About Us

Tina Korownyk, MD CCFP

Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

PEER Director

Tina is the Director of PEER, an organization that seeks to empower primary care through the use of best evidence. She participates regularly in the development of Tools for Practice (one page evidence summaries that are distributed nationally every 2 weeks), Primary Care Guidelines and other knowledge translation activities. She is a frequent speaker at provincial and national conferences and has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. She is the co-coordinator of the EBM program for Family Medicine residents at the University of Alberta and proud to be a part of the leadership team for Pragmatic Trials, searching to improve the care of patients through pragmatic randomized controlled trials. She is married with 4 children, and enjoys all things outdoors.

Mike Kolber, BSC MD CCFP MSC

PEIP Conference Chair

Professor, Family Medicine, University of Alberta

He contributes to Tools for Practice, medical podcasts and enjoys presenting at local, provincial, national, and international events. He has recently (2023) chaired or co-chaired two guidelines: Simplified Lipid and Alberta Post-polypectomy Surveillance guidelines.

Mike chairs the Practical Evidence for Informed Practice (PEIP) and Endoscopy Skills Day for Practicing Endoscopists conferences and helps run PEER North, MEME and the EBM workshops.

Mike Allan, MD, CCFP

CEO of the College of Family Physicians

Adjunct Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

He is one of the founders of PEER, started with the intention of creating education and clinical guidance by family physicians, for family physicians. He also helped create Tools for Practice, the Best Science Medicine Podcast, and Simplified Guidelines. Having given over 300 invited presentations and published over 100 articles, Mike is the recipient of provincial, national, and international awards for education, research, and professional work.

Moving back to British Columbia in 2018, Mike concluded his clinical career in rural primary care on Salt Spring Island, where he resides with his wife and, occasionally, one or both of his two adult daughters.

Emélie Braschi, MD, PhD

Emélie is a Family Physician working as a hospitalist in a stroke rehabilitation unit. She enjoys helping physicians making sense of clinical evidence.

Karenn Chan, MD CCFP CAC COE

Associate Professor, Dept of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

Nicolas Dugré, PharmD, MSC, BCACP

Associate clinical professor, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Montréal

Pharmacist, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal

Nicolas received his Doctor of pharmacy in 2011 and his Master degree in advanced pharmacotherapy in 2012 from the University of Montréal.  He has since been sharing his time between teaching at the university, co-hosting a French medical podcast and working as a clinical pharmacist at the Sacré-Coeur Family medecine group in Montréal.

Nicolas contributes to Tools for practice, guideline development and other knowledge translation projects.

Jamie Falk, BSc, Pharm, PharmD

Associate Professor and Clinical Stream Lead, College of Pharmacy

Associate Adjunct Professor, Department of Family Medicine

Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba

Jamie received his pharmacy degree from the University of Manitoba and his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of British Columbia. His teaching activities revolve around evidence application in the management of chronic diseases, with a research focus on information synopsis and knowledge translation as well as evaluation of drug utilization and prescribing patterns. He participates regularly in Tools for Practice creation and student mentorship, and Primary Care Guideline development. He frequently speaks at provincial and national conferences and has published over 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is the co-chair of the Making Evidence Matter for Everyone (MEME) Conference in Vancouver.

Caitlin Finley, BHSc MSc MD CCFP

Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

She has a Master’s of Science in Epidemiology, and uses her love of data in her work with knowledge translation and teaching evidence-based medicine, at both the undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Outside of work, her daughter, husband, and cat keep her on toes.

Scott Garrison, MD PHD

Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

Director, Pragmatic Trials Collaborative

Scott spent the first 20 years of his professional career as a full time fee-for-service family physician. He has a passion for evidence-based medicine and left full time clinical practice in 2013 intent on pursuing clinical trials that address important, as yet unaddressed, primary care questions. He is working to build a platform for large primary care trials in both BC and Alberta.

Jessica Kirkwood, MD CCFP (AM)

Assistant Professor, Family Medicine, University of Alberta

Jess joined PEER in September 2019 and is now an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta. She has been a family physician in Edmonton’s inner city since 2012, providing primary care to patients that are unhoused and experience mental illness and substance use disorders at Radius Community Health and Healing. She is very passionate about helping educate primary care providers and learners to care for marginalized patients in a way that is empathic as well as evidence-based. She attended medical school and residency at the University of Alberta. She has 2 kids, a fluffy dog and a very patient partner.

Roni Kraut, CPA, MD, CCFP, MSc

Assistant Professor, Family Medicine, University of Alberta

Roni is a family physician/researcher based in Edmonton. She has a family medicine practice at Shifa Medical Clinic and is a long-term care physician at Benevolence Care Centre. She has been involved in primary care research ever since her first research project with Mike Allan as a medical student. Roni’s research is based on questions highly relevant and impactful to primary care, with a focus on deprescribing, preventing overdiagnosis, population screening, and women’s health. Roni enjoys spending time with her awesome family.

