenters, and registration information, will be announced soon!
In the meantime, we invite you to explore recordings and presentations from our previous seminar and learning series below. These sessions highlight the breadth of primary care research and innovation that has laid the foundation for this next chapter.
The BRIC NS Primary Care Learning Series is an opportunity for professors, established researchers and/or early career investigators and trainees across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress primary care research.
This session featured two presentations:
Presentation #1
Title: Fostering Nurse Practitioner Clinician Engagement: A Nurse Practitioner–Led Study of Social Determinants of Health in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia
Presenters: Melanie Dunlop and Amanda Hines
Melanie Dunlop, NP, is currently pursuing her PhD at the Dalhousie University School of Nursing, where her research focuses on advancing nurse practitioner roles and supporting clinician engagement in research. Melanie is a member of CCAPNR as a trainee and has been recognized through the Electa MacLennan Scholarship and Nova Scotia Graduate Student Scholarships, which support her ongoing doctoral studies. Melanie is very thankful for the support of BRIC NS to attend the PHC-Tutor program in 2026. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys walking her dogs, camping, and traveling with her husband, three children, and their family pets.
Amanda Hines began her nursing career in 2014 after graduating from Cape Breton University. She spent 10 years working as an acute care RN then driven to pursue more preventative healthcare, she completed the Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner program at Dalhousie University in 2024. She now cares for a diverse population in Cole Harbour, NS.
Presentation #2
Title: Investigating Factors Related to Exercise Implementation and Adherence for the Management of Chronic Low Back Pain
Presenter: Samuel Silva
Samuel Silva is a physiotherapist by background, holds an MSc degree in Rehabilitation Sciences from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil), and is currently a second-year PhD candidate in the Epidemiology and Applied Health Research program at Dalhousie. He is supervised by Dr. Jill Hayden and has experience conducting primary epidemiologic studies and evidence syntheses on back pain. In his free time, Samuel enjoys doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and hiking.
When: June 17th, 2026 12:00 – 1:00pm AT
**This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter***
The BRIC NS Primary Care Learning Series is an opportunity for professors, established researchers and/or early career investigators and trainees across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress primary care research.
Presentation Details
Title: Pharmacists, Primary Care, and Prescribing:What do pharmacists need to succeed and what do patients really value?
Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Isenor
Dr. Jennifer Isenor is an Associate Professor at the College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She is a licensed pharmacist with experience in primary care, geriatric long-term care, and acute inpatient care. Her research focuses on health services and includes evaluation of the scope of practice of pharmacists in primary care, including immunizing and prescribing.
When: May 20th, 2026 12:00 – 1:00pm AT
**This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter***
The BRIC NS Primary Care Learning Series is an opportunity for professors, established researchers and/or early career investigators and trainees across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress primary care research.
This session featured two presentations:
Presentation #1
Title: Exploring the impact of equity, diversity, and inclusivity factors on pediatric sleep and eHealth interventions
Presenter: Mya Dockrill
Mya Dockrill is a third-year PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University. She works under the supervision of Dr. Penny Corkum in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. Her research focuses on the development and evaluation of eHealth interventions to improve sleep for equity-deserving children. Outside of school, Mya enjoys spending time with family and friends and travelling!
Presentation #2
Title: Comparison of Three Frailty Measures in Older Adults: The pictorial fit frail scale as a potential standard frailty measure for routine care
Presenter: Chris Consmueller
Chris Consmueller has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Kinesiology at Dalhousie University, where he is also conducting his Masters of Science in Kinesiology with Dr. Scott Grandy. Simultaneously, Chris is also working as a research assistant at the IWK Health Centre. In addition to research, Chris is heavily involved within the community with numerous long-term volunteer commitments. These experiences highlight Chris’s passion for enhancing health and bringing positive energy to the community. In his free time, Chris loves hanging out with his dogs Winston and Wally, baking with his girlfriend, and staying physically active.
When: April 15th, 2026 12:00 – 1:00pm AT
**This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter***
The BRIC NS Primary Care Learning Series is an opportunity for professors, established researchers and/or early career investigators and trainees across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress primary care research.
