Young Alumni Award 2016 - Kim Madden

Publishing success

A 2011 Health Studies graduate, Kim continued her education by pursuing a Master of Science and is currently a doctoral student in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University. Kim’s doctoral thesis focuses on two themes: how doctors can support victims of abuse in fracture clinics and bringing new research methodologies to the field of intimate partner violence research. 

Kim Madden

Since graduating, Kim has managed five large-scale multinational clinical trials in orthopaedic surgery, working directly with surgeons and site coordinators in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Her work with this multinational prevalence study, published in the Lancet, garnered international media attention. Findings from the study led to a change in how surgeons perceive the importance of intimate partner violence among injured patients, as well as a paradigm shift in orthopaedic surgery regarding violence against women. Kim’s research led to the development and implementation of procedures that no longer solely assess the physical health of abused women, but also their mental health. Findings from the study emphasized that the healing of a patient extended far beyond physical injuries, and that emotional healing was just as essential to recovery.

Kim remains highly engaged with the University of Waterloo through Co-operative Education. She has supervised 15 Waterloo co-op students and two recent grads. With Kim’s mentorship and guidance, two Waterloo co-op students successfully published their research papers in peer-reviewed medical journals. 

Kim is the recipient of several honours and awards including the McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences award for Outstanding Achievement in a Graduate program, awarded to the top 10% of graduating students (2014), the Health Methodology Excellence award (2016), McMaster University President’s Award for Outstanding Service, the highest honour for non-teaching members within McMaster University (2014) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Scholarship (2016). 

Through her research, Kim is continually improving the care for patients with fractures, and her passion continues to inspire others to strive for a better world, country, and health care community. This aligns with the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences’ commitment to improving the quality of life for individuals and communities through innovative education and research activities.