Adrienne Lindblad, BSP BSc ACPR PharmD

Manager, Knowledge Experts and Tools Program, College of Family Physicians of Canada

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

Adrienne combines advanced academic credentials with a passion for healthcare innovation, holding a pharmacy degree from the University of Saskatchewan, a hospital pharmacy residency from Halifax, and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Toronto. As the manager of the Tools for Practice and Simplified Guidelines programs, Adrienne leads initiatives that bridge research and clinical application. She is deeply committed to education and mentorship, earning numerous awards for her contributions. Passionate about evidence-based medicine, she excels at translating research into practical, patient-centered care and is known for her engaging presentation skills.

James McCormack, BSc, PharmD, PharmD

Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, University of British Columbia

James received his undergraduate pharmacy degree from the University of British Columbia in 1982, completed a hospital pharmacy residency program at Lion’s Gate Hospital in North Vancouver in 1984, and received his doctorate in pharmacy (PharmD) in 1986 from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.
Over the past 35 years, James has presented over 500 seminars and he has written 150 publications and 2 books within the fields of evidence-based medicine, rational drug therapy, and shared informed decision-making. His research focus is on knowledge translation, evidence appraisal and simplifying medical care. James also co-hosts a very popular family medicine: The Best Science (BS) Medicine Podcast.

Samantha Moe, BScPhm ACPR PharmD

Clinical Evidence Expert, The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Samantha Moe is a Clinical Evidence Expert with the College of Family Physicians of Canada since 2018. Trained as a pharmacist, Samantha worked in family medicine, ICU and general medicine for over 15 years prior to joining the CFPC. She completed her BScPharm and PharmD at the University of Toronto and hospital residency in London, Ontario. Samantha is mom to three kids, and can be found trying to get that yoga pose just right.

Tony Nickonchuk, BSc, Pharm

Alberta Health Services (AHS) Provincial Drug Utilization and Stewardship

Tony obtained his pharmacy degree from the University of Alberta in 2006 and spent 8 years working as a community pharmacist.

Tony transitioned to becoming a pharmacist at the Peace River Hospital and now currently is involved with creating recommendations for the AHS drug formulary that is based on the highest level of evidence. Tony also performs data analysis of provincial drug utilization and develops drug stewardship programs.

You will see Tony at the Practical Evidence for Informed Practice (PEIP) conference as he has been a longstanding planning committee member.

In Tony’s free time he enjoys biking, running, and snowshoeing. He also loves camping with his wife and three kids.

Allison Paige, MD, CCFP

Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba

Site Medical Lead, Kildonan Medical Centre

Associate Director of Quality Improvement, Department of Family Medicine

Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

Alli works as a Family Physician and clinical preceptor at Kildonan Medical Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She also is the Associate Director for Quality Improvement in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Manitoba where she oversees the resident Quality Improvement curriculum and participates in quality improvement related projects.
Alli is married with two children. She loves going to the lake and Disney World with her family and is a proud hockey mom.

Danielle Perry, MsC BScN RN

Clinical Evidence Expert, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Assistant Adjunct Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

Danielle has a background in nursing and epidemiology, with experience in acute, long-term and correctional nursing. Currently, she works full-time developing and providing physician education materials that utilize evidence-based medicine. She enjoys teaching and is actively involved in academic detailing to family physicians across Alberta.

In her “free time”, Danielle travels back to Prince Edward Island to see her family, works at the Edmonton Institution for Women and enjoys reading, biking and spending time with her friends.

Jen Potter, MD CCFP

Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba

Jen has been in practice as a family physician since 2005, and at Kildonan Medical Centre in Winnipeg since 2012 where she participates in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.

She also has a research interest in vaccine hesitancy. Jen has three daughters and enjoys knitting, playing guitar, and going to the lake.

Betsy Thomas, BSc Pharm

Clinical Evidence Expert, College of Family Physicians of Canada,

Assistant Adjunct Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

Betsy completed her pharmacy degree from the University of Alberta in 1995. She worked as a pharmacist for many years at an independent community pharmacy and a Primary Care Network in Edmonton prior to joining the PEER team. She has also previously worked in other settings including the University of Alberta Faculty of Pharmacy and the Institute of Health Economics.
Currently she works full time for the College of Family Physicians of Canada developing guidelines, Tools for Practice and other physician education materials focusing on evidence-based medicine and she enjoys speaking at various primary care conferences.

Betsy is married with 3 children and loves listening to audiobooks, girls nights out and watching her kids play various sports.

Ricky Turgeon, BSc(Pharm), ACPR, PharmD

Assistant Professor (tenure-track) - Greg Moore Professorship in Clinical & Community Cardiovascular Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia

Ricky received his BSc(Pharm) from Dalhousie University in 2012, completed a hospital pharmacy residency with the Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services in Vancouver in 2013, received his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from UBC in 2015, and completed a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (Division of Cardiology) in 2018.

Ricky’s clinical practice is as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in cardiology, and his research interest is in integrating high-quality observational studies and meta-analyses of randomized trials to develop decision support tools to facilitate shared decision making in the pharmacological management of cardiovascular disease. His research is centered on implementation science, with a focus on antithrombotic agents, lipid-lowering therapies, pharmacotherapy for heart failure, and on the cardiovascular safety of medications.

Jennifer Young, MD

Comprehensive family physician in Collingwood, Ontario including teaching, hospitalist, obstetrics and just retired from part time emergency medicine.