Colleen Webber

PhD

Investigator

Research Lead

OnSPARK

About:

Colleen Webber, PhD, is an Investigator at the Bruyère Health Research Institute and the Bruyère Health lead of OnSPARK, a long-term care data platform supporting innovation and quality improvement in the long-term care sector. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from Queen’s University and is an early-career health services researcher. Her research program focuses on three interconnected areas: long-term care, palliative care, and mental health. Across these domains, she examines how health systems can better support older adults and people living with complex chronic conditions.

Webber uses population-based health administrative data and health services research methods to study quality of care, access to care, and their relationship with health outcomes. Her research aims to identify gaps in care, uncover opportunities for improvement, and generate evidence that supports system learning and adaptation. Recent projects include investigations of resident health and well-being in long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic, disparities in palliative and end-of-life care for individuals with schizophrenia, and variations in symptom management practices for long-term care residents at the end of life.

Webber’s work is supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and other funding organizations. Throughout her work, she collaborates with patients, family caregivers, clinicians, and policymakers to ensure her research addresses real-world priorities and informs clinical practice and system-level change. Webber also partners with health system stakeholders to translate evidence into care planning and policy decisions, with the goal of improving quality, equity, and coordination of care.

Research Interests:

Palliative care, long-term care, mental health, aging, health services research.

Select Publications:

Fremont D, Fiedorowicz JG, Chandramouleeshwaran S, Dholakia S, Tanuseputro P, Dhaliwal S, Webber C. (2025). Mental health service use and suicide risk after a dementia diagnosis: A population-based retrospective matched cohort study. Aging and Mental Health.

Dover K, Fiedorowicz JG, Kirkwood D, Solmi M, Bolton JM, Isenberg SR, Li W, Mahar A, Bush SH, Bonares M, Edwards JD, Hatcher S, Dosani N, Lawlor P, Chochinov H, Kurdyak P, Wellman M, Franck C, Rochon A, Tanuseputro P, Webber C. (2025). Healthcare use, care settings, and location of death for people with schizophrenia in long-term care. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

Park H, Milani C, Tanuseputro P, Webber C. (2024). The association between rurality and places of care and location of death for long-term care residents with dementia: a population-based study. Health Reports.

Webber C, Milani C, Pugliese M, Lawlor PG, Bush SH, Watt CL, Casey G, Knoefel F, Thavorn K, Momoli F, Tanuseputro P. (2024). Long-term cognitive impairment after delirium in long-term care residents: A population-based retrospective cohort study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Webber C, Hafid S, Gayowsky A, Howard M, Tanuseputro P, Scott M, Jones A, Hsu AT, Downar J, Manuel D, Isenberg SR. (2024). End of life interventions in patients with cancer. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.

Contact:

cwebber@bruyere.org