Dr. Carolyn Byrne

Bio

Dr. Carolyn Byrne is a retired faculty member and Professor emeritus. She began her academic career in the School of Nursing at McMaster in 1981. During her time at McMaster, she taught in the undergraduate and graduate-nursing programs, chaired the Undergraduate Nursing Program, received the Presidents Award for Educational Leadership, and was a nurse consultant in Mental Health Nursing Hamilton Wentworth Public Heath Unit.

In 2002, Dr. Byrne moved to the then new University of Ontario Institute of Technology [UOIT] as Founding Dean of Health Science. While there, she established undergraduate programs in Nursing, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Health Sciences, Kinesiology and a graduate program in Health Sciences. Dr. Byrne is Professor Emeritus at UOIT.

In 2010, Dr. Byrne became the Dean and CEO of the University of Calgary's Nursing branch campus in Doha, Qatar. While there, she established key linkages with health care partners and government in Qatar. She increased enrollment for 60 students to over 300 in two years, and boosted research productivity to over $2,000,000 in the same time.

In 2014 Dr. Byrne returned to McMaster as the Associate Dean and Director of the School of Nursing. She retired from McMaster in 2017.

Dr. Byrne's clinical background is in community mental health both with adults and children.

Select Publications

• Tashiro, J., Byrne, C., Kitchen, L., Vogel, E., Bianco, C. (2011).  The Development of Competencies in Interprofessional Health Care for Use in Health Science Educational Programs.  Journal of Research in Interprofessional Practice and Education. 2(1): 63-82.

• Browne, G., Roberts, J., Byrne, C., Gafni, A., Weir, R., Majumdar, B. The costs and effects of addressing the needs of vulnerable populations: Results of 10 years of research. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 40^th Anniversary Issue 1969-2009, 41(1):193-203.

• Browne, G., Gafni, A., Byrne, C., Roberts, J., Majumdar, B. Effective/efficient mental health programs for school-age children: A synthesis of reviews. Social Science and Medicine, 2004; 58:1367-1384.

• Browne, G., Steiner, M., Roberts, J., Gafni, A., Byrne, C., Dunn, E., Bell, B., Mills, M., Chalklin, L., Wallik, D., Kraemer, J. Sertraline and/or interpersonal psychotherapy for patients with dysthymic disorder in primary care: Six-month comparison with longitudinal two-year follow-up of effectiveness and costs. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2002; 68(2-3):317-330.

• Browne, G., Byrne, C., Roberts, J., Gafni, A., Whittaker, S. When the bough breaks: Provider-initiated comprehensive care is more effective and less expensive for sole support parents on social assistance. Social Science and Medicine, December 2001; 53(12):1697-1710.

• Browne, G., Byrne, C., Roberts, J., Gafni, A., Watt, S., Haldane, S., Thomas, I., Ewart, B., Schuster, M., Underwood, J., Flynn Kingston, S., Rennick, K. Benefitting all the beneficiaries of social assistance: The 2-year effects and expense of subsidized versus nonsubsidized quality child care and recreation. National Academies of Practice Forum: Issues in Interdisciplinary Care, April 1999; 1(2):131-142.
• Browne, G., Roberts, J., Gafni, A., Byrne, C., Weir, R., Majumdar, B., Watt, S. Economic evaluations of community -based care: Lessons from twelve studies in Ontario. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 1999; 5(3):191-209.

Grants

• Johnson, B., Byrne, C., Bolan, C., El-Tawil, M., Jewesson, P., Verjee, M., Malt, S., Pyburn, R.  Implementing Inter-Professional Undergraduate Health Care Education in Qatar.  Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP 4-693-3-197). 2011-2014, $595,000 USD.
• Browne, G., Robinson, G., Roberts, J., Gafni, A., Byrne, C., Weir, R., Crook, J., Majumdar, B., Willms, D., Guenter, D. Community-based HIV/AIDS services evaluation unit: The effects and expense of intersectoral models of community-based care for people infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. AIDS Bureau, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, 1999-2004, $2,767,800. Renewed 2004 - 2007, $553,560 each year.
• Browne, G., Steiner, M., Roberts, J., Gafni, A., Byrne, C., Dunn, E., Bell, B., Chalklin, L., Mills, M., Wallik, D., Kraemer, J. A randomized trial of the effectiveness, benefits and comparative costs of Zoloft (Sertraline) vs. interpersonal psychotherapy, alone or in combination for people with dysthymia in primary care. MRC-PMAC (#PA 13275) and Pfizer Canada Inc. 1994-99, $3,172,500.
• Browne, G., Byrne, C., Roberts, J., Boyle, M., Gafni, A., Watt, S., Offord, D. When the bough breaks... A randomized trial of the costs, effects and benefits of the mix of health promotion and social assistance for parents and their children. 1994-99, NHRDP, $630,223.
• Browne, G., Roberts, J., Gafni, A., Byrne, C., Majumdar, B. Interventions to improve the health status and alter the pattern of health and social service utilization by the chronically ill. Ontario Ministry of Health, Health System-Linked Research Units, July 1991 (1991-1996 $2,229,849). Re-funded in July 1996, July 1997, July 1998, July 1999, July 2000, July 2001, July 2002, July 2003, March 2004, March 2005, March 2006, March 2007, March 2008, August 2009, $450,485 each year.

Research

Dr. Byrne has been an active researcher in community-based research through the System Linked Research Unit at McMaster, the Community-Linked Evaluation HIV/ AIDS Resource unit at McMaster, and the Health Education Technology Research unit at UOIT.  Her research interests are interventions aimed at reducing disparity in disadvantaged populations.

Courses

Dr. Byrne has extensive teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.