Melissa Pirrie

Melissa Pirrie is a Research Fellow at McMaster University's Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, with a significant research focus on health equity and vulnerable populations. She serves as Instructor for the course 'Social Determinants of Population Health in Canada - HLTHAGE 3K03' and has published extensively on community health interventions targeting social housing residents and older adults.

Her research encompasses critical areas of public health:

• Health Equity and healthcare access disparities
• Health Systems innovation and evaluation
• Population health interventions for vulnerable groups
• Health promotion and disease prevention strategies
• Psychosocial and behavioral determinants of health
• Community paramedicine program effectiveness

Dr. Pirrie's scholarly work demonstrates a strong emphasis on community-based interventions for vulnerable populations, particularly older adults in social housing. Through cluster-randomized trials and population-based studies, she has evaluated community paramedicine programs (CP@clinic, CP@home) that improve health outcomes while reducing healthcare system strain. Her research bridges public health, geriatrics, and emergency medicine with particular attention to chronic disease management, mental health, and social determinants of health.

Her publications have appeared in high-impact journals including JAMA Network Open, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, and BMC series journals. Her work on social housing residents during the pandemic has been widely disseminated, referenced in policy documents, and picked up by numerous news outlets. She has contributed to capacity building among early career researchers in community-based primary health care, demonstrating her commitment to advancing the field through mentorship and collaboration.