Recognizing Impact: Stephanie Coward

Stephanie Coward is a PhD student in the Community Health Sciences Program.  Her research research aims to define the current burden of IBD (number of cases, healthcare utilization (i.e., clinic visits and hospitalizations), medical management, surgeries, and costs), forecast the future burden, and outline proactive steps to address the growing burden of IBD in Canada.  Canada has among the highest rates (233,000 cases) of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in the world, which has been significantly increasing; this rate is predicted to rise to a level that the healthcare system will be unable to accommodate at its current capacity. Because IBD is a chronic, incurable disease of the young, the number of people afflicted continues to steadily rise.

We are now at a time where the implementation of new policies can help stem the impact on our healthcare systems—if we are able to forecast what the burden will be in the future. This research aims to improve the health of those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Alberta, and throughout Canada, by ensuring that they are able to receive the care that they need.

Utilizing forecasting methodology, in this unique fashion (i.e., not just for econometric forecasting as has been applied in the past), allows her to expand her skill set and change the way we define the future burden of disease.  Learning has always been a passion of Stephanie’s; what she is able to learn about IBD, and all the methodologies she utilizes, satisfies that need.  She has been working on IBD research for over seven years as both a research assistant and a graduate student (both MSc and PhD). She enjoys doing this work because “while I do get to learn a lot epidemiologically—I am afforded the opportunity to affect the status quo, and help those with IBD” says Stephanie.

When Stephanie is not hunkered down staring at statistical coding on my computer, one of the main activities she enjoys is playing Dungeons & Dragons. It allows her the chance to connect with her friends, be creative, and forget her cares, for an afternoon. Stephanie also enjoys painting the figurines and scenery that go along with it. Volunteering also occupies her time outside of research.  She is an active member of both the Awards Committee for the Graduate Students’ Association and at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.  Of course, as everyone does, she enjoys going out with my friends, having people over, or forcing her partner to endure new recipes, but she really relishes in embracing her inner nerd and to go out to, or present at, events (such as Nerd Nite) to learn about new topics or to spread her knowledge and research as far as she can.