The Nova Scotia Health community includes staff, clinicians and other frontline healthcare workers, researchers and volunteers across the province who work tirelessly each day to ensure that Nova Scotians are receiving the highest quality care and services.
The Nova Scotia Health Making Waves awards program honors these individuals and groups who have significantly contributed to the health and well-being of Nova Scotians.
Dr. Josh Edward is an independent health researcher as well as the Manager of Research Development for Nova Scotia Health. This year he is the recipient of the Making Waves Early Career/Emerging Career award.
Tell us a bit about yourself (where you are located, what you do and your favourite part about it).
I’m both an independent health researcher as well as the manager of research development for Nova Scotia Health. I’m located in Halifax at the Centre for Clinical Research. I always tell people we’re the last Nova Scotia Health building on University Avenue before the IWK children’s hospital starts. As Manager for Research Development, I primarily work with Nova Scotia Health researchers on federal and other “high value” grant opportunities. My team helps from the idea generation phase all the way to submission. My favourite part is the diversity of topics and teams I get to work with. We support research across all therapeutic areas. On any given day we can go from working with the cancer care program to supporting major grant initiatives in aging and frailty. For someone who thrives on multitasking and who never wants to be bored, it’s perfect!
As an independent researcher, most of my research is in human papillomavirus (HPV) and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. I did my postdoc in infectious disease, with an emphasis on both HPV and new applications for existing medications; using doxycycline, a common antibiotic, as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. My favourite part of my independent research is that whether I am doing research on cervical cancer prevention with trans men or doing research on taking a low-dose of antibiotics to prevent an STI, I get to be involved in all of this really amazing research that is some of the first ever conducted in the world! And, of course, making a huge impact on individual’s lives is really amazing too!
How do you feel your work contributes to the health and wellbeing of Nova Scotians? Why is it important?
When any of us go to a doctor and get tested or treated for something, whether a diagnosis or a follow-up, and no matter what kind of medication we receive, all of that was developed through research. I feel like I’m super lucky because whether I am doing my own research with HPV, or doxycycline to prevent STIs, or supporting researchers here at Nova Scotia Health on their own research portfolios, I know that we’re making huge contributions to the health and wellbeing of Nova Scotians. Some of it gets more headlines, or attention, or funding, but ALL of it is essential. We wouldn’t have new innovations in healthcare, whether treating illnesses and diseases or preventing them in the first place, without researchers showing us that their ideas work, they are safe and they can be used to contribute to health and wellbeing.
What does it mean to you to receive the Early Career/Emerging Career Award?
It’s such a huge honour. I get to work with so many amazing researchers all day, every day. It’s literally my daily existence here at Nova Scotia Health! And to have been nominated and receive the award just validates all the hard work I’ve put into my own research, as well as the research I hope to support for other investigators here at Nova Scotia Health!
As this year’s recipient of the Early Career/Emerging Career Award, how do you hope to inspire others who are working to make a difference in the lives of Nova Scotians each day?
The single biggest eye-opener I have ever had as a researcher was in my own research in human papillomavirus. I learned that some individuals were not receiving the same research attention and benefits that others were. Trans men and gender non-binary individuals assigned female at birth were basically just missing completely from health research on cervical cancer. And that means that many of them might not be benefitting from the findings and recommendations of health research.
I listened to my gut and really refocused some of my research ideas to focus exclusively on conducting research in partnership with that community and I can already see the difference I am making in the participants lives. I’m talking to them about this important health topic for them, and it’s the first time anyone has ever discussed it with them. Based on that work together (me and the participants), we’ll get to make recommendations to other healthcare providers and key stakeholders that will hopefully see the development of new programs, or practices, or even standards of care. So, listen to your gut! Research isn’t just about data; it’s about people and making a difference.
If you are interested in nominating a colleague, nominations are now open for the 2024 awards until Nov. 15. learn more here about the categories they may be eligible for and nominate them here!
