The Centre for Journalology is led by Dr. David Moher. Our diverse team consists of researchers, clinicians, patient partners, and trainees. This project to develop resources to address predatory journals has been co-led by Dr. Kelly Cobey and Dr. Manoj Lalu.
Dr. Moher is the Director of the Centre for Journalology. He is a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He is also a Professor at the School of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Preventative Medicine, University of Ottawa, where he also holds a University Research Chair. He has been involved in developing the science of how to optimally conduct and report systematic reviews for most of his professional career. Another part of his research has focused on how best to develop reporting guidelines. He is active in meta-research and investigating alternatives to current incentives and rewards in academic medicine.
In his spare time, David enjoys going to the Toronto International Film Festival.
Dr. Cobey is an Investigator in the Centre for Journalology at the Ottawa Methods Centre. In her capacity as Publications Officer she provides educational outreach on best practice in academic biomedical publishing. Kelly also consults with researchers one-to-one to provide feedback on research designs and reports. She actively contributes to research on journalology topics, including projects related to predatory journals and reporting quality. Kelly is a member of EQUATOR Canada, an Adjunct Professor in the School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventative Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and an Honorary Researcher at The University of Stirling. She obtained her Ph.D. in Psychology (the University of Groningen, The Netherlands) and has an MRes in Biology (University of Liverpool, England) and a BSc in Psychology and Biology (McMaster University, Canada). Prior to her current post Kelly worked as a Lecturer at The University of Stirling (Scotland) and held a Fyssen Research Fellowship (University of Paris North, France).
Kelly enjoys spending time outdoors and cycling in her free time.
Dr. Lalu is a practicing Anesthesiologist, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital. He holds an Associate Scientist appointment at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Clinical Epidemiology and Regenerative Medicine Programs. His current research is largely preclinical and translational, focusing on novel therapies (e.g., cellular therapies for inflammatory diseases and cancer). Dr. Lalu also investigates the completeness of reporting and the risk of bias in preclinical studies and ways we may overcome barriers to improve this. Finally, through work he has completed with the journalology group, he has helped assess the global burden of illegitimate (i.e., ‘predatory’) journals.
Outside of research and the operating room, Manoj keeps busy with his wife and twin daughters.
Dr. Bryson is an Associate Professor and Vice-Chair Research at the University of Ottawa Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. He is an Associate Scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute where his research focuses on the assessment and modification of risk among patients undergoing surgery. Dr. Bryson joined the Editorial Board of the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia in 2006 and has served as its Deputy Editor-in-Chief since 2014. This editorial work informs his academic interest in peer review and publication models.
Dr. Grudniewicz is an Assistant Professor at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. She holds a Scientist appointment at the Institut du Savoir Montfort and is an Affiliate Investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute. Dr. Grudniewicz is a health services researcher focused on primary and community care for patients with complex health and social needs. Using qualitative and mixed-methods research designs, Dr. Grudniewicz also studies goal-oriented care and coordination and collaboration across settings and care providers. At the Centre for Journalology, she is working to better understand predatory publishing and develop strategies and solutions to address this threat to scholarship.
Agnes enjoys knitting in her spare time and has knitted over 50 pairs of socks!
Michael has a specialist BA in Psychology (McMaster University), and is a passionate patient partner, patient advocate, and lived experience expert for mental health. In 2014, for medical reasons Michael was forced to leave a 20 year career working for several fortune 500 companies specializing in complex IT solution designs for banks, businesses, and government. Now a full time stay at home dad. Michael currently chairs the Patient and Family Advisory Council for Mental Health at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga. Michael currently is an Ontarian living with panic disorder, OCD, anxiety, chronic breathing and neurological conditions, and spends much of his free time speaking about his chronic illnesses, raising awareness, fighting stigma, and raising desperately needed funds for mental health care resources and his community.
Michael is an animal lover, who has 2 cats and 2 dogs. He enjoys playing piano, singing, music composition, and building computers in his spare time.
Laurie Proulx has lived with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis for over 25 years and it is her experiences that led to her involvement in the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA), a grass-roots patient driven and managed organization. Through her involvement with CAPA, she advocates for patient-centered health care policies and practices for people living with arthritis. She works extensively as a patient partner in health research, in health policy, with regulatory colleges and hospitals.
Laurie plays the piano and as a teenager played at churches, accompanied choirs and played in instrumental ensembles.
Alicia Ricketts is a Clinical Research Assistant II at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute working with Drs. Cobey and Lalu on the development of a digital journal authenticator tool to help discern between legitimate and potentially predatory journals. Alicia holds a MSc in Kinesiology from Memorial University and a BSc in Nutrition from Acadia University. She has worked in research for the past 4 years and is well-versed in research administration, ethics submissions, and coordinating research studies.
When she’s not chasing her two small children around, Alicia enjoys cooking, baking, and lifting heavy weights.
Elham Almoli is a volunteer at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She is working under the supervision of Dr. Moher on the study of open science, answering the question, has Open Science Penetrated Academic Hiring Practices? Elham was also awarded the Canadian Standard Association Group Undergraduate Research Scholarship and is currently working on the study of predatory journals under the supervision of Drs. Cobey and Lalu, using thematic content analysis to help develop a digital journal authenticator tool to discern potential predatory journals. In addition to her work with the OHRI, Elham also volunteers as a research assistant at the Children Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Elham is a current undergraduate student at McMaster University, studying a B.Sc. in Honours Life Sciences, with a specialization in Sensory-Motor Systems. In addition to her research interests in open science practices and predatory journals, Elham is interested in science communication, especially within the medical field involving patient interaction.
We would like to acknowledge the following individuals for helpful feedback on these resource pages.
University College London (UCL)
Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia
New York City College of Technology, City University of New York
Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano
University of Liège Library, University of Liège, Belgium
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Cabells
Cochrane Denmark & Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Odenese, University of Southern Denmark
Research Integrity Officer at School of Medicine, Paris University
(1) University North, University Centre Varazdin, Varazdin, Croatia; (2) Dr. Zora Profozic Polyclinic, Zagreb, Croatia
Professor of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt
Centre for Publication Ethics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, India
Librarian Assistant Professor at Louis Calder Memorial Library
University of Utah
Washington University in St. Louis - School of Medicine