Jul 8, 2024

DFCM researchers celebrated amongst Canada’s 50 most cited primary care scholars list

About DFCM, Research

U of T researchers are leading the charge in primary care research in Canada

collage of photos featuring the sixteen researchers from u of t

By Kristen Doopan

The Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) at the University of Toronto is at the forefront of primary care research, as evidenced in a citation analysis published in Canadian Family Physician, led by Dr. Monica Aggarwal, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

The study celebrates the research and impact of the 50 most cited first author peer-reviewed primary care researchers in Canada. Notably, sixteen researchers on the list are affiliated with DFCM.

“When we started this study, one thing we knew was that Canada boasts a remarkable group of internationally acclaimed primary care researchers,” says Dr. Aggarwal. “The findings not only underscore the productivity of our primary care research community, even with limited funding, but also highlight the potential benefits of increased investment in primary care research to inform future practice and policy.”

Dr. Aggarwal’s motivation for publishing this version of the unfunded study was to honour the substantial contributions of Canadian primary care researchers. She also wanted to pay tribute to her co-author, Dr. Brian Hutchison, professor emeritus in the Departments of Family Medicine and Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, and the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis at McMaster University. Dr. Aggarwal highlighted that “Dr. Hutchison is recognized as a distinguished leader, researcher, mentor, and a steadfast advocate of primary care research in Canada.”

The study lists Dr. Dave Davis, former professor and associate dean of continuing education in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, as the researcher with the highest number of career citations. “I'm honored of course, but I'm also aware that it's partly due to a long career,” says Dr. Davis.

Collaboration is key for Dr. Davis who shares this honour with his peers. “I might have been principal investigator on [these] studies, but it's almost always done collaboratively. Perhaps most of all, I'm proud of those collaborations.”

The paper also highlights the critical need for ongoing support and development of the next generation of diverse primary care researchers. Dr. Davis encourages collaboration with like-minded peers, while Dr. Aggarwal highlights the importance of finding institutional leaders and mentors who provide meaningful support for career development and act as champions.

Increased investments in primary care research will be crucial for developing a robust primary care research workforce in the future. “The point of the paper is to show, look at what we've achieved, look at what more we could achieve with the proper resources,” Dr. Aggarwal says.

Congratulations to the DFCM researchers featured on the 50 most cited primary care researchers list: