Meredith Vanstone

Meredith Vanstone is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University, where she also directs the MD/PhD program. She holds the Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Ethical Complexity in Primary Care. Her research focuses on navigating ethically complex decisions in primary care, particularly addressing gaps in clinical evidence, social inequities, and the moral distress experienced by healthcare professionals.

Her work emphasizes patient-centered approaches to care, including strategies for managing cannabis use during pregnancy, improving mental health screening post-pandemic, and enhancing palliative care access through specialized certifications. Dr. Vanstone employs mixed-methods and qualitative methodologies, often collaborating with patients and clinicians to co-produce solutions.

• Key Areas: Moral distress in healthcare, social determinants of health, gender/racial pay gaps in medicine, pandemic healthcare impacts
• Contributions: Pioneered studies on physician roles in addressing poverty-related health issues, developed frameworks for integrating palliative care into primary practice, and analyzed pandemic-driven shifts in clinical decision-making.

Her research highlights systemic challenges in healthcare equity, such as disparities in gestational diabetes screening uptake and barriers to mental health support during crises. Dr. Vanstone’s work bridges clinical practice, policy, and education, aiming to strengthen both patient experiences and clinician well-being.