Welcoming Sahiba Pahwa to Research4Babies

The Research4Babies team is delighted to welcome Sahiba Pahwa, who is joining us as a new MSc student at the University of Alberta.

Sahiba’s graduate research will focus on three closely connected areas: patient-centred outcomes, Exception from Informed Consent (EFIC) in emergency research, and the Neonatal Outcomes & Accelerating Clinical Trials Network of Canada (NeoCAN).

Research conducted during neonatal emergencies presents unique ethical and practical challenges. Parents may have little or no opportunity to consider research participation before an urgent intervention must begin. Sahiba will contribute to work examining how these studies can be conducted ethically and respectfully while ensuring that the perspectives, priorities, and experiences of patients and families remain central to the research process.

Her work on EFIC will help develop approaches and resources for conducting time-sensitive neonatal resuscitation trials when prospective informed consent is not feasible. This research will include engagement with parents and other community members to better understand their perspectives on emergency research and deferred or waived consent.

Sahiba will also contribute to the development of NeoCAN, a national network bringing together families, clinicians, researchers, trainees, and health-system partners to design and accelerate innovative multicentre neonatal research across Canada. Her involvement will support efforts to ensure that NeoCAN’s research priorities and outcomes reflect what matters most to newborns and their families.

Through this work, Sahiba will gain experience in patient and family engagement, clinical trial methodology, research ethics, qualitative and quantitative research, and national research-network development.

Welcome to Research4Babies, Sahiba! We are excited to have you join our team and look forward to supporting you throughout your MSc journey.