I am a results-focused, passionate researcher with over 10+ years of experience. I have worked across multiple health disciplines including surgical oncology, general surgery, radiology, public and preventive health and long-term care on projects related to program evaluation, patient safety, knowledge translation, health systems, and clinical research. I hold a Masters in Health Research Methodology and am familiar with policies and procedures related to health research (e.g., research ethics protocols) in multiple institutions. I have experience applying an equity, diversity and inclusion lens across study projects and have completed training in the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Fundamentals (McMaster University) and Introduction to Anti-Black Racism (Unity Health Toronto).

CAREER INTERESTS

  • Program Evaluation

  • Quality and Patient Safety

  • Knowledge Translation

  • Health Systems

  • Clinical Research

  • Project Management

EDUCATION

  • Master of Health Research Methodology, McMaster University

  • Honours Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry with specialization in Molecular Biology, McMaster University

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

  • Evaluation and Research Associate for the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence, conducting program evaluations and applied research to support strategic initiatives and data-driven decision-making in mental health services

  • Research Coordinator for The Team for Implementation, Evaluation, and Sustainability (TIES) in the Knowledge Translation Program of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital

  • Knowledge broker and and research lead for a novel patient-engagement program on behalf of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

  • Led novel, multidisciplinary research aimed at understanding how to optimize the engagement of long-term care populations’ participation in immunity research

  • Research Coordinator, Department of Surgery, McMaster University where I managed daily operations of multiple, multi-site research projects with the emphasis on patient safety and management of Phase II and phase III clinical trials

    SPECIAL SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Proven ability to lead the development, implementation and evaluation (including manuscript preparation) of qualitative studies that employed a patient-engagement approach

  • Proven ability to lead multiple focus groups and stakeholder presentations with patient, clinician, and decision-maker audiences

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-Reviewed

  1. Grubac V, D. S. Task Force Public Advisors Network (TF-PAN) Protocol. Canadian Medical Association Journal. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/suppl/2023/05/02/195.18.E639.DC1/221219-guide-11-at.pdf 2023.

  2. Simunovic, M., Grubac, V., Hillis, C., Yang, I., Eskicioglu, C., Bogach, J., Kennedy, E., Porter, G., Fahim, C., Wright, J., Aziz, T., Tsai, S., van der Pol, C. B., Devereaux, P. J., & Baker, G. R. (2022). Identification and Adjudication of Adverse Events Following Rectal Cancer Surgery: Observational Case Series in a Region of Ontario, Canada. Annals of surgical oncology, 29(2), 1182–1191.

  3. Simunovic, M., Urbach, D. R., Fahim, C., O'Brien, M. A., Earle, C. C., Brouwers, M., Gatov, E., Grubac, V., McCormack, D., & Baxter, N. (2021). High-Intensity vs Low-Intensity Knowledge Translation Interventions for Surgeons and Their Association With Process and Outcome Measures Among Patients Undergoing Rectal Cancer Surgery. JAMA network open, 4(7), e2117536.

  4. Lee, J., Grubac, V., Baxter, N., Auer, R., Porter, G., Holm, T., Moran, B., Heald, R. J., & Simunovic, M. (2021). Digital rectal examination in palpable rectal cancer: expert panel consensus on key elements and analysis of a case series. The British journal of surgery, 108(8), e264–e265.

  5. Simunovic, M., Fahim, C., Coates, A., Urbach, D., Earle, C., Grubac, V., Brouwers, M., O'Brien, M. A., & Baxter, N. (2020). A method to audit and score implementation of knowledge translation (KT) interventions in large health regions - an observational pilot study using rectal cancer surgery in Ontario. BMC health services research, 20(1), 506.

  6. Simunovic, M., Grubac, V., Zbuk, K., Wong, R., & Coates, A. (2018). Role of the status of the mesorectal fascia in the selection of patients with rectal cancer for preoperative radiation therapy: a retrospective cohort study. Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie, 61(5), 332–338.

  7. Bogach, J., Tsai, S., Zbuk, K., Wong, R., Grubac, V., Coates, A., Pond, G. R., & Simunovic, M. (2018). Quality of preoperative pelvic computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for rectal cancer in a region in Ontario: A retrospective population-based study. Journal of surgical oncology, 117(5), 1038–1042.

  8. Eskicioglu, C., Forbes, S., Tsai, S., Francescutti, V., Coates, A., Grubac, V., Sonnadara, R., & Simunovic, M. (2016). Collaborative case conferences in rectal cancer: case series in a tertiary care centre. Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 23(2), e138–e143.

  9. Keng, C., Coates, A., Grubac, V., Lovrics, P., DeNardi, F., Thabane, L., & Simunovic, M. (2016). The Need for Consensus and Transparency in Assessing Population-Based Rates of Positive Circumferential Radial Margins in Rectal Cancer: Data from Consecutive Cases in a Large Region of Ontario, Canada. Annals of surgical oncology, 23(2), 397–402.

  10. Francescutti, V., Amin, N., Cadeddu, M., Eskicioglu, C., Forbes, S., Kelly, S., Yang, I., Tsai, S., Coates, A., Grubac, V., & Simunovic, M. (2015). An Internet-Based Collaborative Cancer Conference for Rectal Cancer Influenced Surgeon Treatment Recommendations. Annals of surgical oncology, 22(7), 2143–2150.

  11. Simunovic, M., Stephen, W., Kelly, S., Forbes, S., Cadeddu, M., Thabane, L., Grubac, V., Lovrics, P., DeNardi, F., Prodger, D., Tsai, S., & Coates, A. (2013). Quality improvement in colorectal cancer in local health integration network 4 (LHIN 4) project (QICC-L4): integrated knowledge translation in a large geographic region. Annals of surgical oncology, 20(13), 4067–4072.

  12. Sayat, R., Leber, B., Grubac, V., Wiltshire, L., & Persad, S. (2008). O-GlcNAc-glycosylation of beta-catenin regulates its nuclear localization and transcriptional activity. Experimental cell research, 314(15), 2774–2787.