Trainees


Join Our Team

The BACK Program is always seeking quality trainees and research fellows interested in primary epidemiological studies and/or evidence syntheses in the low back pain research field. Within this program, we have adopted a highly-collaborative model of mentorship where trainees/fellows work together and with supervisors to make larger contributions through complementary projects.

We have worked with many trainees, helping them to identify areas of inquiry that build their competencies and contributes to the larger program of research. We are actively recruiting Post Doctoral Fellows, PhD, Masters and Undergraduate Medical Education trainees. Opportunities also exist for trainees looking to build their skill set through short-term volunteer placements.

Our trainees have had the opportunity to present their work at national and international conferences. You can see the scope of research undertaken by our trainees below.

Interested in joining our team? Complete our "Contact Form" and we will be sure to get in touch with you.

Trainee Projects

Each of our trainees bring their enthusiasm and skill to projects ranging from secondary database analysis to qualitative interviews – all examining low back pain from different perspectives. Our trainees are truly part of a team, learning from one-another’s projects and providing their team members with support. Some examples of trainee projects include:

Ongoing Projects    
Research Question Trainee Program
The relationship between individual physical and psychological characteristics in the management and prognosis of patients with low back pain Alexandra Boyd MSc 2024
Comparison of prehospital airway management and its associations with 30-day survival; 9-year retrospective cohort study Alex Stirling MSc 2023

 

Completed Projects      
Research Question Description Trainee Program
Do differences exist in therapeutic treatment between men and women presenting to the emergency department with low back pain? This descriptive study used secondary data from the NSHA EDIS, PYXIS med system and emergency health services data to investigate sex/gender differences in the experiences of patients seeking pain management from the healthcare system through the comparison of their presentation, diagnosis, and treatment in and after a discharge from the ED. Alanna MacDonald MSc 2023
What are the patterns and associations between new exposure to opioids for low back pain in the urgent care system and prolonged opioid use? This descriptive study used secondary data from the NSHA EDIS and PYXIS med system to describe characteristics of opioids received by opioid-naive adults for LBP as they transition through a Canadian urgent care system (ambulance, ED, community pharmacy), and to identify patterns of new opioid exposure for LBP in urgent care that are likely to be associated with prolonged opioid use. Sareen Singh MSc 2022
What is the relationship between first-prescription factors, baseline patient and prescriber characteristics, and risk of prolonged opioid use following new use for acute pain? Three component studies investigated prescribing patterns to opioid naive adults who fill opioid prescriptions after receiving surgical and emergency care, and their risk of prolonged opioid use Roah Merdad PhD 2022
For WCB-NS claimants with non-specific low back pain complaints, is initial presentation to an ED associated with a delayed return to work as compared to those who present to other healthcare settings? For WCB-NS claimants with non-specific low back pain complaints, is initial presentation to an ED associated with a delayed return to work as compared to those who present to other healthcare settings? Logan Macdonald RIM 2022
Do physician characteristics predict diagnostic imaging of emergency department patients who present with low back pain? This descriptive study used secondary data from the NSHA EDIS and Dalhousie Faculty databases to determine if physician characteristics are related to diagnostic imaging practices. See the publication here. Jonny Doucett RIM 2021
Do patients with low back pain who receive diagnostic imaging have different health outcomes compared to those who do not receive diagnostic imaging? This systematic review study examined the relationship between patients who receive diagnostic imaging and various health-related outcomes. AC Silver RIM 2021
What is the rate of prolonged opioid use following prescription for opioids for low back pain in Nova Scotia emergency departments? This descriptive study used secondary data from the NSHA EDIS and NS Drug Information System to establish the rates of prolonged opioid use following an ED visit for low back pain. Kaleigh MacIsaac RIM 2021
What are the demographic and management characteristics of older adults with low back pain presenting to Nova Scotia emergency departments?  This descriptive study used both chart review data and NSHA EDIS data to examine the demographic and management characteristics of older adults who presented to the ED for low back pain, and compared manamgent of older adults to that of younger adults. Stephen Deering RIM 2021
Does emergency department management of older adults with low back pain differ from management of younger adults with the same condition? This descriptive study used NSHA EDIS data to compare the mangement of older and younger adults who present to the ED with low back pain. Lucy Federico RIM 2021
What characteristics are associated with length of stay following lumbar spine surgery?
This study was a retrospective analysis of surgical, patient, and clinical characteristics associated with length of stay following lumbar spine surgery Madison Stevens MSc 2020
What is the utility of "red flags" in identifying serious spinal pathology with low back pain?  This study uses data from the Emergency Department Information System (EDIS) from 2009-2016 to examine the utility of a subset of red flags in identifying serious spinal pathology in patients presenting to the emergency department with low back pain. James Kiberd RIM 2019
What factors are associated with low back pain investigation? This descriptive study use data from the Emergency Department Information System (EDIS) from 2009-2016 to examine rates of diagnostic imaging of patients presenting to the QEII emergency department with low back pain. James Kiberd RIM 2019
Does receiving diagnostic imaging impact patient management in the emergency department for low back pain patients? This retrospective cohort study used data from patient charts and the Emergency Deparatment Information System to determine the relationship between diagnostic imaging and low back pain patient management in the emergency department. Dr. Peter Leighton EM Resident 2018
What factors affect management of low back pain patients? This cross-sectional study investigates patient and provider characteristics associated with management patterns through patient and provider surveys and the Emergency Department Information System (EDIS) in patients presenting to the QEII emergency department with low back pain. Siwar Arda RIM 2019
Are NSAIDS effective for treatment of low back pain in the emergency department?  This systematic review examines the effectiveness of NSAIDs for low back pain in the emergency department setting. Dana Archibald RIM 2018
What treatments are effective for low back pain in the emergency department? This overview of reviews interrogates the most effective therapies for treatment of low back pain in the emergency department. Bernard Burgesson RIM 2018
How is low back pain managed in the QEII emergency department? This descriptive study used data from the Emergency Department Information System (EDIS) from 2009-2015 to examine the management approaches (treatment, advice) used with patients with low back pain at the QEII emergency department. Matthew Nunn RIM 2018
Why do low back pain patients present to emergency department? This qualitative study examined the reasons that individuals present to the QEII emergency department for their low back pain and their feelings about the treatment they receive through patient interviews. Alex Stathakis RIM 2018
What is the prognosis of patients who present to the emergency department with non-specific low back pain?  This prospective study examined the prognosis of patients with low back pain after they leave the emergency department. Dr. Samantha Jang-Stewart EM Resident 2017
How common is low back pain at the QEII emergency department? This prevalence study used data from the Emergency Department Information System (EDIS) from 2009-2015 to study how commonly patients with low back pain present to the QEII emergency department, in addition to a systematic review of prevalence of ED visits for low back pain. Jordan Edwards MSc 2016
What are important prognostic factors associated with healthcare seeking for chronic low back pain in the Canadian Armed Forces? This study linked data from clinical records with administrative data from military electronic health records to identify multifactorial prognostic factors associated with musculoskeletal healthcare seeking. Selena Glover MSc 2015