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Alexandra (Alex) Cernat, MSc PhD

Bio

I'm a first-year medical student at the University of Alberta. I was previously a research trainee at McMaster University, where I completed my PhD in Health Policy under the supervision of Dr Meredith Vanstone. I study the implementation of rapidly emerging, ethically and socially complex technologies using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods.

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Through my research, I aim to produce high-quality evidence that contributes to the development of ethical, equitable, and efficient health policies aligned with patient, public, and experts' values.

My graduate work was generously supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Government of Ontario, McMaster University, the Brocher Foundation in Switzerland, and the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and the University of Toronto.

Research Interests and Specific Areas of Study

My primary interest in in the implementation of genetic and genomic technologies. I have additional interests in child health, as well as technologies or services that require consideration of public health ethics.​

Issues

  • Ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI)

  • Patient, clinician, and policy maker perspectives and preferences

  • Health policy and funding decision making

  • Medical necessity

  • Health equity

Methods

  • Qualitative methods (grounded theory, qualitative description)

  • Economic evaluation (cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis)

  • Systematic and scoping literature reviews

Education

2024 - Present

Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry - University of Alberta

2020 - 2024

PhD in Health Policy
Faculty of Health Sciences - McMaster University

2018 - 2020

MSc in Health Services Research
Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation (IHPME) - University of Toronto

2014 - 2018

BSc in Life Sciences (Honours)
Faculty of Science - McMaster University

2015

Sherwin B Nuland Summer Institute in Bioethics
Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics - Yale University
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