Title: Designing Sleepwell for Reach
This session will highlight some of the stories behind building Sleepwell as a knowledge mobilization program, which aims to increase awareness and use of self-management strategies for insomnia while reducing reliance on medications.
Presenters: Drs. David Gardner and Andrea Murphy
Drs. David Gardner and Andrea Murphy are professors with the Department of Psychiatry and College of Pharmacy at Dalhousie University. The scholarly work is focused on improving mental health care through research, education, and implementation. They are co-developers of the Sleepwell research and knowledge mobilization program, which promotes evidence-based approaches to managing insomnia and reducing reliance on sedative medications, and they led the recently completed the Your Answers When Needing Sleep in New Brunswick (YAWNS NB) clinical trial and the YAWNS across Atlantic Canada knowledge mobilization project.
When: March 11th, 2026 12:00 – 1:00pm AT
**This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter**
The BRIC NS Primary Care Learning Series is an opportunity for professors, established researchers and/or early career investigators and trainees across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress primary care research.
This session featured two presentations:
Presentation #1
Title: How Relational Continuity, Serious Mental Illness, and Substance Use Disorders Shape Management of Diabetes and Hypertension: Analysis of Population-Based Administrative Health Data in British Columbia
Presenter: Eric Poarch, MSc
Eric Poarch is an MSc student graduating this spring from the Epidemiology and Applied Health Research program at Dalhousie University. He completed his thesis work under the supervision of Dr. Ruth Lavergne and has recently begun work as a research assistant for Dr. Thomas Brothers and Nova Scotia Health, with research interests in mental health, substance use, and primary care. Eric enjoys cooking, playing music, and rock climbing in his spare time.
Presentation #2
Title: Understanding Health Inequities Among Older Immigrants: Population Evidence and Lived Experiences
Presenter: Arezoo Mojbafan, PhD Candidate
Arezoo is a PhD candidate in Health at Dalhousie University, supervised by Dr. Elaine Moody and Dr. Lori Weeks. She holds a bachelor’s degree (2012) and a master’s degree (2015) in Health Services Management from Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran and currently works as a Teaching and Research Assistant at Dalhousie University. Before beginning her PhD, Arezoo worked in health policy consulting and the insurance sector in her home country, experiences that shaped her interest in how health systems and policies influence equity in people’s everyday lives. Since moving to Canada, she has been involved in multiple research projects and publications focused on health policy and older adults and has collaborated with Dr. Elaine Moody on a book chapter examining contextual factors that influence care for older persons.
In 2024, Arezoo completed the TUTOR-PHC Program, an interdisciplinary primary healthcare research training program. She pursued this program to strengthen her understanding of primary care systems, collaborate with researchers and practitioners across disciplines, and better connect her research on health inequities to real-world care delivery. Her research interests include health policy, older adults, health inequities, and health human resources. Outside of academia, Arezoo is passionate about spending time in nature, dancing, and staying active, which helps her maintain balance, creativity, and perspective in both her personal and professional life.
When: February 18th, 2026 12:00 – 1:00pm AT
**This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter***
The BRIC NS Primary Care Learning Series is an opportunity for professors, established researchers and/or early career investigators across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress primary care research.
This seminar features two presentations:
Presentation #1
Title: Embedding Pediatric Pain Standards into Everyday Care
Presenters: Patti Douglas, RN, BScN & Louise Tunnah, PhD
Patti Douglas is the Clinical Implementation Specialist in Pediatric Pain Management with IWK Health’s pediatric-LHS ‘Maritime Child Health’ in partnership with Solutions for Kids in Pain. Originally from Prince Edward Island, she began her career as a registered nurse in rural healthcare before joining IWK Health. Most recently, she played a key role in acquiring ChildKind International certification and supports the IWK’s Pain Champion group. She is actively working on building connections in the pediatric pain care field and looks forward to collaborating on the grant project for Kids Brain Health Network.
Louise Tunnah (she/her) is the Managing Director of Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP). SKIP is a national knowledge mobilization network based at Dalhousie University that is on a mission to improve children’s pain management by mobilizing evidence-based solutions through coordination and collaboration. Having earned her doctoral degree in Biology from the University of Guelph, Louise now brings her skills and experience managing research projects to contribute to SKIP’s meaningful and important work regarding children’s pain.
