News.

Newest research from the SPRITE Study: Females at the intersection: Housing instability, drug use, and syphilis risk among street-involved populations in Ontario, Canada now published in the International Journal of Drug Policy

Steatotic liver disease is not always a fixed diagnosis. New research from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging examined how changes in alcohol use, metabolic health, and hepatic steatosis over time may influence mortality risk. The findings show that many individuals transitioned between steatotic liver disease subtypes over a three-year period. Mortality risk also increased with higher alcohol consumption, with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) showing the highest mor

Liver fibrosis screening is increasingly recognized as an important part of care for people with diabetes—but access to testing can be shaped by health policy. Here, we explore how liver fibrosis testing patterns among people with diabetes in Ontario following changes to provincial health insurance coverage. We highlight persistent gaps in testing and a decline in FIB-4 testing after coverage restrictions were introduced. These findings underscore how health policy can influe

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents an important and growing public health concern in Canada. Here, we highlight five key findings on MASLD: a high overall burden, frequent cardiometabolic comorbidities, potential gaps in treatment for associated conditions, important differences between males and females, and an association between lower income and higher MASLD prevalence. Together, these findings highlight that MASLD is more than a li

Congratulations Sarah on completing her HSCI 59X poster presentation 🎉 This year, the EPIX Lab's undergraduate student, Sarah Karami, presented her findings from a year-long research project at the annual Queen's University Research Poster Day! After two semesters of literature searches, data collection, and analysis, she was able to present her impressive work: Sarah Karami: Engaging Community Advisory Boards in Academic Research: A Systematic Review and Evidence Synthesis

Congratulations to our newest graduate, Carmela Rapino, Sarah Malone, and Sarah Karami! 🎓 While completing her MSc in epidemiology at Queen’s University, Carmela has made meaningful contributions to public health research and knowledge mobilization through her work with EPIX. We would also like to congratulate Sarah Malone and Sarah Karami, who recently completed their BHSc degrees. Sarah Malone will be continuing her journey at Queen’s University’s medical school, while Sar

One of our EPIX trainees won the Best Clinical Poster at the EASL Congress! Congrats Cindy!

We are pleased to announce that our article examining prenatal syphilis screening patterns in Ontario has been published 🎉 Congenital syphilis is entirely preventable with timely prenatal screening and treatment, yet rates continue to rise across Canada. In this population-based study, we analyzed over 550,000 pregnancies in Ontario between 2018 and 2023 to evaluate the timing and uptake of prenatal syphilis screening. Our study aimed to identify gaps in screening practices

We are pleased to announce that our article, entitled Reimbursement restrictions reduce liver fibrosis screening in adults with diabetes in Ontario: a population-based interrupted time series analysis, has been published in Scientific Reports 🎉 Adults with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of liver fibrosis, and current clinical guidelines recommend screening using the Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4). In this population-based cohort study, we examined whether modifications to O

Adoption of universal prenatal syphilis rescreening recommendations across Ontario, Canada: a difference-in- differences analysis published in BMJ Public Health https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/bmjph/4/1/e003567.full.pdf

As we come to the close of 2025, I want to pause and reflect on what has truly been an extraordinary year for our lab! If 2024 was the year of successful funding, 2025 was the year of knowledge mobilization and collaboration! This year, three EPIX trainees successfully defended their MSc theses — Farhan, Amanda, and Carmela. Each defense reflected not only academic excellence (exceeding all expectations) but also a deep commitment to meaningful public health research. Watch

Congratulations to Farhan for publishing your MSc thesis in the BMJ Public Health Journal! Check it out https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/2/e003520

We are excited to announce our newest publication in the Canadian Liver Journal, entitled "Barriers and facilitators to liver fibrosis screening: Perspectives and practices of Canadian primary care physicians", co-authored by EPIX members Duy Dinh, Jessica Burnside, Sahar Saeed, and an expert multidisciplinary team of nurse practitioners, hepatologists, and primary care physicians. Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is highly prevalent, yet prima

Congratulations to our most recent graduates Farhan Khandakar and Amanda Featherstone ! Both completing their MSc in epidemiology at Queen's University answering pressing public health questions! We are so proud of you both and can’t wait to see the places you will go…!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X25002893#fig3

We are pleased to announce that Lucy's paper, entitled "Intersecting Risk Factors Associated With High Syphilis Seroprevalence Among a...

The EPIX Lab has more exciting news 🎉 Natasha Larkin (PhD Student, Department of Nursing, Queen's University) was recently awarded the...

We are so excited to announce that Cindy Wen (MD/PhD Student, Epidemiology) was awarded the prestigious 2025-2026 Queen Elizabeth II...

Congratulations Natalee Moncada (MSc Epidemiology Student '24-'26), on receiving not only a 2025-2026 CAMCCO (Canadian Mother-Child...