Our Team

Principal Investigator Julio Fiore Jr., PT, MSc., PhD

My research focuses on developing strategies to measure postoperative recovery from the perspective of patients, assessing the comparative effectiveness of interventions aimed to improve recovery, and reducing harms associated with surgery and perioperative care interventions.

Post-doctoral Fellow Fateme Rajabiyazdi, MSc, PhD

My research focuses on designing effective technologies and information visualization tools to increase patient engagement in their medical care and provide means for data-driven communication between patients and healthcare providers.

Graduate Students - PhD Ghadeer Olleik, MSc

PhD Candidate in Experimental Surgery (McGill University)

Graduate Students - MSc Charbel El-Kefraoui	Uyen Do
MSc Candidate in Experimental Surgery (McGill University) I am interested in improving patient outcomes after surgery. Specifically my thesis is focused on comparing analgesia regimens after surgical discharge. This work has the potential to contribute practice changing evidence to improve analgesia prescribing and mitigate postoperative opioid-related harms.	MSc Candidate in Experimental Surgery (McGill University) My research project focuses on the impact of postoperative analgesia regimens, including opioid and opioid-free analgesia, on patient reported outcomes after outpatient general surgery. Evidence collected from our trials will ultimately help guide clinical decision-making on postoperative opioid prescribing.

Makena Pook	Maxime Lapointe-Gagner
MSc Candidate in Experimental Surgery (McGill University) My research project is focused on analyzing general surgeons’ decision-making process when prescribing opioids after postoperative hospital discharge. Understanding surgeons’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs towards opioid prescribing will help to develop strategies to mitigate the negative downstream effects of postoperative opioid overprescription.	MSc Candidate in Experimental Surgery (McGill University) My background is in molecular biology where I previously worked to elucidate the function of sarcomeric proteins, however, along with PCOR, my current research interests lie in rendering healthcare more effective by improving surgical outcomes.

Saba Balvardi, MD

My name is Saba Balvardi and I am a third year General Surgery resident at McGill University. I have been involved with the MIS and PCOR research group at mcGill since 2015. My main interest lie in surgical outcome and surgical education research. My most recent publication explored the Impact of facilitation of early mobilization on postoperative pulmonary outcomes after colorectal surgery. Currently I have started my Surgeon Scientist Program where I am able to to take a year off from full clinical duties and focus on completing on my Master’s training in epidemiology while exploring the role of video based self-reflection on resident surgical skills.

Medical Student Affiliates Natasha Barone	Tharaniya Vallipuram
M.D., C.M. Candidate (McGill University) The current project I am assisting on focuses on post-operative opioid prescribing in breast cancer. This project aligns with my interests and desire to learn more about general surgery and opioid prescribing. Being a member of this lab will allow me to help on different projects relating to patient outcomes while developing expertise in clinical research as my previous background was based in basic science. I am also currently working on a COVID-19 student initiative with fellow medical students which targets food insecurity.	M.D., C.M. Candidate (McGill University) Completing an undergraduate degree in Nursing and working as a bedside nurse in both the medical and Intensive Care units cultivated my interest in research related to the care I was providing. It pushed me to join the Nursing research department and embark on studies ranging from literature reviews to data collection. As I began the medical curriculum at McGill, this love for research has followed me through. Currently, I am working on a student initiative along with other medical students targeting food insecurity that has been exacerbated due to the pandemic. I am also assisting in the CHESTY Project.

Andrew Miller	Aditya Pal
M.D., C.M. Candidate (McGill University) As a volunteer researcher from the Faculty of Medicine, my aim is to broaden my understanding of general surgery, while simultaneously contributing to projects surrounding surgical outcomes and opiod prescriptions.	M.D., C.M. Candidate (McGill University)

Other Affiliated Members Philip Nguyen-Powanda

Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research (McGill University) I am interested in improving perioperative care further towards evidence-based medicine with my current research focusing on optimizing opioid and non-opioid prescription practices following surgical discharge.