Presentation #2
Title: Exploring the implementing and impacts of the Adult Comfort Promise for patients receiving intrauterine device insertion and endometrial biopsy: a mixed methods study protocol
Presenters: Laura Kennedy, PhD, MPH, RN & Jennifer Spencer, NP
Dr. Laura Kennedy is a Registered Nurse and CIHR Health Systems Impact Postdoctoral Fellow at IWK Health. Dr. Kennedy holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from McMaster University and a Master of Public Health from Memorial University. In 2024, Laura completed her PhD in Health at Dalhousie University. She has over ten years of experience as a Registered Nurse and received the Chris Power Leadership Development Award for her contributions to health promotion at Nova Scotia Health. Laura holds an Adjunct Appointment in the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University and teaches courses in health policy, knowledge translation and population health. Dr. Kennedy’s program of research uses policy research methods to explore health promotion within healthcare and community settings.
Jenn Spencer completed her Master of Nursing Nurse Practitioner Family all Ages from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2023. She spent 13 years working as an RN at IWK Health in both the Women’s and Newborn Health Program and the Children’s Health Program. She currently shares her NP role at the IWK between Gynecology, Early Pregnancy Complications Clinic, and the Emergency Department. She works as an NP in the Hants ED and is an adjunct professor at Dalhousie University for the NP program. She is involved in establishing a nurse-led interdisciplinary healthcare team for early pregnancy complications to improve timely access to patient-focused, psychologically safe care. She has a passion for, and focuses on assessing and treating pain for gynecological procedures, improving access to gynecological care, nurse leadership and NP role implementation. She has a passion for research and implementing positive change. A quote she finds especially meaningful is from Kalhil Gibron, who says that “work is love made visible.” Outside of her work, her loves include her 3 sons, who help maintain a curious approach to life and a strong sense of adventure!
When: November 19th, 2025 12:00 – 1:00pm AT
**This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter***
The BRIC NS Primary Care Learning Series is an opportunity for professors, established researchers and/or early career investigators across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress primary care research.
Title: Validation and Application of a Needs-Based Complexity Case-Mix System for Community-Based Primary Health Care Planning and Research
Presenter: Beth McDougall is a Senior Epidemiologist with Nova Scotia Health Performance and Analytics and has worked in health research for almost 20 years. She recently completed her PhD in Epidemiology and Applied Health Research at Dalhousie University under the supervision of Dr. George Kephart and is set to graduate in October 2025. She is passionate about health, with research interests spanning primary health care, mental health and addictions, health services research and clinical trials. She particularly enjoys contributing to projects that advance evidence-based decision-making in healthcare. In her spare time, Beth loves hiking and keeping up with her energetic 16-month-old and playful Labrador Retriever.
When: September 17, 2025 12:00 – 1:00 pm AT
**This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter***
The BRIC NS Student Seminar Series is an opportunity for students across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress research. Presentations cover a wide variety of disciplines, but all address the common thread of primary and integrated healthcare. Everyone is welcome!
Topics & Presenters:
Amanda Higgins, 1st year MA Health Promotion student, will be presenting on “Creating an Evaluation for a Self-Management Transition of Care Program at IWK Health”
Monica McGraw, 3rd year PhD student, will be presenting on “The experience of inter-professional collaboration in telehealth in primary care: the perspective of patients living with a chronic disease and their loved ones”
Date: November 28th, 2023, 12:00 –1:00 pm AST
***This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter***
The BRIC NS Student Seminar Series is an opportunity for students across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress research. Presentations cover a wide variety of disciplines, but all address the common thread of primary and integrated healthcare. Everyone is welcome!
Date: September 28, 2023, 12:00 –1:00 pm AST
Title: Assessing the relationship between gestational weight gain and weight bias internalization in pregnancy
Presenter:
Jackie Stewart is a 4th year MD student at Dalhousie University with anticipated graduation in 2024. Conducting research under the supervision of Dr. Helena Piccinini-Vallis.
***This event has already passed! For future series, keep an eye out for updates on our social media and in our newsletter***
BRIC NS 