Overview

My research is focused on childhood diabetes. Diabetes is one of the most common lifelong childhood disorders affecting approximately 40,000 children and adolescents in Canada. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are on the rise, and worryingly, most children and youth living with diabetes are not achieving the best health outcomes, despite provincial and nationwide efforts.

My research program is focused on innovative projects that use population level data, community-based participatory methods, co-creation, implementation science and digital technology to prevent childhood onset type 2 diabetes, improve the quality of pediatric diabetes care, and ultimately improve outcomes so children and youth living with diabetes can flourish.

Publications

Adrenal insufficiency in pediatric kidney transplantation recipients
Pediatric Transplantation
DOI: 10.1111/petr.14768
2024

Defining a Childhood Type 1 Diabetes Cohort, Clinical Practice Measures, and Outcomes Within Administrative Data in British Columbia
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.08.007
2024

Hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar state: No longer an endocrine crisis exclusive to adulthood
Paediatrics and Child Health (Canada)
DOI: 10.1093/pch/pxad073
2024

Designing a Collaborative Patient-Centered Digital Health Platform for Pediatric Diabetes Care in British Columbia: Formative Needs Assessment by Caregivers of Children and Youths Living With Type 1 Diabetes and Health Care Providers (Preprint)
Fatema S Abdulhussein and Susan Pinkney and Matthias Görges and Tibor van Rooij and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.2196/preprints.46432
02/2023

RAISE (Raising Infants to Be Smart Eaters) Pilot Study
Childhood obesity (Print)
Hale, I. and Fergus, T. and Buhler, H. and Purcell, M. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1089/chi.2021.0278
2023

Incidence Trends of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Medication-Induced Diabetes, and Monogenic Diabetes in Canadian Children, Then (2006-2008) and Now (2017-2019)
Pediatric Diabetes
Patel, T.J. and Ayub, A. and Bone, J.N. and Hadjiyannakis, S. and Henderson, M. and Nour, M.A. and Pinto, T.E. and Wicklow, B. and Hamilton, J.K. and Sellers, E.A.C. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1155/2023/5511049
2023

Diabetes Distress and Transition Readiness in Youths with Type 1 Diabetes Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Care
Pediatric Diabetes
Leung, J.M.W.S. and Al-Yahyawi, N.Y. and Choi, H.S. and Stewart, L.L. and Bone, J.N. and Tang, T.S. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1155/2023/5580180
2023

Systematic review of technology-mediated peer support interventions in paediatric type 1 diabetes care
Diabetic Medicine
Titoria, R. and Fung, A. and Tang, T.S. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1111/dme.15172
2023

Barriers and facilitators to healthy living counselling in Canadian pediatric tertiary care: a survey of healthcare providers
Research Square
Sweeney-Magee, M. and Nugent, C. and Pinkney, S. and Charbonneau, K. and Tang, M. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3359997/v1
2023

Patient Perceptions of Telehealth for Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Follow-up Study
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Niyyati, S. and Fung, A. and Zhang, Q. and Ng, C. and Amed, S. and Bone, J.N. and Ziabakhsh, S. and Hursh, B.E.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.05.005
2023

Using Human-Centered Design and Cocreation to Create the Live 5-2-1-0 Mobile App to Promote Healthy Behaviors in Children: App Design and Development
JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Yau, K.W. and Tang, T.S. and G{\"o}rges, M. and Pinkney, S. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.2196/44792
2023

Designing a Collaborative Patient-Centered Digital Health Platform for Pediatric Diabetes Care in British Columbia: Formative Needs Assessment by Caregivers of Children and Youths Living With Type 1 Diabetes and Health Care Providers
JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Abdulhussein, F.S. and Pinkney, S. and G{\"o}rges, M. and van Rooij, T. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.2196/46432
2023

Using Human-Centered Design and Cocreation to Create the Live 5-2-1-0 Mobile App to Promote Healthy Behaviors in Children: App Design and Development (Preprint)
Kiana W Yau and Tricia S Tang and Matthias Görges and Susan Pinkney and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.2196/preprints.44792
12/2022

Peer Support Interventions on Digital Platforms for Children With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Caregivers
Diabetes Spectrum
Titoria, R. and Amed, S. and Tang, T.S.
DOI: 10.2337/ds21-0081
2022

Anthropometric Measurements and Laboratory Investigations in Children and Youth With Type 1 Diabetes Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Silva, C. and Zhang, Q. and Bone, J.N. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2022.04.003
2022

