Associate Professor

Aisha Lofters

DFCM

MD,PhD

Publications

Location

St. Michael's Hospital

Address

61 Queen St. E, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5B1W8

Research Interests

Health Promotion, Health Service Delivery, Quality Improvement, Screening, Women's Health, Administrative Databases, Disadvantaged Populations, Quantitative Data Analysis, Cancer Care,

Accepting

Not Accepting Students

•   Associate Member, School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto, 2015-present
•   Scientist, Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, 2015-present
•   Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health (status only), University of Toronto, 2015-present

Research Synopsis

My research interests include cancer screening, immigrant health and health equity, using a broad range of methods such as secondary database analysis and community-based participatory research.

Recent Publications

1.   Lofters A, Guilcher S, Webster L, Glazier RH, Jaglal SB, Bayoumi A. Cholesterol testing among men and women with disability: The role of morbidity. Clin Epidemiol. 2016 Sep 1; 2016(8): 313-321.
2.   Vahabi M, Lofters A. Muslim immigrant women's views on cervical cancer screening and HPV self-sampling in Ontario, Canada. BMC Public Health. 2016 Aug 24; 16(1):868. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3564-1.
3.   Voruganti RT, Moineddin R, Jembere N, Elit L, Grunfeld E, Lofters AK. Comparing cervical cancer stage of diagnosis at presentation in immigrant women and long-term residents: a retrospective cohort study. CMAJ Open August 12, 2016; 4 (3): E424-E430.
4.   Lofters A, Guilcher S, Maulkhan N, Milligan J, Lee J. Patients living with disabilities: The need for quality primary care. CFP August 2016; 62 (8): e457-e464.
5.   Slater M, Nicholas E, Leung FH, Lofters A. Provider perceptions of knowledge exchange and communication within a multi-site family health team. CFP May 2016; 62(5): 415-21.
6.   Ahmad F, Ferrari M, Moravac C, Lofters A, Dunn S. Redefining “Being a Peer Leader”: Qualitative findings from a community-based cervical and breast screening program. Health Soc Care Community 2016 Apr. DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12352.
7.   Vahabi M, Lofters A, Kumar M, Glazier R. Breast cancer screening disparities among immigrant women by world region of origin: A population-based study in Ontario, Canada. Cancer Med 2016 Apr. DOI: 10.1002/cam4.700.
8.   Lofters A, Slater M, Nicholas E, Leung FH. Facebook as a tool for communication, collaboration and informal knowledge exchange among members of a multi-site family health team. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2016:9 29–34.
9.   Salehi L, Lofters A, Hoffmann SM, Polsky JY, Rouleau KD. Health and growth status of immigrant and refugee children in Toronto, Canada: A retrospective chart review. Paediatr Child Health Nov/Dec 2015; 20(8): e38-e42.
10.   Lofters A, Virani T, Grewal G, Lobb R. Using knowledge exchange to build and sustain community support to reduce cancer screening inequities. Prog Community Health Partnersh 2015; 9(3): 379-87.
11.   Fernandes KA, Sutradhar R, Borkhoff C, Baxter N, Lofters A, Rabeneck L, Tinmouth J, Paszat L. Cross-sectional small area variation study of cancer, glucose, and cholesterol screening in Ontario: data to motivate community and primary care strategies to improve participation. CMAJ Open 2015; 3(4): E373-81. DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20140069.
12.   Vahabi M, Lofters AK, Kumar M, Glazier RH. Breast cancer screening disparities among urban immigrants: A population-based study in Ontario, Canada. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:679. DOI 10.1186/s12889-015-2050-5.
13.   Smith L, Strumpf E, Kaufman J, Lofters A, Schwandt M, Levesque L. The early benefits of human papillomavirus vaccination on cervical dysplasia and anogenital warts. Pediatrics. 2015 May;135(5):e1131-40. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-2961.
14.   Lofters A, Vahabi M, Glazier R. The validity of self-reported cancer screening history and the role of social disadvantage in Ontario, Canada. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:28. DOI 10.1186/s12889-015-1441-y.
15.   Lofters A, Ng R, Lobb R. Primary care physician characteristics associated with cancer screening: A retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada. Cancer Med. 2014 Nov 27. DOI: 10.1002/cam4.358.
16.   Guilcher S, Lofters A, Glazier R, Jaglal S, Voth J, Bayoumi A. Level of disability, multi-morbidity and breast cancer screening: Does severity matter? Prev Med. 2014 Jul 27; 67C: 193-198. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.07.025.
17.   Lofters A, Guilcher S, Glazier R, Jaglal S, Voth J, Bayoumi A. Screening for cervical cancer in women with disability and multimorbidity: A retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada. CMAJ Open. 2014 Oct 21; 2(4): E240-7. DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20140003.
18.   Culleton S, Slater M, Lofters A. Predictors of low colorectal cancer screening in an urban academic family practice. Open Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2014; 4;6. DOI: 10.4236/ojpm.2014.46051.
19.   Lofters A, Slater M, Fumakia N, Thulien N. Brain drain and brain waste: Experiences of international medical graduates in Ontario, Canada. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2014; 7: 81-9.
20.   Lofters A, Slater M, Kirst M, Shankardass K, Quinonez C. How do people attribute income-related inequalities in health? A cross-sectional study in Ontario, Canada. Plos One 2014. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085286.

