Contacts

Professor Paul Stolee leads the Geriatric Health Systems Research Group at the University of Waterloo, where he is on faculty in the School of Public Health Sciences. Professor Stolee’s experience in research and planning in geriatrics includes work in academic, government and community settings. His CIHR-funded research program – “InfoRehab” - investigated the use of health information and health information systems in the rehabilitation of older person. This work led to increased research interest in the challenges experienced by older patients as they transition across care settings, in more meaningful engagement of older adults in healthcare decision-making, and in developing a stronger role for primary care in risk screening and care coordination. Professor Stolee was the 2021 recipient of the Canadian Association on Gerontology Distinguished Member Award and the 2012 recipient of the Canadian Association on Gerontology Evelyn Shapiro Mentoring Award. He also directs the University of Waterloo Network for Aging Research. Professor Stolee received the Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision, University of Waterloo in 2021. 

Sheila Bodemer is the Research Coordinator for Professor Paul Stolee in the School of Public Health and Health Systems.

Sheila is responsible for overall site research coordination including development, implementation and reporting of ongoing projects. She is also the main point of contact for inquiries regarding the Geriatric Health Systems Research Group.

In her spare time, she likes to bake, read and spend time with her family and friends.

To view Catherine's Google Scholar profile, click here.

Jacobi Elliott completed her PhD under the supervision of Professor Stolee. She currently holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor appointment with the University of Waterloo, School of Public Health Sciences. Jacobi has extensive experience with qualitative, evaluation, and case study research methods. Areas of expertise include care transitions, patient and family engagement, health care service research, and knowledge translation and exchange. A major current focus is care coordination and strategies to engage older adults in health care decision-making as they move through the system. Jacobi is a member of the Canadian Frailty Network – Citizen Engagement Committee.

Alexandra Whate holds a Masters degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Guelph. Prior to joining the GHS group, Alexandra worked in several fields of health research, including as the data management lead for clinical trials in cardiology, and as the coordinator for several studies focusing on resource sparing for cancer treatment in developing countries.

Alexandra has extensive experience as a health researcher, specializing in qualitative data analysis and study design. She joined the GHS group in 2018 and has since enjoyed collaborating on many different projects and has become a champion for improving care for older adults.  Since 2019, Alexandra has also been acting as the coordinator for the Seniors Helping as Research Partners (SHARP) group.

In her spare time, Alexandra enjoys eating really good food, spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, and canoeing with her family.

Karen El Hajj is a full-time PhD student at the School of Public Health Sciences, she is supervised by Professor Paul Stolee.

Karen has a background in Economics, she completed her MA in Economics from Concordia University with a thesis examining the price determinants of long-term care.

Karen’s current research interests are long-term care policy, health system funding, health service integration and care transitions, health policy and economic evaluation of healthcare models.

Diya Chowdhury is a first-year PhD student in the School of Public Health Sciences, under the supervision of Professor Paul Stolee. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo, majoring in Health Studies with a minor in Gerontology. As a result of taking various courses related to Health and Aging for her minor, she was inspired to further study the area of geriatric healthcare. Following her undergrad, Diya fast-tracked from the MSc program to her current PhD. As an international student, she believes her global perspective on health and health systems will serve her well when paired with the integrative health approach of her PhD thesis.

Apart from academia, she has volunteered in various health settings, such as the emergency department and the neuro-radiology department. She has worked with Youth Services with the City of Kitchener and also served as an Infection Control Representative at a dentistry in Waterloo. Over her undergraduate career, she was also involved with different research groups in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. In her spare time, she’s an avid reader, a vocalist, and a food enthusiast.

Leonardo Romano is a second-year MSc student in the School of Public Health and Health Systems under the supervision of Professor Paul Stolee. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo, majoring in Health Studies with a minor in Gerontology. Leo’s interest in the health of older adults started very young through his relationships with his grandparents. Leo’s research interests include evaluation, geriatric mental health, and care coordination, both independently and in their interplay. For his thesis, Leo will be conducting an evaluation of a novel home-based care coordination program, which will attempt to integrate primary care into a home care setting more seamlessly. In his spare time, Leo enjoys reading, music, and making kombucha.  

Given the disruption to his retirement plans by Covid-19, Doug Andrews has registered in the MSc program with the School of Public Health Sciences, to provide more direction and support for his reading and research interests. Following a successful career as an actuary and a Chartered Financial Analyst, Doug retired early to enter academia. After completing a doctorate at the University of Waterloo, he taught and conducted research at three universities. At this stage of his life, Doug is increasing his time spent on leisure and family activities but continues to undertake smaller research projects in which he has an interest that have practical implications for social policy, especially with respect to social support systems in Canada. Doug's research is interdisciplinary and has an international perspective. It is focused on aging, economics, investments, and risk management, and their implications for the management of systems supporting an aging population, such as pensions, health care, and long-term care.