McGill University
Understanding and changing behavior systems in behavioral and implementation science
Speaker: Dr. Justin Presseau
Senior Scientist and Program Director, Methodological and Implementation Research Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Presentation Date: November 21, 2025
Presentation abstract: Behavioral and implementation science currently prioritize understanding and changing single, isolated behaviors, an approach which suffers from limited ecological validity and missed opportunities. This is due to a failure in acknowledging that behaviors exist within complex systems where motivation, time, and resources are finite. In addition, clinical behaviors are rarely performed in isolations, rather a sequence of behaviors are needed to be changed. Despite growing recognition of this shortcoming, scientific and intervention paradigms have been slow to adapt. Dr. Justin Presseau discusses behavior systems paradigm by demonstrating how behaviors can vary within individuals, outlining the theoretical foundations for understanding their interconnectedness, and proposing next-generation research and intervention designs that account for the reality of multiple, competing behaviors.
Speaker: Dr. Ian Graham
Distinguished University Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health and School of Nursing, University of Ottawa
Presentation Date: October 23, 2025
Presentation abstract: A persistent gap exists between research evidence and its application in practice, policy, and programs in real world settings. A solution is for research co-production (or integrated knowledge translation), which utilizes equitable partnerships between researchers and knowledge users across all stages of research. Despite its growing recognition, the sustainability of co-production faces significant institutional and cultural challenges. Dr. Ian Graham draws on evidence from funding program analyses and the work of the Integrated Knowledge Translation Research Network, which synthesize data demonstrating co-production’s feasibility and effectiveness, outline the advancing science of its principles and methods, and argue for the systemic changes in funding and academic incentives needed to secure its future.
Community Engagement to Promote Sustainability of Evidence-based Interventions
Speaker: Dr. Rachel Shelton
Professor, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Presentation Date: September 25, 2025
Presentation abstract: The sustainability of evidence-based interventions remains a challenge, with only half of interventions sustained beyond their first year. To achieve a lasting impact, authentic community engagement need to be utilized to ensure cultural relevance, contextual fit, and local ownership. Despite its importance, long-term sustainment is rarely planned for from the outset. Drawing on evidence from a 16-year community-engaged research partnership, Dr. Rachel Shelton shows how community engagement informs sustainment, highlight key predictors from longitudinal data. She advocates for dynamic implementation frameworks that considers community partnership and capacity building from the beginning of the research process.
“I Think We Do This Anyway” Intuition and Theory in Implementation Science
Speaker: Dr. Natalie Taylor
Associate Professor, Implementation to Impact, School of Population Health, University of New South Wales
Presentation Date: May 29, 2025
Presentation abstract: The efficacy of implementation strategies is often constrained by a persistent gap between theoretical frameworks and the intuitive knowledge of health care professionals (HCPs). The challenge is to reconcile evidence-based theory with the tacit expertise that practitioners use to solve real-world implementation problems. However, intuition of HCPs and theory-guided frameworks are rarely integrated into a cohesive methodology. Dr. Natalie Taylor draws on a 15-year program of research and a pragmatic clinical trial in Australia, which compared the effectiveness of both methods, demonstrate where the advantages and weakness of each approach, and proposes the development of an integrated, AI-assisted learning system designed to systematically bridge the art of clinical intuition with the science of theoretical rigor.
Updates on the knowledge base for effective scaling of health innovations
Speaker: Dr. France Légaré C.Q., B. Sc. Arch, MD, MSc, PhD, CCMF, FCMF
Chair in KT and Shared Decision-Making, Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval
Presentation Date: April 15, 2025
Presentation abstract: Scaling evidence-based innovations in healthcare is gaining prominence among policymakers, particularly in high-income countries, as they face increasing resource constraints. At the core of this effort is the concept of ‘value-based healthcare,’ which emphasizes optimizing outcomes relative to resources needed and patient preferences. Despite its importance, scaling efforts often fail. This presentation, drawing on insights from eight systematic reviews and two stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials, will: (1) propose an updated list of concepts and definitions relevant to scaling, (2) synthesize evidence on effective scaling strategies, (3) highlight critical gaps in current knowledge, and (4) showcase ongoing initiatives aimed at addressing these challenges.
Advancing the development and evaluation of contextualized approaches to implementing evidence-based interventions
Speaker: Dr. Byron J. Powell, Ph.D. LCSW
Associate Professor of Medicine & Associate Dean for Research, Division of Infectious Diseases, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Presentation Date: March 14, 2025
“You have to wait for doctors to retire or die to change practice” – A 35 year reflection on the evolution of implementation science
Speaker: Jeremy Grimshaw, MBCHB, PHD, FRCGP, FCAHS
Senior Scientist Emeritus, Methodological and Implementation Research Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Full Professor, Department of Medicine University of Ottawa
Presentation Date: May 16, 2024
Presentation abstract: Dr. Jeremy Grimshaw visited McGill University to reflect on the evolution of implementation science over his remarkable 35-year career. An Emeritus Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Health Knowledge Transfer and Uptake for 21 years, Dr. Grimshaw shared 10 key areas of progress, including increased awareness of evidence-to-practice gaps and a deeper understanding of implementation strategies.
He also highlighted persistent challenges, such as the need to better “implement” implementation science itself and address the unmet needs of health system partners.