Evaluation of two social norms nudge interventions to promote healthier food choices in a Canadian grocery store
Research Square
Suleman, S. and Sweeney-Magee, M. and Pinkney, S. and Charbonneau, K. and Banh, K. and Hale, I. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1602470/v1
2022

Drawing on Cultural Traditions to Improve Cardiorespiratory Fitness with South Asian Children: A Feasibility Study
Childhood Obesity
Tang, T.S. and Mahmood, B. and Amed, S. and Mckay, H.
DOI: 10.1089/chi.2021.0187
2022

Toward Building a Provincial Diabetes Registry of Children and Youth Living With Diabetes in British Columbia, Canada
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Ayub, A. and Ng, C. and Portales-Casamar, E. and Metzger, D. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2021.11.006
2022

Insulin pump complications among children with diabetes,Complications de la pompe à insuline chez les enfants diabétiques
Canadian Family Physician
Hou, M. and Amed, S. and Goldman, R.D.
DOI: 10.46747/cfp.6812893
2022

Effectiveness of Mobile Apps in Promoting Healthy Behavior Changes and Preventing Obesity in Children: Systematic Review
JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Yau, K.W. and Tang, T.S. and Gorges, M. and Pinkney, S. and Kim, A.D. and Kalia, A. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.2196/34967
2022

Effectiveness of Mobile Apps in Promoting Healthy Behavior Changes and Preventing Obesity in Children: Systematic Review (Preprint)
Kiana W Yau and Tricia S Tang and Matthias Görges and Susan Pinkney and Annie D Kim and Angela Kalia and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.2196/preprints.34967
11/2021

Risk Factors for Developing Posttransplant Diabetes After Pediatric Kidney Transplant in a Canadian Tertiary Care Children’s Hospital Between 1995 and 2016
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Alejandra Acosta-Gualandri and Tom Blydt-Hansen and Nazrul Islam and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2021.05.004
07/2021

The four I's of adolescent transition in type 1 diabetes care: A qualitative study
Diabetic Medicine
Joseph M. W. S. Leung and Tricia S. Tang and Catherine E. Lim and Lori M. Laffel and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.1111/dme.14443
07/2021

An Analysis of Self-Reported Barriers to Type 1 Diabetes Care in a Pediatric Population in British Columbia, Canada
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Safia Ladha and Danya Fox and Jeffrey N. Bone and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2020.10.015
07/2021

Hyperthyroidism With Atrial Fibrillation in Children: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Frontiers in Endocrinology
Subramonian, D. and Wu, Y.J. and Amed, S. and Sanatani, S.
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.689497
2021

Family conflict in type 1 diabetes: Who is at risk?
Pediatric Diabetes
Danya A. Fox and Jeffrey N. Bone and Shelly Keidar and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.1111/pedi.13116
12/2020

Fluid management in children with diabetic ketoacidosis.
Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien
McGregor S and Metzger DL and Amed S and Goldman RD
PubMed: 33208421
11/2020

Evaluation of telephone and virtual visits for routine pediatric diabetes care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Journal of clinical & translational endocrinology
Fung A and Irvine M and Ayub A and Ziabakhsh S and Amed S and Hursh BE
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcte.2020.100238
PubMed: 33072519
10/2020

Celiac disease in children with Type 1 diabetes varies around the world: an international, cross-sectional study of 57 375 patients from the SWEET registry.
Journal of diabetes
Taczanowska A and Schwandt A and Amed S and Toth-Heyn P and Kanaka-Gantenbein C and Volsky SK and Svensson J and Szypowska A
DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.13126
PubMed: 33118261
10/2020

MON-631 Quality of Life in a Pragmatic Trial of a Type 1 Diabetes Adolescent Transition Program.
Journal of the Endocrine Society
Leung JMWS and Al-Yahyawi NY and Choi HS and Stewart LL and Tang TS and Amed S
05/2020

Fluid management in children with diabetic ketoacidosis,Prise en charge des liquides chez les enfants atteints d’acidocétose diabétique
Canadian Family Physician
McGregor, S. and Metzger, D.L. and Amed, S. and Goldman, R.D.
2020

