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Patrick McGrath

Title: Executive Director
Email: patrick.mcgrath@iwk.nshealth.ca

Dr. Patrick McGrath is Vice President-Research at the IWK Health Centre and Professor of Psychology, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, at Dalhousie University. He is a leading researcher on pediatric pain (Centre for Pediatric Pain Research) and on distance treatment to increase access to psychosocial health care. His research has been recognized by appointment to the Order of Canada and election to the Royal Society of Canada and the Academy of Health Sciences of Canada. He has received numerous other awards including a Distinguished Scientist Award from the Medical Research Council, Distinguished Career Award of the Canadian Pain Society, Distinguished Contribution to Psychology as a Profession and the Donald Hebb Award for Distinguished Contribution to Science from the Canadian Psychological Association, the Wilbert Fordyce Award for Clinical Research from the American Pain Society and the Martin P. Levin Mentorship Award from the Society of Pediatric Psychology.

He is on Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

He is the Principal Investigator of the CIHR Strategic Training Program on Pain in Child Health and a CIHR Team Grant in Access to Child Mental Health Care.

He has published over 350 articles, book chapters, abstracts, comments and editorials, 13 books and 5 internationally translated and distributed patient manuals.

Honours

  • 2010: Mayday Outstanding Contributor's Award, International Association for the Study of Pain, Special Interest Group on Pain in Children.
  • 2009-2016: Canada Research Chair in Child Health
  • 2009: Invited Master Researcher/Clinician, American Psychological Association Convention, August
  • 2009: Jeffrey Lawson Award for Advocacy in Children's Pain Relief. American Pain Society
  • 2007: A top producer of Scholarly Publications see: Stewart, PK, Wu, YP & Roberts, MC, Top Producers of Scholarly Publications in Clinical Psychology PhD Programs. J Clin Psychol 63: 1209-1215, 2007.
  • 2006: Donald O. Hebb Award for Contributions to Psychology as a Science, Canadian Psychological Association.
  • 2005: Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
  • 2004: Martin P. Levin Mentorship Award of the Society of Pediatric Psychology, American Psychological Association
  • 2003: Order of Canada (officer)
  • 2002: Canada Research Chair
  • 1998-2003: Distinguished Scientist Award, Medical Research Council of Canada (now Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • 1995: Fellow, Royal Society of Canada, Humanities and Social Sciences.
  • Selected Current Grants

  • McGrath, P.J., Cunningham, C., et al., 2010-2014. Strong Families Finland Canada (Voimaperheet): Family-based, prevention and treatment program of early childhood disruptive behaviour problems and their sequelae, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
  • Mcgrath, P.J., Finley, G.A., et al., 2009-2015. Pain in Child Health, an innovative, international, trans-disciplinary research training consortium - Phase II, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
  • Mcgrath, P.J., Huguet, A.R., et al., 2009-2012. Development and initial testing of a Smartphone-based psychological treatment for adolescents and young adults with headache, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
  • Stevens, B.J., McGrath, P.J., et al., 2008-2012. Pain in Infants at risk for Neurological Impairment: A program of research: Phase III, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
  • Stevens, B.J., McGrath, P.J., et al., 2008-2012. Translating Research on Pain in Children (TROPIC) Study, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
  • Mcgrath, P.J., Cunningham, C., et al., 2008-2012. Delivering Treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder at a Distance: A Randomized Trial, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
  • Recent Publications

  • Dworkin R., Turk D., Peirce-Sandner S., Baron R., Bellamy N., Burke L., Chappell A., Chartier K., Cleeland C., Costello A., Cowan P., Dimitrova R., Ellenberg S., Farrar J., French J., Gilron I., Hertz S., Jadad A., Jay G., Kalliomaki J., Katz N., Kerns R., Manning D., McDermott M., McGrath P., Narayana A., Porter L., Quessy S., Rappaport B., Rauschkolb C., Reeve B., Rhodes T., Sampaio C., Simpson D., Stauffer J., Stucki G., Tobias J., White R., Witter J. Research design considerations for confirmatory chronic pain clinical trials: IMMPACT recommendations. Pain. 2010 Mar 6.
  • McMurtry C.M., Chambers C.T., McGrath P.J., Asp E. When "Don't Worry" Communicates Fear: Children's Perceptions of Parental Reassurance and Distraction during a Painful Medical Procedure. Pain. 2010 Mar 12. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Forgeron P.A., King S., Stinson J.N., McGrath P.J., MacDonald A.J., Chambers, C.T. Social functioning and peer relationships in children and adolescents with chronic pain: A systematic review. Pain Res Manag. 2010 Jan-Feb;15(1):27-41.
  • Stevens B, McGrath P, Ballantyne M, Yamada J, Dupuis A, Gibbins S, Franck L, Allen Finley G, Howlett A, Johnston C, O'Brien K, Ohlsson A. Influence of risk of neurological impairment and procedure invasiveness on health professionals'management of procedural pain in neonates. Eur J Pain. 2010 Jan 2. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Uman L.S., Chambers C.T., McGrath P.J., Kisely S., Matthews D., Hayton K. Assessing the Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials Examining Psychological Interventions for Pediatric Procedural Pain: Recommendations for Quality Improvement. J Pediatr Psychol. 2009 Dec 4. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Noel M., McMurtry C.M., Chambers C.T., McGrath P.J., Children's memory for painful procedures: the relationship of pain intensity, anxiety, and adult behaviors to subsequent recall. J Pediatr Psychol. 2009 Nov 4. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Stenekes S.J., Hughes A., Gregoire M-C, Frager G., Robinson, W.M., McGrath P.J. Frequency and self-Management of pain, dyspnea, and cough in Cystic Fibrosis. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 2009 Oct 9. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Huguet, A., Stinson, J.N., McGrath, P.J. Measurement of self-reported pain intensity in children and adolescents. J Psychosom Res. 2010 Apr;68(4):329-36. Epub 2009 Oct 2.
  • McGrath, P.J., Latimer, M., Finley, G.A., Chambers, C.T. Editorial: Measurement of pain in children. Pain Research & Management, 2009; 14(11)
  • Bradley, K., McGrath, P.J., Bagnell, A. & Brannen, C. Adolescents' Attitudes and Opinions on Depression Treatment. Community Ment Health J. 2009 Jul 28. [Epub ahead of print]
  • McGrath P.J., Lingley-Pottie P., Emberly D., Thurston C., McLean C. Integrated knowledge translation in mental health: Family Help as an example. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry Feb;18(1):30-7.2009
  • Curran J.A., Murphy A.L., Abidi S.S., Sinclair D., McGrath P.J. Bridging the gap: knowledge seeking and sharing in a virtual community of emergency practice. Eval Health Prof. 2009 Sep;32(3):314-27. Epub 2009 Aug 20.
  • Brannen, C., Grandia, P., Stewart, S. H., Zahradnik, M., & McGrath, P. J. Does public awareness of secondary traumatic stress in military families provide a context for intervention? A review of reports in the Canadian popular news media. The Behavior Therapist, 2008; 31, 85-91.
  • Lingley-Pottie, P., Mcgrath, P.J. Telehealth: a child and family-friendly approach to mental health-care reform. J Telemed Telecare, 2008; 15(5): 225-6
  • Stevens B, McGrath P, Dupuis A, Gibbins S, Beyene J, Breau L, Camfield C, Finley G, A. Franck LS, Howlett A, Johnston C, McKeever P, O'Brien K, Ohlsson A, Yamada J. Indicators of pain in neonates at risk for neurological impairment. J Adv Nurs. 2008 Nov 22. [Epub ahead of print]
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