Mary De Vera BSc, MSc, PhD
Associate Professor
Senior Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada
Scientist, Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes
Dr. De Vera is a pharmacoepidemiologist and assistant professor in medication adherence in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC. She completed a BSc degree in biochemistry at UBC and MSc and PhD degrees in health care and epidemiology from the UBC School of Population and Public Health. She also completed post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and UBC's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The theme of Dr. De Vera's research is "Medication Matters" and her goal is to improve outcomes of medication taking in different patient populations.
Her current research interests are examining how eHealth technologies can support new and existing models of care to improve care delivery and patient outcomes; exploring patients' perspectives and experiences with medication taking and adherence; and evaluating the use and impacts of medications among pregnant women, particularly with inflammatory conditions.
Dr. De Vera is an expert in patient outcomes studies, particularly in arthritis. She is also an expert in population studies using administrative databases, with cross-Canada experiences in British Columbia (Population Data BC, formerly BC Linked Health Database) and Quebec (Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec).
Oveisi N, Cheng V, Taylor D, Bechthold H, Barnes M, Jansen N, McTaggart-Cowan H, Brotto LA, Peacock S, Hanley GE, Gill S. Rayar M, Srikanthan A, De Vera MA. Meaningful patient engagement in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer research: A framework for qualitative studies. Current Oncology. 2024 Mar 12. doi: 10.3390/curroncol31040128.
Rebic N, De Vera MA, Gupta A, Amiri N. Perinatal use and discontinuation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: Outcomes of patients seen at a pregnancy and rheumatic diseases clinic. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. 2024 Mar 05. doi: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000002090.
Thomas M, Verma V, Gheshlaghi N, Esdaile J, Avina-Zubieta A, Barnabe C, Harrison M, De Vera MA. Reporting of determinants of health inequities and participant characteristics in randomized controlled trials of systemic lupus erythematosus in Canada: A scoping review. Lupus. 2024 Jan 30. doi: 10.1177/09612033241233032.
Rebic N, Law MR, Brotto LA, Cragg JJ, De Vera MA. The intersectional impact of cost-related non-adherence and depression: A cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey by sex, race, and Indigeneity. Community Mental Health Journal. 2023 Oct 22. doi: 10.1007/s10597-023-01202-1.
De Vera MA, Gill S, Ashamalla S, Schiller D, Brenner DR, Wong C, Wildgoose P, Esplen MJ, Lieu C, FitzPatrick R, O’Sullivan DE, Servidio-Italiano F. Early-age-onset colorectal cancer in Canada: Evidence, Issues, and Calls to Action. Current Oncology. 2022 Apr 29;29(5):3149–3159. doi: 10.3390/curroncol29050256.
Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Mid Career Category. 2021
Women’s Health Research Institute Mentorship Award in Women’s Health, Early Career Category. 2021
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair, Medication Adherence, Utilization, and Outcomes. 2017–22
Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award. 2014–2021
Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada New Investigator Research Award. 2019
Arthritis Alliance of Canada Early Faculty Award. 2017
"Examining reproductive health outcomes of females diagnosed with young-onset colorectal cancer (EXPAND-yCRC)." De Vera M (PI), Gill S, Hanley G, McTaggart-Cowan H, Peacock S, Oveisi N. $73,667. Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Operating Grant Data Analysis Using Existing Databases and Cohorts. 2023–2024.
"Following reproductive and sexual health care and outcomes of adolescent and young adult cancer patients (FUTURE)." De Vera M (PI), McTaggart-Cowan H, Brotto L, Gill S, Hanley G, Peacock S, Rayar M, Srikanthan A, Oveisi N. $313,649. Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Project Grant. 2023–2026.
"Following maternal, neonatal, and childhood outcomes associated with use of arthritis medications perinatally (FAMILY)." De Vera M (PI), Amiri N, Baldwin C, Ensworth S, Sayre EC, Schummers L, Rebic N, Proulx L. $421,128. The Arthritis Society – Strategic Operating Grant. 2023–2026.
"Mapping the epidemiology and the role of treatments in mental health complications in inflammatory arthritis (MATTERS)." De Vera M (PI), Avina-Zubieta JA, Esdaile J, Shojania K, Puyat J, Da Costa D, Howren A. $206,946. The Arthritis Society – Strategic Operating Grant. 2019–2022.
"Examining epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes in young-onset colorectal cancer (EXPLAIN)." De Vera M (PI), Sadatsafavi M, Peacock S, McTaggart-Cowan H, Brown C, Gill S, Loree J, Cheung W, Chan K. $459,000. Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Project Grant. 2018–2022.
"What have learned about early age-onset colorectal cancer." De Vera M. Colorectal Cancer Resource and Action Network Early Age-Onset Colorectal Cancer Virtual Symposium 2022. Virtual Presentation. October 27 and 28, 2022.
"Information needs and concerns of women with RA regarding medications and pregnancy." De Vera M. Arthritis Health Professions Association. Virtual Presentation. October 7, 2022.
"Arthritis Talks: Women and Arthritis." De Vera M. The Arthritis Society. Virtual Presentation. October 6, 2022.
"Reasons to take medications as prescribed." De Vera M. BC Lupus Society Symposium. Virtual Presentation. May 16–20, 2022.
"Patient-oriented outcomes research in early age onset colorectal cancer." De Vera M. Fight CRC. Virtual Presentation. June 3, 2020.
