VICTORY-HF

Harriette Van Spall

Senior Scientist

Harriette Van Spall is currently an Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, at McMaster University. She also serves as a Cardiologist at Hamilton Health Sciences and is a Scientist at the Population Health Research Institute and the Research Institute of St. Joe’s, Hamilton. Additionally, she is an Associate Member of the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact. Van Spall obtained her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degrees and completed postgraduate training at the University of Toronto. She then earned a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. As a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, she holds certifications in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Level III Echocardiography, with appointments in both the Department of Medicine and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University.

Van Spall is a full-time cardiologist with a clinical focus on Heart Failure, Echocardiography, and Acute Care Cardiology. She is a data scientist and clinical trialist with expertise in heart failure, health research methods, and implementation science. Van Spall leads both industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated phase III trials and is well known for her work in health and research equity. She is a primary research supervisor and mentor to several medical trainees, graduate students, and postgraduate fellows.

Van Spall has published more than 220 manuscripts, with a significant proportion appearing in high-impact medical journals, including JAMA, Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, Circulation, JACC, and European Heart Journal. She has received several prestigious research awards, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health Mid-Career Lectureship Award in Cardiovascular Sciences and the American Heart Association Dr. Nanette K. Wenger Research Goes Red Award. Van Spall has secured over $6.0 million in peer-reviewed funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and other funding agencies. She is an invited speaker at international cardiovascular conferences, a media correspondent, and an editorial board member for leading journals. Additionally, she is a chair or member of several international research networks, trial executive committees, and guideline committees.

Dipika Desai

Program Manager

Dipika Desai oversees many epidemiologic studies, including the South Asian birth cohort, START, the South Asian Heart Risk Assessment (SAHARA), and the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds (CAHHM), as well as management assistance and oversight in the utilization of samples from a number of other studies.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition from the M S University in Baroda, India, and a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition from the University of British Columbia.

Nora Abdalla

Senior Research Coordinator

Nora Abdalla has been working at PHRI for 15 years with a primary focus on coordinating observational birth cohort studies, and has been part of the ACT COVID 19 treatment trial team since March 2020.

She obtained a Bachelor degree in Medicine and Surgery, a Masters of Science in Paediatrics from Cairo University, and is a Master of Public Health candidate at the University of Waterloo.

Mohamed Jalloh

Research Fellow

Mohamed Bella Jalloh is a research fellow at PHRI under the supervision of PHRI Scientist Harriette Van Spall. His main focus will include clinical trial methodology and implementation science. He will be involved in a multi-centre randomized controlled trial in heart failure.

Mohamed earned his medical degree from the University of Sierra Leone and a Master of Science from the University of Oxford. Previously, he was a global health scholar at Oxford, where he supported AMR and pandemic preparedness-focused global health initiatives.

Mitra Chitsazan

Research Fellow

Mitra Chitsazan is a research fellow at PHRI under the supervision of PHRI Scientist Harriette Van Spall. Her main focus includes clinical trial methodology and implementation science. She will be involved in a multi-center randomized controlled trial in heart failure.

Chitsazan is an ECFMG-certified physician. She began her research journey in cardiovascular medicine and heart failure as a third-year medical student at Iran University of Medical Sciences, where she also earned her medical degree. She has published manuscripts, book chapters, and review articles. She also has editorial and peer-review experience for international cardiovascular journals.