You can check out Dr. Curtis' research here.

Dr. Andrew Dixon is a clinical investigator in the emergency department at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, where he has been for over 10 years. He has been a lead investigator for several local studies and collaborates on many multi-center trials. His interests lie in technology in medicine and trauma-related medicine. Recent studies include adverse events in the ED, tympanometry for ear infections, temporal artery thermometers for infants, and the current BIPED and DOSAGE studies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Victoria, completed medical school and his pediatric residency at the University of Manitoba, and completed his pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at the University of Ottawa and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. 

You can check out Dr. Dixon's research here.

Dr. Sarah Elliott works within the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta, as the Assistant Director of ARCHE, and Co-Director of Cochrane Child Health. She is also the Research Lead for the ARCHE-ECHO collaborative research program between Dr. Lisa Hartling (FOMD) and Dr. Shannon Scott (Faculty of Nursing). The focus of the ARCHE - ECHO Program is to improve health outcomes of children through the application of the best available scientific evidence, by creating fit for purpose knowledge translation tools. Sarah also works closely with TREKK, and oversees the knowledge synthesis team to support the development of Evidence Repositories (most relevant guidelines, reviews, and key studies) which feed into clinical Bottom Line Recommendations. 

Sarah has over ten years' research experience and training in paediatric health and has been involved in numerous projects encompassing different aspects of clinical, epidemiological and public health research. An advocate for evidence based practice, she understands the need for (and translation of) high quality evidence to improve health practices in both pediatric clinical and community settings. Her current research interests include:

• Understanding how best to develop or adapt child health knowledge mobilization tools that are relevant for culturally and linguistically diverse families

• Building capacity for researchers to communicate their findings to knowledge users more effectively, and helping knowledge users communicate their needs to researchers and utilize research evidence to make informed decisions.

Check out Dr. Elliott's research here.

Dr. Hartling is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. She is a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Knowledge Synthesis and Translation, and a Distinguished Researcher with the Stollery Science Lab. Dr. Hartling holds several leadership positions including Director of the Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence. She is a Co-Director of Cochrane Child Health, an international organization that seeks to improve health through evidence-informed decision-making. She is also a Co- Director of TREKK, a national center of excellence for knowledge mobilization in pediatric emergency care. The focus of Dr. Hartling's work is to gather and synthesize the best available scientific evidence to help support decision-making by healthcare providers, administrators, and patients and their families.

Her research interests are: knowledge synthesis, knowledge translation, stakeholder engagement, child health, and randomized controlled trials.

You can check out Dr. Hartling's research here.

You can check out Dr. Wright's research here.

Daina Thomas is a pediatric emergency physician at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. She is currently the physician lead for Quality Improvement in the Division of Pediatric Emergency.

Her projects revolve around practical changes to everyday practice that have the potential to impact patients and staff in a positive way. Her current areas of work involve reducing painful procedures in the pediatric emergency department, a staff physician simulation program focused on team building and the maintenance of skills, and resuscitation reviews that emphasize staff well being and error prevention.

You can check out Dr. Thomas research here.

Dr. Dominic Allain is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. He is the Director of Global Health for the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, College of Health Sciences. He is the Past President of the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) Global Child and Youth Health Section, as well as a member of the executive of the CPS Injury Prevention Committee. He served as the Ground Ambulance Provincial Pediatric Medical Director for Emergency Health Services (EHS) and the Department of Health and Wellness in Nova Scotia for several years. He is actively involved with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as an examiner for the national emergency medicine board exam. Dr. Allain has worked, taught, and conducted research in many developing countries, including disaster relief efforts in Haiti on several occasions, teaching and setting up partnerships in various countries in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America, and conducting MicroResearch workshops in Ethiopia and Uganda. Dr. Allain has an active research portfolio and has published his work in several peer-reviewed journals. His research interests include global health, pediatric injury prevention and pediatric respiratory illnesses, and pre-hospital medicine. 

You can check out Dr. Allain's research here.

Dr. Golden-Plotnik is a pediatric emergency physician at the Stollery Children’s Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta) and Clinical Lecturer at the University of Alberta. Her training and career has spanned three provinces, allowing her to foster connections with the brightest pediatric emergency medicine researchers in Canada. In 2020 she earned a national award (PERC David Johnson Award) for best fellowship research for her project on children’s functional outcomes following fractures. She remains passionate about her work in patient experiences and collaborates with both local and national research teams. Her current areas of interest are qualitative research, patient education/experiences after fracture and the impact of gender and marginalizing characteristics on research careers and leadership. She enjoys travel, cooking and chasing her busy little boy. 

You can check out Dr. Golden-Plotnik's research here.

Dr. Hsing Jou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, and a pediatric emergency physician at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.

Dr. Jou has a special interest in integrative medicine, including use of non-pharmacological therapies. She completed the University of Alberta's Certificate Program of Medical Acupuncture with Dr. Steven Aung, and is currently co-Director of the Healer's Art course for medical students at the University of Alberta. She has been involved in research studying the safety and efficacy of sucrose, music, reiki, acupuncture, and massage therapy on pain, nausea and vomiting, and anxiety in the pediatric emergency department and in hospitalized children.

You can check out Dr. Jou's research here. 

Dr. Brandy Stauffer is the current program director of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine program at the University of Alberta. Dr. Stauffer is a University of Alberta ‘lifer’ and completed her Bachelor of Science with a Specialization in Chemistry and medical school at the University of Alberta. She also did her emergency medicine residency, pediatric emergency medicine fellowship and Masters of Health Sciences Education at the University of Alberta. She has been involved in several research studies, particularly those with a medical education theme. Recent studies include a needs assessment for procedural skills and evidence-based medicine curriculums, bounce back rates in the ED and gender bias in the ED.

