Upon receiving their approval letters and sharing the exciting news of the award with their community, the PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows begin preparing to get settled in their place at the starting line. As they embark on their KT Fellowship journey, we asked them few questions to know them beyond their recipient biographies, as well as some notes they could pass on to future applicants. 

Please use 3 words to describe how you feel as you begin your KT Fellowship.

As I begin my KT Fellowship, I feel:

• Excited to be creating and translating knowledge on access to primary care.
• Determined to achieve my research team’s goal of improving the health of Ontarians by informing policy around equitable, accessible, comprehensive primary care.
• Grateful to have salary support for the time I need to complete this work.

Why did you apply for the PSI KT Fellowship? How does this award align with your current research and career goals?

Through its KT Fellowship, PSI addresses a critical need for salary support for community-based, physician-led research. Some of the most impactful research ideas are born in the “living lab” of clinical practice, but without financial support from organizations like PSI, it can be incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to move these ideas to action.

My approach to mobilizing my multi-method, multi-disciplinary research into policy, clinical practice, and communities aligns with PSI’s definition of KT. I have always embraced my responsibilities around “taking research discoveries and moving them into the real world to improve health outcomes.” With the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship, I will be engaging a network of decisionmakers, policymakers, patient partners, clinicians, advocacy groups, and other health system stakeholders throughout the research and KT process, ensuring our team’s work addresses their information needs and produces actionable guidance for meaningful change.

What are 3 to 5 general tips and notes you would pass on to those preparing their KT Fellowship application?

1. Keep the patient at the centre of your research. This will always help guide you in the right direction.
2. Consider the kind of impact you hope to have with your research, and the stakeholders you need to reach – and convince! – to make that happen. For example, to achieve your intended impact, you may need to engage patients, clinicians, government policymakers, educators, health system administrators, etc.
3. Develop a systematic strategy for translating your research to meet the needs of your key stakeholders, including involving them early in the design and implementation of your research and KT planning.
4. Bring together a diverse research team to strengthen the rigour, applicability, and inclusiveness of your research and KT plan.
5. Consult with mentors and other experts with a track record of successful KT for advice on your application, and “pay it forward” when you’re asked for help. This culture of support is one of the most fulfilling aspects of being part of a research community.

Upon receiving their approval letters and sharing the exciting news of the award with their community, the PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows begin preparing to get settled in their place at the starting line. As they embark on their KT Fellowship journey, we asked them few questions to know them beyond their recipient biographies, as well as some notes they could pass on to future applicants. 

Please use 3 words to describe how you feel as you begin your KT Fellowship.

Motivated, focused, and excited.

Why did you apply for the PSI KT Fellowship? How does this award align with your current research and career goals?

I have been researching novel diabetes medications and their use in the population since 2016. The journey began when I cared for a patient who had a suspected drug reaction to a new class of diabetes medications called sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. The patient had been hospitalized with diabetic ketoacidosis. During my subsequent Masters of Science degree, I conducted a study to assess whether this adverse event was related to the patient’s use of an SGLT2 inhibitor; the resultant work was among the first to confirm that SGLT2 inhibitors are indeed associated with an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (New Eng J Med, 2017). The experience motivated me to complete a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology, using both traditional statistical techniques and machine learning to better understand the safety and effectiveness of SGLT2 inhibitors. With the advent of GLP1 agonists, I’ve expanded my research program to include those medications as well.

As a general internist who sees many patients with chronic diseases like diabetes, heart failure, obesity, and chronic kidney disease, the existence of these SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP1 agonists is a revelation. The slow uptake, however, is challenging. It is hard to know exactly why uptake has been so slow, but I think it is related to prescribing inertia and a lack of realisation of how effective these medications truly are. This is where knowledge translation comes in, to bring research “from bench to bedside.”

Part of my research program is exploring what influences doctors’ decisions to prescribe these medications. We are looking at different factors that might influence decision-making, such as patient age, sex, and other health conditions, as well as hospital-level factors, such as hospital location. We are also continuing our work to assess the medications’ advantages and risks. Using the results of these studies, we can develop evidence-based strategies that will ensure patients are receiving medications that have real benefits.

Moreover, this fellowship aligns with my career aspirations to become a leader in translating medical research into practice and policy. The fellowship supports my professional development goals, such as enhancing my skills in qualitative research and understanding health policy decision-making, which are vital for advancing my career as a research-informed clinician.

I strongly believe that a dedicated knowledge translation program—informed by stakeholder perspectives, policy process insights, behavioural science, and diverse stakeholder support—can have a meaningful impact on the prescribing of these novel diabetes medications, and consequently, a meaningful impact on the lives of millions of Ontarians living with chronic diseases like diabetes, heart failure, obesity, and chronic kidney disease. As a Clinician Scientist, that is my ultimate aim: to improve the lives of patients.

What are 3 to 5 general tips and notes you would pass on to those preparing their KT Fellowship application?

Here are a few general tips that I believe may help applicants stand out:

1. Emphasize Knowledge Translation: Clearly articulate how your proposed research aligns with the fundamental purpose of the Fellowship (i.e., knowledge translation). Detail specific outcomes and impacts that your research aims to achieve in translating knowledge into clinical practice or policy while clearly describing how you will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your KT initiatives.
2. Demonstrate Impact and Feasibility: Showcase your ability to conduct high-impact research by including evidence of past successes and explaining how your current project will build on these foundations. It is important to illustrate not only the potential impact of your research but also its feasibility within the timeline and budget constraints of the Fellowship.
3. Highlight Collaboration and Support: Emphasize the support you have from your institution and any collaborating partners. It may be a good idea to include letters of support from supervisors or mentors who are recognized in your academic community, outlining their commitment to providing you with the necessary research infrastructure and guidance.

Upon receiving their approval letters and sharing the exciting news of the award with their community, the PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows begin preparing to get settled in their place at the starting line. As they embark on their KT Fellowship journey, we asked them few questions to know them beyond their recipient biographies, as well as some notes they could pass on to future applicants. 

Please use 3 words to describe how you feel as you begin your KT Fellowship.

Enthusiastic – the work over several years culminated in the development of a risk tool for patients who present to the emergency department with syncope. Very enthusiastic to now complete implementation and dissemination.

Optimistic – that the knowledge translation efforts will lead to improved patient care both in the safety and resource utilization front.

Thankful – to PSI which funded the derivation phase and now both the process evaluation of the implementation and salary support in the form of KT fellowship.

Why did you apply for the PSI KT Fellowship? How does this award align with your current research and career goals?

Over the past decade, our team has derived and validated the risk tool. We also developed an online calculator and practice recommendations based on the prognosis. As we are embarking on the implementation phase, this funding opportunity was available.

The ultimate test of any research is its widespread implementation and dissemination to impact patient care globally. The award will aid in developing robust implementation strategies for future tools which we are currently developing for use in emergency departments.

What are 3 to 5 general tips and notes you would pass on to those preparing their KT Fellowship application?

1. Ensure that your research program is at a KT stage and the proposed research has KT as the main component
2. Prove that your research program and projects proposed have the potential to improve patient care and the health system – impact the community, impact the overall health of Ontarians
3. Explain how it will impact your career and future researchers
4. Have a funding plan for the projects proposed
5. Be concise and to the point in the application (as there are no page limits currently)