We are thrilled to be welcoming Dr. Laura MacLaren as the first-ever Clinical Director for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Primary Care Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN).
Dr. Jeannie Haggerty will continue as the Scientific Director, responsible for PBRN management and connecting with clinicians.
As Clinical Director, Dr. MacLaren will help lower the barriers for clinicians to be involved in research, mobilizing PBRN champions and helping to develop policies and processes to engage more clinicians in research.
Dr. Laura MacLaren is a family physician with a clinical practice at the GMF-U CLSC Parc-Extension and La Maison Bleue since 2013, where she was the Family Medicine Program site director from 2014-2018. She completed fellowship training in emergency medicine and maternal-child health and has been a member of the faculty at Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ since 2005. She spent several years practicing community emergency medicine and working in rural communities. Internationally, Dr. MacLaren has held positions in course development and instruction at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp and for the ALARM International program in Malawi.
In addition to outpatient medicine, Dr. MacLaren practices Family Medicine obstetrics at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. She is a clinical teaching supervisor and site lead for resident scholarly projects. She is a strong advocate for academic and evidence-based medicine in primary care and believes that catalyzing relationships between clinicians, researchers, and patients is vital for generating pertinent ideas and enhancing knowledge translation.
We look forward to strengthening the mission of the PBRN to produce and apply knowledge from and for clinical practice in partnership with clinicians, researchers, patients and member clinics with an ultimate goal of improving the quality of patient care. The PBRN contributes to a scholarly culture in our clinical teaching units and is linked closely to the activities of the Department’s Research Division.
We want to thank Dr. Peter Nugus who was PBRN co-director from 2018 until last June, and also would like to thank our Chair, Marion Dove, and Research Director, Alexandra de Pokomandy, for their support in making this a reality.
Congratulations Dr. MacLaren!