Patient Leaders

Cochrane Canada is fortunate to draw on the guidance and expertise of the following patient leaders:

Anne Lyddiatt

Ms. Anne Lyddiatt has been a patient leader with Cochrane Canada for almost 20 years. Throughout her affiliation with Cochrane, Ms. Lyddiatt has assumed a number of leadership roles, both nationally and internationally, including Chair of the Cochrane Consumer Network and member of the Editorial Board of the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group.

In addition to her work with Cochrane, Ms. Lyddiatt serves on the SPOR National Steering Committee, and she is actively involved in patient-oriented research capacity building with the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit.

Maureen Smith

Ms. Maureen Smith has been a patient leader with Cochrane Canada since 2015. Her extensive background as a consumer representative in the area of evidence-based decision making, which spans nearly two decades, has been an asset to Cochrane.

In addition to her work with Cochrane, Ms. Smith serves as a patient member on Ontario’s Committee to Evaluate Drugs and Health Quality Ontario’s Health Technology Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s Rare Disease Advisory Panel, as well as an active board member of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders.

Marilyn Walsh

Ms. Marilyn Walsh has been a patient leader with Cochrane Canada for 10 years. Throughout her affiliation with Cochrane, Ms. Walsh has contributed extensively to the production of evidence syntheses, in addition to assisting with the coordination and implementation of knowledge translation initiatives, for the following groups: Cochrane Musculoskeletal, Cochrane Upper GI and Pancreatic Diseases and Cochrane Back and Neck.

In addition to her work with Cochrane, Ms. Walsh is actively involved with the Canadian Patient Partner in Arthritis program, and serves as Director and Local Branch Leader for the Canadian Spondylitis Association (CSA).

Catherine Hofstetter

Ms. Catherine Hofstetter has been a patient leader with Cochrane Canada for 10 years. Throughout her affiliation with Cochrane, Ms. Hofstetter has contributed extensively to reviewing and commenting on protocols, systematic reviews and plain language summaries for the following groups: Cochrane Musculoskeletal, Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care and Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement.

Dawn Richards

Ms. Dawn Richards is a new patient leader with Cochrane Canada. An analytical chemist by training, Ms. Richards understands the importance of the evidence that Cochrane synthesizes, and sees her involvement with Cochrane Canada as a natural broadening of her skill set.

Ms. Richards lives with rheumatoid arthritis and is the Vice President of the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance; a Research Ambassador for CIHR's Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis; a member of the BMJ Patient Panel of Reviewers; and a patient-collaborator on numerous research projects. She is intensely interested in bringing the voices and experiences of patients to new forums and initiatives, from which they have been traditionally absent.