The live 5-2-1-0 toolkit for family physicians: Mixed methods evaluation of a resource to facilitate health promotion in a primary care setting
British Columbia Medical Journal
Karacabeyli, D. and Shea, S. and Keidar, S. and Pinkney, S. and Bepple, K. and Edwards, D. and Hale, I. and Suleman, S. and Amed, S.
2020

Clinical Impact and Cost Efficacy of Newborn Screening for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Journal of Pediatrics
Fox, D.A. and Ronsley, R. and Khowaja, A.R. and Haim, A. and Vallance, H. and Sinclair, G. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.12.057
2020

Incidence Trends of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes in British Columbia, Canada
Journal of Pediatrics
Kao, K.-T. and Islam, N. and Fox, D.A. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.02.069
2020

SAT-265 Diabetes Distress in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Transitioning to Adult Care.
Journal of the Endocrine Society
Leung J and Al-Yahyawi N and Choi H and Stewart L and Tang T and Amed S
DOI: 10.1210/js.2019-SAT-265
04/2019

SAT-268 Association between Transition Readiness and Diabetes Distress in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Transitioning to Adult Care.
Journal of the Endocrine Society
Leung J and Al-Yahyawi N and Choi H and Stewart L and Tang T and Amed S
DOI: 10.1210/js.2019-SAT-268
04/2019

SAT-267 Predictors of Poor Glycemic Control in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Transitioning to Adult Care.
Journal of the Endocrine Society
Al-Yahyawi N and Leung J and Choi H and Stewart L and Tang T and Amed S
DOI: 10.1210/js.2019-SAT-267
04/2019

Parents' perceptions of obesity prevention during infancy: a qualitative study.
CMAJ open
Hale I and Amed S and Keidar S and Purcell M and Lee D and Farhadi D
DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20180066
PubMed: 30782770
01/2019

Reply: Do Adults with Gynecomastia Require Routine Evaluation by Endocrinology?
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Malhotra, A.K. and Amed, S. and Bucevska, M. and Bush, K. and Arneja, J.S.
DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000005336
2019

Mixed methods study exploring parent engagement in child health research in British Columbia
BMJ Open
Smith, J. and Pike, I. and Brussoni, M. and Tucker, L. and Mâsse, L. and Mah, J.W.T. and Boudreau, A. and Mount, D. and Bonaguro, R. and Glegg, S. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025404
2019

In support of point-of-care social needs screening: The effects of five social determinants on the health of children with chronic diseases in British Columbia
Paediatrics and Child Health (Canada)
Seear, M. and Amed, S. and Dionne, J. and Yang, C. and Tourigny, K. and De Mello, A. and Hamilton, Z. and Espinosa, B.G.
DOI: 10.1093/pch/pxy090
2019

Enhancing Health Surveillance: Validation of a Novel Electronic Medical Records-Based Definition of Cases of Pediatric Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Kosowan, L. and Wicklow, B. and Queenan, J. and Yeung, R. and Amed, S. and Singer, A.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2019.02.005
2019

Propagating change: Using RE-FRAME to scale and sustain a community-based childhood obesity prevention initiative
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Kennedy, L. and Pinkney, S. and Suleman, S. and Mâsse, L.C. and Naylor, P.-J. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16050736
2019

DEFINING PEDIATRIC DIABETES USING EMR RECORDS AND VALIDATION FROM LINKABLE MANITOBA COHORT DATA.
Paediatrics & Child Health
Singer A and Kosowan L and Queenan J and Yeung R and Amed S and Wicklow B
DOI: 10.1093/pch/pxy054.027
05/2018

A228 FIRST REPORT OF ADRENAL CRISIS IN TWO PATIENTS WITH EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS.
Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
Avinashi V and Amed S and Hursh B and Chan E
DOI: 10.1093/jcag/gwy008.229
02/2018

Evaluation of complex community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions
Obesity Reviews
Karacabeyli, D. and Allender, S. and Pinkney, S. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1111/obr.12689
2018

Type 1 diabetes outcomes: Does distance to clinic matter?
Pediatric Diabetes
Fox, D.A. and Islam, N. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1111/pedi.12749
2018

Pituitary Dysfunction in Pediatric Patients with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia: A Retrospective Cohort Study (1975-2014)
Hormone Research in Paediatrics
Alyahyawi, N. and Dheensaw, K. and Islam, N. and Aroichane, M. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1159/000484046
2018