You can check out Dr. Stauffer's research here.

Dr. Troy Turner is an associate professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and an attending physician at the Stollery Emergency Department. His research interests include bronchiolitis, head injury, anaphylaxis, and appendicitis. He also works in knowledge translation with Clinical Knowledge and Content Management at AHS, and has interests in education and global health. Outside of work, he is part of Edmonton’s Brass Band community, playing euphonium and baritone horn, and stays active with regular physical training.  

You can check out Dr. Turner's research here.

Andrea is the national coordinator for the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Canada (PERC) network. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Physical Education in 2009 and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2011. She has been involved in pediatric emergency research since 2014 as a clinical research nurse and study coordinator with the PEAK Research Team. Working with our team prompted Andrea to pursue a Master of Science with specialization in Pediatrics, which she completed in 2022. She most values research that has the potential to directly impact patient care and outcomes. 

Check out Andrea's research here.

Andrea is a Clinical Implementation Specialist with Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), working alongside the PEAK Research Team at the University of Alberta—where she also completed her Master’s in Human Nutrition and Metabolism. With a background in clinical research and a love for clear, patient-centered communication, she’s passionate about making pediatric pain evidence easier to understand, easier to use, and more connected to what kids and families actually need.

Born and raised in Mexico, Andrea brings a cross-cultural lens to her work and cares deeply about empathy, accessibility and inclusion in healthcare. Her approach is also shaped by lived experience with chronic pain and neurodivergence. She’s excited to be part of a team that shares her values and passion for meaningful, patient-centered change. She carries the word Inmarcesible—Spanish for "a flower that cannot lose its petals"—which feels like the perfect reminder that softness and resilience can coexist no matter what, no matter who, and no matter when. 

Ray graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Sciences in Biochemistry in 2012, and spent the next 5 years taking blood for Canadian Blood Services in both their whole blood clinics and on labor & delivery for Canada's first national public cord blood bank. In 2018 he started as a research assistant in Gastroenterology, and in 2023 was thrilled to join the PEAK team as a Research Coordinator. His research interests are in pain management, trauma care, and novel therapeutics. As a dad of two, Ray is very excited to contribute to better outcomes for kids across Canada! 

Nadia graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in 2012 and later a Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing in 2018. She has been with the team since 2011 starting out as a research assistant and eventually moving into her current role as as one of the Research Coordinators. Along with coordinating research studies she is a nurse in the Pediatric Emergency Department at the University of Alberta Hospital. She loves watching each study have an impact in every day clinical practice! 

Check out Nadia's research here.

Amanda Hack is a Registered Nurse who has a wonderful husband, three small children and two silly dogs who keep her busy and entertained at home. It brings her joy to work with the pediatric population where she sees gentle resiliency everyday. They say that to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow and she feels that pediatric emergency research is a beautiful way to highlight hope for our future.

Joy graduated from the University of Alberta BScN program in 2015 and began her nursing career in the Stollery Emergency Department. She has always had an interest in research and was excited to join the PEAK team in 2023. Joy is excited to utilize the skills that she has learned from working in the department and use them towards research. Outside of work she enjoys travelling, being outdoors and hanging out with her dog.

Taytem is a student at the University of Alberta in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing after-degree program. In 2021, she graduated from the University of Alberta, Augustana campus with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in Sociology and Psychology. Taytem also obtained her health care aide certification from NorQuest College in 2016. She has been involved in competitive jump rope for 15 years, and competed in provincial, national and international competitions. Taytem has also coached children, youth and adults of all ages across the globe, and worked with various organizations like the  Heart and Stroke Foundation to promote health and wellness to school-aged children. These past experiences, and her passion for healthcare research has ultimately inspired her decision to pursue a career in nursing, and she is so excited to be a part of the PEAK research team at the Stollery! 

Emma studied at the University of Alberta, earning degrees in both Kinesiology and Nursing. Along with her role on the PEAK team she works in pediatric inpatient care and clinics at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. Watching kids recover and return to their playful selves is the best part of her job. She feels grateful to be involved with research that aims to make the hospital experience better for children and their families. When she’s not at work you can find her making crafts with her two little ones.  

It has been Yvonne's pleasure to be working with the PEAK Team for the past 8 years as the behind the scenes research assistant. She was fortunate enough to come back after a few years away thanks to the amazing generosity of Dr. Samina Ali.  Yvonne is so grateful  to have  the opportunity to be surrounded by brilliant minds and caring individuals who make coming to work an honor! 

Dr. Neelam Mabood has been working as a research assistant with the PEAK research team in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine since 2013. She has also worked with CHIRPP (Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program) since 2013 and has been the site team lead at the Stollery/ UAH since 2017. She has a background in Medicine with training in pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology. She is also a University of Alberta alumni (Masters of Science, Pediatrics). Currently she is focused on pediatrics research and injury prevention at the Stollery and UAH EDs with a common goal to increase awareness, reduce injuries and make Canada safer. She also has interests in pediatric mental health, alcohol and substance use in adolescents, and has previously published in this area. Check out Neelam's publications here.

Joshua is in his final year of a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Alberta. His previous research experiences have focused on pediatric-to-adult care transitions for Gastroenterology patients, pediatric diabetes care, and examining emergency department experiences for children and their families. His research interests include musculoskeletal injuries, procedural pain, and enhancing waiting room experiences. As a research assistant, Joshua is excited to collaborate with researchers and physicians dedicated to improving care for children and their families in the emergency department. Outside of work and school, Joshua enjoys staying active—skiing in the winter and hitting the golf course in the summer. He looks forward to contributing to impactful research that supports better healthcare experiences and outcomes.