JOURNAL CLUB
The Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CSEB) Journal Club is a new initiative open to all CSEB members, including trainees and faculty. It provides opportunities for members to learn about and discuss recently published studies and classical papers in epidemiology and biostatistics. The Journal Club sessions will be held quarterly (October, January, April, and July).
Format: One-hour session via CSEB’s Zoom virtual room. Details on the date and time (and time zone) and Zoom link will be circulated to members two weeks before the session.
Presenters: Applications for the journal club must include the article reference and the names of two volunteer presenters, one in the role of discussant and the other as moderator. A discussant will present the paper and submit questions for discussion with the audience. The moderator will participate in the discussion and monitor the Zoom chat for questions and arguments from the audience.
Eligibility: Any CSEB member in good standing can submit journal club proposals. Click here to renew your membership today! We encourage trainees and early career investigators to submit proposals. For instance, graduate students may lead a session on an article that is seminal to their thesis research. Mid-career and senior CSEB members are also encouraged to submit proposals. It is acceptable for the paper being discussed to be authored by the discussant or moderator.
Types of articles: Any article published in the peer-reviewed literature typically accessible to CSEB members is eligible. Articles can be theoretical, methodological, or reports of empirical research. There is no time limitation for publication dates. Those submitting proposals must keep in mind that the article topic should be of broad interest to CSEB members to secure a representative audience.
Submissions: Proposals will be evaluated on an ongoing basis and be scheduled on a first-proposed, first-served basis. Each proposal must contain the article reference, the names of the presenters, and a short description of why a discussion of the chosen article will be of broad interest to CSEB members.
Submissions and questions should be sent via email to info@cseb-sceb.ca.
Upcoming Journal Club
Date and Time: Thursday, January 29, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Article for discussion: Banerjee AT, Shah BR. Differences in prevalence of diabetes among immigrants to Canada from South Asian countries. Diabetic Medicine. 2018 Jul;35(7):937-43.
Presenter: Ananya Tina Banerjee, PhD, McGill University
Brief Description: The session presents insights from a mixed-methods study on the clinical epidemiology of diabetes among South Asian migrant and refugee populations, integrating quantitative data with qualitative narratives to show how displacement, chronic disease management, and systemic barriers intersect to influence health outcomes. It offers students an understanding of how culturally informed, inclusive public health interventions could address the lived realities of migrants navigating diabetes care. The session also examines methodological challenges and opportunities in combining qualitative and quantitative evidence and identified directions for future equity-focused epidemiologic research aimed at improving chronic disease care in migrant communities.
Presenter Biography: Dr. Ananya Tina Banerjee (she/her) is Assistant Professor and the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Lead at the School of Population & Global Health, McGill University. Her interdisciplinary epidemiologic and qualitative research embeds a strong emphasis on community-based participatory pedagogy and research, which is grounded in collaboration and partnership with marginalized communities funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, Social Science & Humanities Research Council, Lancet Commission, and Public Health Agency of Canada. She is well known for her anti-racism and anti-oppression practice in the learning environment. She won the 2022 McGill Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine Teaching Innovation Award recognizing her unique pedagogy for inclusive public health education and serves on The Lancet’s International Advisory Board for Racial Inequalities.
Previous Journal Club
Date and Time: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Article for discussion: Bauer GR. Sex and gender multidimensionality in epidemiologic research. American Journal of Epidemiology 2022;192(1):122-132 and Ashley F. “Trans” is my gender modality. Oxford University Press; 2022
Presenter: Todd Coleman, PhD, Wilfrid Laurier University
Brief Description: Overlapping with the work of CSEB’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Working Group, this Virtual Journal Club will explore some of the complexities of sex and gender in epidemiologic research. We will discuss a paper advocating for a multidimensional framework that distinguishes between, and critically evaluates, the use of sex and gender as variables. Through two case studies—on cancer epidemiology and COVID-19—we will examine how proxy measures and conceptual conflation can undermine validity and equity in research. The session will also incorporate Florence Ashley’s concept of gender modality, offering insight into gender identity beyond binary or assigned-at-birth models. Together, we will reflect on how to improve measurement, align theory with practice, and advance more inclusive, biopsychosocial approaches to population health research.
Previous Journal Club
Date and Time: Wednesday, January 22, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Presenters: Claire Benny, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Public Health Ontario, and Lauren Tailor, PharmD MPH, PhD Student, University of Toronto
Brief Description: The goal of the session is to understand the utility of the target trial emulation approach for reproductive and perinatal epidemiologic research. We will begin by discussing the basics of the target trial emulation approach, then will discuss a relevant study. The article to be discussed employed a target trial emulation approach to compare the effectiveness and safety of one cycle of assisted reproductive technology (ART) versus three cycles of intrauterine insemination (IUI) using a healthcare claims database from 2011–2015. This session will provide an opportunity to critically assess the use of target trial emulation for evaluating interventions in reproductive and perinatal care. Target trials in reproductive and perinatal health research have very specific considerations (e.g., time-related concerns, exposure in mother vs. fetus), which we will explore.
Previous Journal Club
Date and Time: Wednesday, October 30, 2024 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Article for discussion: Ayilara, Olawale F., Robert W. Platt, Matt Dahl, Janie Coulombe, Pablo Gonzalez Ginestet, Dan Chateau, and Lisa M. Lix. "Generating synthetic data from administrative health records for drug safety and effectiveness studies." International Journal of Population Data Science 8, no. 1 (2023). https://ijpds.org/article/view/2176
Presenter: Hassan Maleki Golandouz, PhD candidate, Community Health Sciences Department, University of Manitoba
Discussant: Md Ashiqul Haque, PhD candidate, Community Health Sciences Department, University of Manitoba
Previous Journal Club
Date and Time: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Article for discussion: Luther, A. W., Leatherdale, S. T., Dubin, J. A., & Ferro, M. A. (2023, August).Classifying Patterns of Delinquent Behaviours and Experiences of Victimization: A Latent Class Analysis Among Children. In Child & Youth Care Forum (pp.1-25). New York: Springer US. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10566-023-09767-4
Presenter: Dr. Alex Luther, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
Discussant: Dr. Danielle Fearon, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
CSEB Members can access previous Journal Club and Webinar recordings thought the Member Portal.