Dr. Jeremy Grimshaw is an internationally recognized leader in implementation science who has profoundly shaped how healthcare systems integrate research evidence into practice. He served as Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Full Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa for twenty-two distinguished years before transitioning to Senior Scientist Emeritus status. Trained as a physician with an MBChB from the University of Edinburgh followed by doctoral studies, Dr. Grimshaw built a career uniquely positioned at the intersection of clinical medicine and health systems research. His leadership included directing the Clinical Epidemiology Program at OHRI for seven and a half years and founding the Centre for Implementation Research, where he established interdisciplinary research capacity that has influenced knowledge translation practices globally.
Dr. Grimshaw's seminal contributions have established methodological foundations for evaluating interventions that move evidence into healthcare practice, fundamentally transforming implementation research worldwide. As Co-ordinating Editor of the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care group for eighteen years (1997-2015) and Director of Cochrane Canada (2005-2016), he developed rigorous approaches to evidence synthesis that remain the gold standard in the field. His prolific scholarship includes over seven hundred peer-reviewed publications, earning him consistent recognition as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2015 for his exceptional impact on healthcare improvement. During the global pandemic, Dr. Grimshaw co-led critical initiatives including COVID-END, an umbrella organization promoting global collaboration among evidence synthesis organizations, and BESSI, which advances research on behavioral and social interventions for pandemic preparedness.
Beyond his research, Dr. Grimshaw has been instrumental in building the global implementation science community through leadership roles in major international organizations including the Campbell Collaboration, where he served as President of the Board, and Evidence Synthesis International, which he co-chairs. His mentorship has cultivated a generation of researchers in knowledge translation, with numerous trainees now leading implementation research programs worldwide. In recognition of his extraordinary scientific legacy, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute renamed its Clinical and Applied Health Researcher in Training Award as the Grimshaw Researcher in Training Award, cementing his enduring influence on the field. Although retiring from active research positions, Dr. Grimshaw's emeritus status ensures his pioneering work in health knowledge transfer will continue to guide efforts to improve healthcare systems through evidence-based practice for years to come.