Incidence and prevalence trends of youth-onset type 2 diabetes in a cohort of Canadian youth: 2002-2013
Pediatric Diabetes
Amed, S. and Islam, N. and Sutherland, J. and Reimer, K.
DOI: 10.1111/pedi.12631
2018

Application of genomics to identify therapeutic targets in recurrent pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma
Cold Spring Harbor Molecular Case Studies
Ronsley, R. and Rod Rassekh, S. and Shen, Y. and Lee, A.F. and Jantzen, C. and Halparin, J. and Albert, C. and Hawkins, D.S. and Amed, S. and Rothstein, R. and Mungall, A.J. and Dix, D. and Blair, G. and Nadel, H. and Jones, S.J.M. and Laskin, J. and Marra, M.A. and Deyell, R.J.
DOI: 10.1101/mcs.a002568
2018

Do adolescents with gynecomastia require routine evaluation by endocrinology?
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004465
2018

Type 1 diabetes incidence and prevalence trends in a cohort of Canadian children and youth
Pediatric Diabetes
Fox, D.A. and Islam, N. and Sutherland, J. and Reimer, K. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1111/pedi.12566
2018

ANALYSIS ON USE OF THE FITBIT SYSTEM TO PROMOTE HEALTHY BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE ADOLESCENTS.
Paediatrics & Child Health
Riedlinger S and Keidar S and Amed S
DOI: 10.1093/pch/pxx086.039
05/2017

Do Pediatric Patients with Gynecomastia Require Routine Evaluation by Endocrinology?
Pediatrics
2017

The effects of distance to subspecialty care, ethnicity, gender, income and caregiver education on the health of children with chronic diseases
2017

Pituitary Dysfunction in Pediatric Patients with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia: A retrospective cohort study (1975-2015)
Hormone Research in Paediatrics
2017

British Columbian Healthcare Providers' Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers to Adhering to Pediatric Diabetes Treatment Guidelines
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
McIntosh, B. and Khatchadourian, K. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2016.10.002
2017

Wayfinding the live 5-2-1-0 initiative—At the intersection between systems thinking and community-based childhood obesity prevention
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Amed, S. and Shea, S. and Pinkney, S. and Higgins, J.W. and Naylor, P.-J.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13060614
2016

Persistent Albuminuria in Children with Type 2 Diabetes: A Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program Study
Journal of Pediatrics
Sellers, E.A.C. and Hadjiyannakis, S. and Amed, S. and Dart, A.B. and Dyck, R.F. and Hamilton, J. and Langlois, V. and Panagiotopoulos, C. and Dean, H.J.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.09.042
2016

Diagnosis of diabetes type in children and young people: Challenges and recommendations
The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology
Amed, S. and Pozzilli, P.
DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(16)00080-2
2016

Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY): Making the Right Diagnosis to Optimize Treatment
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Amed, S. and Oram, R.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2016.03.002
2016

Creating a collective impact on childhood obesity: Lessons from the SCOPE initiative
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Amed, S. and Naylor, P.-J. and Pinkney, S. and Shea, S. and Mâsse, L.C. and Berg, S. and Collet, J.-P. and Wharf Higgins, J.
DOI: 10.17269/CJPH.106.5114
2015

The Future of Treating Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Focusing Upstream and Extending Our Influence into Community Environments
Current Diabetes Reports
Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1007/s11892-015-0576-7
2015

Sustainable childhood obesity prevention through community engagement (SCOPE) program: Evaluation of the implementation phase
Biochemistry and Cell Biology
McIntosh, B. and Daly, A. and Mâsse, L.C. and Collet, J.-P. and Higgins, J.W. and Naylor, P.-J. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2014-0127
2015

Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Youth – A Family Physician’s Role in Prevention
Canadian Journal of Diagnosis
2015

Care delivery in youth with type 2 diabetes - are we meeting clinical practice guidelines?
Pediatric Diabetes
Amed, S. and Nuernberger, K. and Reimer, K. and Krueger, H. and Aydede, S.K. and Ayers, D. and Collet, J.-P.
DOI: 10.1111/pedi.12147
2014

Clinical management of youth with gender dysphoria in vancouver
Journal of Pediatrics
Khatchadourian, K. and Amed, S. and Metzger, D.L.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.10.068
2014

Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention Through Community Engagement (SCOPE): Development of a Social Media Resource for Communities
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Stephanie Shea and Bonnie McIntosh and Amelia Daly and Jean Paul Collet and Joan Wharf Higgins and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2013.03.256
04/2013

