Jennifer Go

Risk Analyst, Epidemiologist

MSc, BHSc, PhD Candidate

Joined RSI in 2017

Expert in quantitative epidemiology

Developed multiple approaches to accurately import datasets of substantial sizes into SAS

Expertise in electronic health records analysis

Extensive work with FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)

Personal introduction

I completed my BHSc in Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, where I was exposed to a wide variety of disciplines, contributing to my understanding of the value of interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration in conducting health research. My honours thesis focused on the development of effective methodology and data analysis techniques to assess the relationship between genomic methylation and the silencing of genes believed to be related to the manifestation of binge eating disorder. This research project was an enriching experience that expanded my knowledge on mental illness in relation to epigenetics. I found an interest in epidemiological research at the EndoTox Laboratory, where I worked on the analysis of a moderate-sized dataset containing information collected for a case-control study on cancer patients. From this experience, I became more familiar with data cleaning procedures, and conducting statistical tests.

I earned my MSc in Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa, where the program covered a wide range of topics, enhancing my analytical skills and contributing to my ability to program using SAS. In my second year of the master’s program, I was a teaching assistant for the graduate course, Introductory Epidemiology, where I had the opportunity to lead weekly group discussions, helping students to think critically when evaluating the quality of research, as well as reinforcing their understanding of basic epidemiological concepts and methods.

My master’s thesis focused on the effects of gestational exposure to environmental phthalates on maternal and perinatal outcomes, as well as the role of inflammatory biomarkers as potential mediators. Specifically, this included a systematic review, and two analyses using data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental chemicals (MIREC) study.

Current Focus

Jennifer joined RSI in August of 2017 as a Risk Analyst with specialization in epidemiology. She possesses a diverse set of skills that contributes to her flexibility to work on a wide range of scientific projects. In particular, Jennifer has research experience in conducting systematic reviews, manipulating large datasets, and constructing statistical models. To date, she has been involved with a number of literature reviews on various topics, including the association of parabens with reproductive and endocrine effects, the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis use during active cancer treatment, and the pharmacoeconomic evaluation of botulinum toxin type A products for select indications.

Her expertise in quantitative epidemiology has allowed her to engage in a number of activities involving data from various sources, including electronic health records and questionnaires. In particular, Jennifer has worked with a team of analysts, to develop and test multiple approaches to accurately import datasets of substantial sizes into SAS. She has also performed analyses to examine medication use trends and the distribution of disease using electronic health records from the Cerner Health Facts database, and has generated reports to identify signals associated with pharmaceutical products using data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). As well, Jennifer has analyzed self-reported data collected by questionnaires to calculate the proportion of disease (e.g. high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.) among participants who have potentially been exposed to salt contaminated water on an Indian reserve.

Works and Accomplishments

Selected Reports

Occupational Exposure Tools used for Risk Assessment by International Regulatory Agencies. Report prepared for Health Canada. January 2020.
Clinical Drug Review for WSIB Formulary Consideration: Botulinum Toxin. Report prepared for Workplace Safety Insurance Board. May 2019.
Rapid Review of Evidence on Therapeutic Benefits of Cannabis During Cancer Treatment. Report prepared for the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. March 2019.
Comparative Analysis of High-Throughput Exposure Models. Report prepared for Health Canada. October 2018.
Evidence Synthesis on Factors Associated with Abnormal Call Rate in Breast Cancer Screening. Report prepared for the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. June 2018.