Honours and Awards

Name:
Description:

•   Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award, “Reducing cancer screening inequalities for marginalized populations: Moving from knowledge to action”, 2017-2022.
•   Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, Career Development Award in Cancer Prevention, 2013-2016.
•   Outstanding Research Publication - Second Place: “The validity of self-reported cancer screening history and the role of social disadvantage in Ontario, Canada”, University of Toronto Department of Family & Community Medicine, 2015.
•   People’s Choice Award - Best Research Paper Presentation, University of Toronto Department of Family & Community Medicine Walter Rosser Day, 2013.
•   Research Excellence Award, University of Toronto Department of Family & Community Medicine, 2013.
•   Outstanding Research Publication - Second Place: “Low Rates of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Urban Immigrants: A Population-Based Study in Ontario, Canada”, University of Toronto Department of Family & Community Medicine, 2010.

Grants

2017-2019 Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, “Implementing lung cancer screening for those living with low income”, (Principal Investigators: Aisha Lofters, Geoffrey Liu, Co-Investigators: Mary Ann O’Brien, Brenda Chang, Anna Crosskill, Lawson Eng, Meredith Giuliani, Stephen Hwang, Florence Kim, David Mowat, Lawrence Paszat, Peter Selby, Mandana Vahabi). Total award: $99,915.00 CAD. Average annual award: $49,957.50 CAD.

2016-2021 Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, “Building on Existing Tools to Improve Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening in Primary Care for Wellness of Cancer Survivors and Patients: The BETTER WISE Project”, (Principal Investigator: Donna Manca, Kris Aubrey-Bassler, Denise Campbell-Scherer, Eva Grunfeld, Aisha Lofters, Melissa Shea-Budgell, Collaborators: Alma Bencivenga, Gary Bloch, Judith Britten, June Carroll, Connie Davis, Edward Denga, Kathryn Dong, Rod Elford, Lee Green, Narpindeer Hans, Fred Janke, Doug Klein, Paul Krueger, Charles Leduc, Richard Lewanczuk, Kerry McBrien, Christopher Meaney, Rahim Moineddin, Candace Nykiforuk, Mary Ann O’Brien, Andrew Pinto, Matthew Rose, Shelley Ross, Ginetta Salvalaggio, Catherine Scrimshaw, Colin Siu, Nicolette Sopcak, Wendy L. Tink, Margo Wilson). Total award: $2,704,822 CAD. Average annual award: $540,964 CAD.

2016-2018 St. Michael’s Hospital Association Alternate Funding Plan Innovation Funds, “Co-designing Screening Invitations with Patients to Reduce Income-Related Disparities in Cancer Screening”, (Principal Investigators: Aisha Lofters, Tara Kiran, Co-Investigators: Nancy Baxter, Chris McKillop, Samantha Davie, Jean Wilson, Fok-Han Leung, Karen Weyman, Ed Kucharski, Jory Simpson). Total award: $77,836.32 CAD. Average annual award: $38,918.16 CAD.