Adherence to clinical practice guidelines in the management of children, youth, and young adults with type 1 diabetes - A prospective population cohort study
Journal of Pediatrics
Amed, S. and Nuernberger, K. and McCrea, P. and Reimer, K. and Krueger, H. and Aydede, S.K. and Ayers, D. and Collet, J.-P.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.01.070
2013

The emerging landscape of childhood diabetes: unraveling the diagnosis
Diabetes Management
Shazhan Amed and Jill Hamilton
DOI: 10.2217/dmt.12.65
11/2012

Process Evaluation of a BC Initiative: Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention Through Community Engagement (SCOPE)
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2012.07.446
10/2012

Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention Through Community Engagement (SCOPE): A Qualitative Study
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2012.07.445
10/2012

Evaluation of a Provincial Education Resource for Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes - A Guide for Families: Diabetes Care for Children and Teens
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Heather Nichol and Bonnie Mcintosh and Shazhan Amed
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2012.07.026
10/2012

Adherence to Clinical Practice Guidelines Among Youth with Type 2 Diabetes in British Columbia, Canada
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2012.07.448
10/2012

Differing clinical features in Aboriginal vs. non-Aboriginal children presenting with type 2 diabetes
Pediatric Diabetes
Amed, S. and Hamilton, J.K. and Sellers, E.A. and Panagiotopoulos, C. and Hadjiyannakis, S. and Shah, B.R. and Booth, G.L. and Laubscher, T.A. and Dannenbaum, D. and Dean, H.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-5448.2012.00859.x
2012

Reply
Journal of Pediatrics
Amed, S. and Dean, H. and Hamilton, J.K.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.11.020
2012

Evaluation of the usefulness and accessibility of a provincial educational resource for pediatric type 1 diabetes: A guide for families: Diabetes care for children and teens
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Nichol, H. and McIntosh, B. and Woo, S. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2012.08.005
2012

Validation of classification algorithms for childhood diabetes identified from administrative data
Pediatric Diabetes
Vanderloo, S.E. and Johnson, J.A. and Reimer, K. and McCrea, P. and Nuernberger, K. and Krueger, H. and Aydede, S.K. and Collet, J.-P. and Amed, S.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-5448.2011.00795.x
2012

Can surveillance provide epidemiological data on Aboriginal health?
Paediatrics and Child Health (Canada)
Grenier, D. and Amed, S. and Dancey, P. and Dean, H. and Hadjiyannakis, S. and Hamilton, J. and Huber, A. and Pelletier, L. and Sellers, E. and Tucker, L. and Vaudry, W. and Wong, T.
DOI: 10.1093/pch/17.8.441
2012

Risk factors for medication-induced diabetes and type 2 diabetes
Journal of Pediatrics
Amed, S. and Dean, H. and Sellers, E.A.C. and Panagiotopoulos, C. and Shah, B.R. and Booth, G.L. and Laubscher, T.A. and Dannenbaum, D. and Hadjiyannakis, S. and Hamilton, J.K.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.01.017
2011

Validation of diabetes case definitions using administrative claims data
Diabetic Medicine
Amed, S. and Vanderloo, S.E. and Metzger, D. and Collet, J.-P. and Reimer, K. and Mccrea, P. and Johnson, J.A.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2011.03238.x
2011

Type 2 diabetes, medication-induced diabetes, and monogenic diabetes in Canadian children: A prospective national surveillance study
Diabetes Care
Amed, S. and Dean, H.J. and Panagiotopoulos, C. and Sellers, E.A.C. and Hadjiyannakis, S. and Laubscher, T.A. and Dannenbaum, D. and Shah, B.R. and Booth, G.L. and Hamilton, J.K.
DOI: 10.2337/dc09-1013
2010

Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents
Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy
Amed, S. and Daneman, D. and Mahmud, F.H. and Hamilton, J.
DOI: 10.1586/erc.10.15
2010

National Surveillance of Non-Type 1 Diabetes (NT1DM) In Canadian Children.
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
DOI: 10.1016/s1499-2671(08)24033-5
01/2008

When Sugar is Not a Sweet: Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrom
Turner Syndrome: Across the Lifespan
2008

Variation in growth hormone immunoassays in clinical practice in Canada
Hormone Research
Amed, S. and Delvin, E. and Hamilton, J.
DOI: 10.1159/000114860
2008

Unravelling the risk factors for non-type 1 diabetes in children
Paediatrics & Child Health
DOI: 10.1093/pch/11.8.506
10/2006

Research

The Diabetes Transformation Project
The Diabetes Transformation Project (DTP) is an initiative funded by the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation that aims to transform childhood diabetes care in British Columbia. At the core of the DTP is the meaningful engagement of stakeholders who are directly impacted by pediatric diabetes healthcare delivery, including children and youth living with diabetes, their families, and health care providers. To this end, the DTP is guided by two Advisory Boards: Patient, Family & Caregiver and Healthcare Provider.

