Overview
Dr. Brignardello-Petersen is an Associate Professor, and the Associate Chair, Education, at the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (HEI); at McMaster University. Her research and teaching focus on the development and application of methods for evidence synthesis and practice guideline development. Dr. Brignardello-Petersen leads a research group conducting methodological studies, primary studies, evidence syntheses, and practice guidelines. She also collaborates with several research teams in the development of their projects, and has served as a guideline methodologist for several organizations, including the World Health Organization, the Pan-American Health Organization, and medical groups and societies around the world.
Areas of Research Interest
- Evidence-based decision-making
- Methodological studies
- Evidence synthesis methods
- Guideline development methods
- Methodological studies
- Evidence synthesis methods
- Guideline development methods
Training
Dr. Brignardello-Petersen obtained a DDS degree from the University of Chile in 2007, and practiced dentistry before moving to Canada in 2010. Dr. Brignardello-Petersen received an MSc (2012) and a PhD (2016) degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Healthcare Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, at the University of Toronto. She also holds an MSc degree in biostatistics from the University of Chile (2015). After spending two years as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at HEI, she joined as a full-time faculty member in 2018, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2023.
Distinctions
Dr. Brignardello-Petersen received two scholarships from the Chilean National Commission for Scientific and Technologic Research to pursue graduate training (MSc, 2020; PhD, 2012). She was also recognized with the “Dr. Claire Bombardier Award for Excellence in Clinical Epidemiology” (2016), and the “Thomas and Edna Naylor Memorial Award for best paper based on thesis in Health Services and Health Care Research” (2017) awards from the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, at University of Toronto.
In 2022, Dr. Brignardello-Petersen received the Najoua Mlika-Cabanne Award, which recognizes early career individuals who have innovated in methodology, development and/or implementation of clinical practice guidelines.
Dr. Brignardello-Petersen’s work is highly cited, and she has been listed in the Stanford/Elsevier “World’s 2% Scientists” ranking since 2020, and in Clarivate’s “Highly Cited Researchers” (awarded to the top 1%) since 2024.
In 2022, Dr. Brignardello-Petersen received the Najoua Mlika-Cabanne Award, which recognizes early career individuals who have innovated in methodology, development and/or implementation of clinical practice guidelines.
Dr. Brignardello-Petersen’s work is highly cited, and she has been listed in the Stanford/Elsevier “World’s 2% Scientists” ranking since 2020, and in Clarivate’s “Highly Cited Researchers” (awarded to the top 1%) since 2024.
Current Research Projects
- Ongoing (selected):
- - Facilitating antibiotic stewardship: evaluating the trustworthiness, adaptability, and extent to which antimicrobial resistance is considered in antimicrobial evidence-based practice guidelines
- - Barriers and facilitators for developing and implementing evidence-based practice guidelines during a pandemic: An exploratory mixed-methods study.
- Past (selected):
- - Synthesizing evidence to inform decision-making in the context of a pandemic: balancing efficiency with methodological rigour
- - Living network meta-analysis and rapid recommendations for the treatment of COVID-19
Educational and Mentorship Activities
- Dr. Brignardello-Petersen supervises MSc and PhD students from the Health Research Methodology program at HEI. She also provides research opportunities for a number of undergraduate students per year. In addition to coordinating and teaching in courses related to evidence synthesis, systematic reviews, and guideline development methodology at HEI, she has taught courses for many organizations and institutions, including courses about Evidence Based Dentistry (at the University of Chile, the University of Toronto, and the University at Buffalo), the development of systematic reviews and guidelines (at the Pan-American Health Organization, and the American Dental Association, among others) and about GRADE.
Trainee Supervision
- Dr. Brignardello-Petersen is considering supervision of students for the Health Research Methodology Program at McMaster University (MSc and PhD) and postdoctoral fellows on a case by case basis.