Anita Kothari, PhD

Professor

Room 0222, HSB
519 661-2111 x81302
akothari@uwo.ca
@anitarena
Google Scholar
The Lab for Knowledge Translation in Health

Education

  • PhD (University name)
  • MA (Univsersity Name)
  • BA Hons (University name)

Graduate Program Supervision

  • Health & Rehabilitation Sciences MSc | PhD
  • Health Information Science MSc | PhD
  • Epidemiology and Biostatistics MSc | PhD

Research In Profile

Professor Anita Kothari is a leading scholar in the area of knowledge translation at Western University. Her work focuses on developing a greater understanding of how to support the use of research in decision-making by health policymakers, administrators and practitioners. She involves multiple community members, researchers, and government agencies at all stages of the research process. Her niche area of interest is the public health system and other community-based settings. Professor Kothari has authored several essential papers for the field and created important frameworks and tools that are used worldwide. Her contributions include supporting the generation and use of research more effectively, in different policy and health contexts, to address societal challenges and improve health, especially for some sub-populations. Professor Kothari’s work is unique because it is interdisciplinary, focuses on systems level improvements and embraces the importance of justice and equity. Professor Kothari also has an excellent track record of supporting undergraduate and graduate students, most of whom have gone to successful careers in academia or as health system leaders.

Featured Publications and Projects

Books

  • Graham, I.D., Rycroft-Malone, J., Kothari, A., and McCutcheon, C. (Eds.). Research coproduction in healthcare. Wiley-Blackwell. 2022.

Chapters and Reports

  • Kothari, A., Smith, M.J. Public health policymaking, politics and evidence. In Fafard, P., de Leeuw, E., and Cassola, A. (Eds.). Integrating science and politics for public health. Palgrave Macmillian Cham. (Ch. 4). 2022.
  • Kothari, A., Rycroft-Malone, J., McCutcheon, C., and Graham, I.D. Research coproduction: What it is, and what it is not. In Graham, I.D., Rycroft-Malone, J., Kothari, A., and McCutcheon, C. (Eds.). Research coproduction in healthcare. Wiley-Blackwell. (Ch. 1). 2022.

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • Lewis, K.B., Peter, N., Graham, I.D., Kothari, A. Engaging people with lived experience on advisory councils of a national not-for-profit: an integrated knowledge translation case study of Heart & Stoke Mission Critical Area. Health Research Policy and Systems. 20(1):1-15, 2022
  • Palubiski, L., Tulsieram, K., Archibald, D., Conklin, J., Elliot, J., Hsu, A., Stolee, P., Sveistrup, H., Kothari, A. Guidance to (re)integrate caregivers as essential care partners into the LTC setting: A rapid review. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 23(5):778-809, 2022.
  • Scurr, T., Ganann, R., Sibbald, S., Kothari, A. Evaluating public participation in a deliberative dialogue: A single case study. International Journal of Health Policy and Management. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.2022.6588, 2022.
  • Nguyen, T., Graham, I.D, Mrklas, K.J., Bowen, S., Cargo, M., Estabrooks, C.A., Kothari, A., Lavis, J.A., Macaulay, A.C., MacLeod, M., Phipps, D., Ramsden, V., Renfrew, M.J., Salsberg, J., and Wallerstein, N. How does integrated knowledge translation (IKT) compare to other collaborative research approaches to generating and translating knowledge? Learning from experts in the field. Health Research Policy and Systems. 18: 35, 2020.

Visit Google Scholar for a comprehensive list of publications.

Current Grants and Research Projects

  • McLean, R.K.D., Carden, F., Graham, I.D., Aiken, A.B., Armstrong, R., Bray, J., Cassidy, E.C., Daub, O., DiRuggiero, E., Fierro, L.A., Gagnon, M., Hutchison, A.M., Kislov, R., Kothari, A., Kreindler, S., McCutcheon, C., Reszel, J., Scarrow, G. Evaluating research co-production: Protocol for the Research Quality Plus for Co-Production (RQ+ 4 Co-Pro) framework. Implementation Science Communication. 3(1):1-12, 2022.
  • Donelle, L., Hall, J., Hiebert, B., Shelley, J.J., Smith, M.J., Gilliand, S.S., Kothari, A., Burkell, J., Cooke, T., Long, J., Shelley, J.M. Befus, D., Comer, L., Ngole, M., and Stanlet, M. Digital technology and disease surveillance in the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open, 11(10); e053962, 2021.
  • Kothari, A., Foisey*, L., Donelle, L., and Bauer, M. How do Canadian public health agencies respond to the COVID-19 emergency using social media: A protocol for a case study using content and sentiment analysis. BMJ Open, 11(4), e041818, 2021.
  • Kothari, A., Donelle, L., Bauer, M. (Eds.) Special Issue for the Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. [Public Health and Digital Technologies during Pandemic: A Multidisciplinary Perspective]. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18(21), 2021

Featured Graduate Student Projects

Implementing Health Impact Assessment as a Required Component of Government Policymaking: A Multi-Level Exploration of the Determinants of Healthy Public Policy

  • Stephanie Simpson, PhD (Health Information Science, Faculties of Information and Media Studies/Health Sciences), Feb 2022

Exploring Variations in the Implementation of a Health Systems Level Policy to Improve Maternal and Child Health

  • David Walugembe, PhD (Health Information Sciences, Faculties of Information and Media Studies/Health Sciences), Oct 2021

Visit Scholarship@Western for a list of completed student theses and dissertations in the repository.

Additional Information

Academic Appointments and Research Affiliations

  • Home Unit – School of Health studies
  • Core Faculty Member - Joint Graduate Program in Health Information Science
  • Cross Appointment - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Media Highlights

  • Kothari, A. Interview: Homemade masks. CBC local radio stations (Sudbury, London, Barrie/Kingston/ Peterborough, Windsor, Kitchener, Thunder Bay). April 6, 2020.
  • Kothari, A. Interview: Why are some Canadians still not believing in the dangers of the covid-19 pandemic? Global News Radio (980 CFPL). March 25, 2020.
  • Kothari, A. Interview for article: WhatsApp becoming a vehicle for coronavirus pseudoscience by Dakshana Bascaramurty. Globe and Mail. March 25, 2020.
  • Kothari, A. Interview: Is it time for a lockdown? CBC Radio Ontario Today (provincial). March 23, 2020.

Awards

  • Member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada (2016-2023)
  • Faculty Scholar Award, Western University (2014-2016)
  • New Investigator Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2010-2016)
  • Career Scientist Award, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (2005-2010)