LearnDiabetes
LearnDiabetes, an initiative of the DTP, is a digital education platform that provides interactive diabetes education to children, teens and their caregivers living with type 1 diabetes. In the first phase of this project and in partnership with the BC Children’s Hospital/UBC Digital Lab, we have co-created with patients and families an interactive digital education experience for newly diagnosed children with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers. We are conducting a pre/post evaluation of this digital education platform to better understand its impact on patient experience at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Phase 2 of LearnDiabetes development will include additional learning pathways on diabetes technology and transitions in care.

The BC Pediatric Diabetes Registry
The BC Pediatric Diabetes Registry (BC-PDR) is the first of its kind in BC provincial pediatric diabetes clinical registry. The goal of the registry is to support quality improvement initiatives and knowledge exchange aimed at improving diabetes care processes, care coordination, and patient outcomes. Data is a powerful tool to improve patient care. Clinical data (from patient charts) and patient reported outcome data (self-reported data that allows us to understand what patients and families want and what works for them) can be used to shift and intervene in the healthcare system so that research and innovation can have the greatest impact on patient and family experience, as well as health outcomes.

In 2022, my team and I engaged patients, caregivers, clinicians, and provincial and regional decision-makers to develop an electronic benchmarking dashboard that will use the BC-PDR data to compare clinical outcomes across clinics and regions, identify variation in management and outcomes, and support knowledge exchange on best practice. Currently, the registry includes children and youth from BC Children’s Hospital and pediatric diabetes clinics in the Interior and Vancouver Island Health Authorities. We are currently working to expand the registry to include all health authorities across BC.

Huddle4Parents and Huddle NexGEN
Huddle4Parents and Huddle NexGEN, co-led with Dr. Tricia Tang , are also initiatives of the DTP that aim to provide virtual peer support to children and youth living with type 1 diabetes and their parents. Huddle4Parents and Huddle NexGEN are based off an existing program for adults living with type 1 diabetes developed by Dr. Tang, T1D Huddle, and include monthly virtual group sessions and a 24/7 peer support chat. Huddle4Parents supports parents of young children (5-9 years) and Huddle NexGEN supports youth (10-14) and their parents.

CAPACITY
CAPACITY (funded by CIHR, Diabetes Canada, JDRF and FRQS) is a network of 10 childhood diabetes centres across Canada that has partnered with patients, families, and health-care providers to design the first national childhood diabetes registry. The goal of the registry is to inform the implementation and evaluation of interventions that will improve the health and well-being of children and youth with diabetes and to provide more equitable and high-quality diabetes care across Canada. The national CAPACITY registry will address gaps in Canada’s childhood diabetes data and care by: (1) collecting data that reflect everyday characteristics, lived experience, and long-term health outcomes of children and youth with diabetes; (2) understanding the regional and provincial differences in diabetes care; and (3) incorporating values of equity, diversity, and inclusion to develop practical ways to use the data to improve care. The data from the CAPACITY registry will support rapid knowledge exchange across the CAPACITY network and Canada and new and innovative approaches to research.

TrustSphere
TrustSphere is a novel digital health application that integrates multi-dimensional patient generated health data (PGHD) (i.e. from diabetes devices like insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and patient reported outcome/experience measures) to inform precise clinical care so that children with diabetes can receive the right treatment at the right time, over time to improve their outcomes from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood. TrustSphere includes robust identity verification (via BC Services Card), shared access for patients/families and HCP to the CareHub and dashboard (at and between clinical visits) with diabetes apps, care plans and data (via real-time connection with glucose sensors and insulin pumps), as well as other information like insulin doses, and lab results. TrustSphere also includes a secure digital portal called MyData4Research (MD4R) through which patients/parents can consent/assent to participate in research by sharing their data to a TrustSphere Registry. The goal of the Carehub is to support patient-centered, data-driven, collaborative and personalized care and the registry goal is to provide a new pool of patient-generated health data that can provide insight into the heterogeneity in outcomes across different sub-populations and which therapeutic strategies will work for whom.
We are currently testing TrustSphere’s feasibility of implementation and benefit to users in a multi-phase pilot study involving 50 patients/families living with type 1 diabetes and their healthcare providers (HCP) at the BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) Diabetes Clinic. This will produce TrustSphere version (v)2.0 (after user feedback is integrated during iterative development phases) and an initial scaffold of a secure, private infrastructure for the TrustSphere Registry.

