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TAKE-IT TOO Team

TAKE-IT TOO is led by Dr. Bethany J. Foster from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and Dr. Annette DeVito Dabbs from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Dr. Bethany J. Foster

Co-Principal Investigator and leads the Clinical Coordinating Centre at the McGill University Health Centre

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The major focus of my research program is long term outcomes of young kidney transplant recipients. My studies using large American databases determined that 17-24 year-olds have the highest risk of allograft failure of any age group, regardless of the age at transplant. Additional work determined that pediatric kidney transplant recipients who are transferred from a pediatric to an adult-oriented facility at an age less than 21 years have a 58% higher risk of graft failure than individuals of the same age who were transferred at greater than 21 years. Non-adherence to medications is the most likely mechanism underlying the relationships between graft failure and both of age and age at transfer. Therefore, studies targeting non-adherence are a natural extension of prior work, and provide perhaps the most important opportunity to improve graft outcomes for young kidney transplant recipients.

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Dr. Anette DeVito Dabbs

Co-Principal Investigator and leads the User-Centered Design and Qualitative Analysis Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

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I have over 35 years of clinical experience in the management of persons with chronic pulmonary conditions and hold licensure and certification as an APRN (ACNS-BC). Since beginning my academic research career in 1998, the themes of my work encompass: 1) the application of user-centered design to the development of interactive health technologies; 2) the design and evaluation of theory-driven, technology-based interventions to promote patient engagement, adherence and other self-management behaviors; 3) health-related quality of life in the setting of organ transplantation; 4) symptom management, palliative care and advanced care planning in the setting of lung transplantation; 5) expertise in qualitative and mixed-methods research techniques, including mixed-method techniques for empirical measurement of usability.

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Site Principal Investigators (PI)

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Dr. Catherine Girardin

Site PI

Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal

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Dr. Chia Wei Teoh

Site PI

University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children

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Dr. Véronique Phan

Site PI

CHU Sainte-Justine 

Montreal, Canada

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Dr. Jodi Smith

Site PI

Seattle Children's Hospital

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Dr. Tom Blydt-Hansen

Site PI

British Columbia Children's Hospital

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Dr. Vikas Dharnidharaka 

Site PI

St. Louis Children's Hospital

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Co-investigators and collaborators

Marie Achille, PhD

Co-Investigator

Université de Montréal

Annie Descoteaux

Parent collaborator

Montreal Children's Hospital

Abhinav Humar, MD

Co-Investigator

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Janet Rennick, PhD

Co-Investigator

Montreal Children's Hospital

Mellisa J. Anslow, MD

Co-Investigator

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Mary Amanda Dew, PhD

Co-Investigator

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Barbel Knauper, PhD

Co-Investigator

Montreal Children's Hospital

Xun Zhang, PhD

Co-Investigator

Montreal Children's Hospital

Lorraine Bell, MD

Collaborator

Montreal Children's Hospital

Audrey Grenier

Patient collaborator

Montreal Children's Hospital

Gillian S. Mayersohn, Psy.D.

Co-Investigator

St. Louis Children's Hospital

Huaqing Zhao, PhD

Co-Investigator

Temple University - Philadelphia, PA

Study Staff

Kenny-Michna Alphonse

Project Research Assistant

CHU Sainte-Justine 

Megan Kelton

Project Research Assistant

Seattle Children's Hospital

Giuseppe Pascale

Research Coordinator

Montreal Children's Hospital

Carly Andrews

Project Research Assistant

Seattle Children's Hospital

Moira Korus

Project Research Assistant

University of Toronto

Leslie Walther

Project Research Assistant

St Louis Children's Hospital

Adamo Ghezzo, BSc

Project Manager

Montreal Children's Hospital

Mary L. McNulty, MSc

Project Manager

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Candice Wiedman

Project research Assistant

British Columbia Children's Hospital

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