Highlighted Research

Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Long-term Cardiovascular Disease Risk

My doctoral work involves the use of administrative healthcare data available through ICES (formerly known as Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences) to investigate cardiovascular disease risk in women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. 

Mixed-methods Program Evaluation: Mothercraft Postpartum Support Program

A three-phased mixed-method programme evaluation of the Mothercraft Postpartum Support Program guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) evaluation framework and the tenets of community-based participatory research. 

Primary Investigator: Dr. Josephine Etowa | Co-Primary Investigator: Alisha Ashton

Co-Investigators: Amy Johnston, Zahra Jama, Dr. Kristin Eccles, Dr. Lovelyn Ubangha, Genevieve Chabot

Recently published peer-reviewed academic manuscripts (2018-present): 

 Johnston, A, Smith, GN, Tanuseputro, P, Coutinho, T, Edwards, JD. Assessing Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Women with a History of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Guidance Paper for Studies Using Administrative Data. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol.  2024; 00: 1-14.

Johnston A, Dancey SR, Tseung V, Skidmore B, Tanuseputro P, Smith GN, Coutino T, Edwards JD. Systematic review of validated case definitions to identify hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in administrative healthcare databases. Open Heart 2023;10:e002151. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2022-002151

Parry M, Visintini S, Johnston A, Colella TJ, Kapur D, Liblik K, Gomes Z, Dancey S, Liu S, Goodenough C, Hay JL, Noble M, Adreak N, Robert H, Tang N, O'Hara A, Wong A, Mullen KA. Peer-support interventions for women with cardiovascular disease: protocol for synthesising the literature using an evidence map. BMJ Open. 2022 Oct 5;12(10):e067812. 

Zheng, H, Sigal, RJ, Coyle, D, Bai, A, Johnston, A, Elliott, J, Hsieh, S, Kelly, S, Toupin-April, K, Wells, GA. Comparative efficacy and safety of antihyperglycemic classes for patients with type 2 diabetes following failure with metformin monotherapy: an updated systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2022; e3515.

Johnston, A, Tseung, V, Dancey, SR, Visintini, SM, Coutinho, T, Edwards, JD. Use of race, ethnicity, and national origin in studies assessing cardiovascular risk in women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. CJC Open, 2021; 3(12): S102-S117.

Elliott, J, Johnston, A, Husereau, D, Kelly, SE, Eagles, E, Charach, A, Hsieh, S, Bai, Z, Hossain, A, Skidmore, B, Tsakonas, E, Chojecki, D, Mamdani, M, Wells, GA. Pharmacologic treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. PLOS ONE 2020; 15(10): e0240584.

Etowa, J, Johnston, A, Jama, Z, Eccles, K, Ashton, A. Mixed-methods Evaluation of a Community Based Postpartum Support Program: A Study Protocol. BMJ Open 2020;10: e036749.

Etherington, N, Deng, M, Boet, S, Johnston, A, Mansour, F, Said, H, Zheng, K, Sun, LY. The impact of physician sex/gender on processes of care, and clinical outcomes in cardiac operative care: A systematic review. BMJ Open 2020;10: e037139.

Johnston, A, Mesana, TG, Lee, DS, Bader Eddeen, A, Sun, LY. Sex Differences in Long-Term Survival A fter Major Cardiac Surgery: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Journal of the American Heart Association 2019; 8(17): 8:e013260. 

Johnston, A, Smith, C, Zheng, C, Aaron, S, Kelly, SE, Skidmore, B, Wells, GA. Influence of prolonged treatment with omalizumab on the development of solid epithelial cancer in patients with atopic asthma and chronic idiopathic urticaria: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 

Johnston, A, Kelly, S, Skidmore, B, Hsieh, S, Wells, GA. Systematic reviews of clinical practice guidelines: A methodological guide. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2019; 108: 64-76. 

Johnston A, Hsieh SC, Carrier M, Kelly, SE, Bai, Z, Skidmore, B, Wells, GA. A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines on the use of low molecular weight heparin and fondaparinux for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism: Implications for research and policy decision-making. PLoS One. 2018;13(11): e0207410. 2018 Nov 9. 

Johnston, A, Natarajan, S, Hayes, M, MacDonald, E, Shorr, R. Accelerated induction regimens of TNF-alpha inhibitors in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 2018;8: e019909. 

Johnston A. The COVID-19 vaccine evidence gap: Decisions without data for pregnant and breastfeeding women. UOJM. Published online August 26, 2021;11(S1). 

Recently published peer-reviewed academic manuscripts (2021-present): 

Johnston, A, Petrcich, W, Fell, DB, Tanuseputro, P, Smith, GN, Coutinho, T, Edwards, JD. Influence of neighbourhood-level proportion of visible minorities on prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, May 2023; 39(5); S1.

Tseung, V, Johnston, A, Lindsay, P, Visintini, S, Edwards, JD. Sex-specific impacts of depressive and cognitive comorbidity on self-care and quality of life in women with heart failure: A narrative review and key informant perspectives. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, May 2023; 39(5); S15.

Johnston, A. Dancey, S, Tseung, V, Fell, S, Tanuseputro, P, Smith, G, Coutinho, T, Edwards, JD. A systematic review of validated case-finding definitions to identify hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in administrative healthcare databases. European Heart Journal, Oct 2022; 43 (Supplement 2): ehac544.2504.

Johnston A, Alomgir A, Liu P, Northoff G, Edwards J. Sex-specific effects of comorbid depression on mortality and risk of cognitive decline and dementia in heart failure: an analysis of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Centre prospective cohort. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2021;37(2): e18.