Live 5-2-1-0
Live 5-2-1-0 is community-based, multi-sectoral childhood obesity prevention program that addresses the mid- and up-stream determinants of health and incorporates the unique characteristics of BC populations. My research has shown that rates of type 2 diabetes in Canadian children is increasing at an alarming rate, and 1 in 3 children with a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes already have at least 1 co-morbidity. Live 5-2-1-0 provides a framework of action for local community leaders to make changes to their programs, practices, policies and environments so that it is easier for kids to eat well, be active, and limit screen time. Live 5-2-1-0’s approach is based on a socio-ecological understanding of behaviour change, meaning that individual behaviours are driven by multiple factors (such as a families’ behaviours, access to services and facilities, neighbourhood surroundings, built environment, etc.) As such, sustainable behaviour change is most likely to occur if policy and environmental changes address these factors so that families are surrounded by healthy options.

In its third phase, Live 5-2-1-0 has expanded to include 13 geographical communities across BC, organizations, schools and health authorities that work together and exchange experience, knowledge, and resources to support health behaviours in children. Most recently, the Live 5-2-1-0 mobile application was launched to motivate children ages 8-12 to adopt health behaviours related to nutrition, screen time and physical activity through simple customized goal-setting and fun weekly challenges.

Grants

CIHR, JDRF, Diabetes Canada, FRQS Funded Team Grant: Diabetes Mechanisms and Translational Grant- Project: Building CAPACIty for pediatric diabetes research and quality improvement across Canada

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation CHIPS Grant- Project: Diabetes Transformation Project

BC Children’s Hospital Digital Health Research Accelerator Grant- Project: REACHOUT-NexGEN: a virtual care platform for peer-led mental health support in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

University of British Columbia Expansion Grant for CDTS- Project: TrustSphere

Canadian Digital Technology Supercluster Precision Medicine Grant- Project: TrustSphere

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Personalized Health Catalyst Grants - Project: The Live 5-2-1-0 eHealth App - Supporting health professionals and educators to raise a healthier generation of kids

Honours & Awards

Restracomp Fellowship Appointment—2007/08 Salary support during a second year of research fellowship in Paediatric Endocrinology Amount: $40,000

Rookie of the Year, Department Of Pediatrics, BC Children’s Hospital- 2009

Canadian Society For Clinical Investigation Canadian Institutes Of Research (Csci/Cihr) Resident Research Prize —2004

Resident Clinical Teaching Award, Child Health at the Health Sciences Center and University of Manitoba — 2003-2004

Resident Teaching Award, University of Manitoba — 2003-2004

Hoffman Laroche Canadian Paediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Research Award — 2006/07 Salary support during a year of research fellowship in Paediatric Endocrinology Amount: $60,000

Pediatric Resident Regional Research Competition — Winner 2004

Perls Teaching Award, Department Of Pediatrics, The Hospital For Sick Children —2008

Pediatric Resident National Research Competition — Winner 2004

Canucks for Kids Fund Catalyst Grant- 2013

Research Group Members

Julia Bongers, CAPACITY Research Assistant
Isobel Casey, START Trainee, BC-PDR Research Assistant
Kimberly Charbonneau, Live 5-2-1-0 Project Manager
Calli Davidson, Research Assistant
Joseph Leung, Research Fellow
Andrew Lu, Volunteer Research Assistant
Ruby Marshall, Live 5-2-1-0 Research Assistant
Shruti Muralidharan, Postdoctoral Candidate
Crystal Ng, Provincial Research Coordinator
Susan Pinkney, Research Coordinator
Molly Sweeney Magee, Live 5-2-1-0 Provincial Project Manager
Sukhpreet Tamana, Research Associate
Christina Tang
Carlie Zachariuk, TrustSphere Research Assistant