Rate My Professor Colleen Maxwell

Colleen Maxwell is a Professor in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo, with a cross-appointment in the School of Public Health and Health Systems. She holds a BSc in Health Studies (1988), an MA in Gerontology (1991), and a PhD in Health Studies (1995), all from the University of Waterloo, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Élisabeth-Bruyère Health Centre and the University of Ottawa. Maxwell joined the University of Waterloo in 2011 after previous academic appointments at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on pharmacoepidemiology and aging, with particular emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, depression, and health services and outcomes research, including the health and quality of care needs of older residents in assisted living and long-term care settings. She was appointed a University of Waterloo Research Chair and has received awards including the Outstanding Performance Award (2016), Health Scholar Award and Population Health Investigator Awards from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, and a CIHR New Investigator Award. Maxwell serves on committees such as the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System for Neurological Conditions Working Group and the CIHI Home & Continuing Care Advisory Committee, and is a board member and Academic North America Representative for the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology. Key publications include studies on persistence and adherence with dementia pharmacotherapy (2014), hospitalization rates in assisted living (2014), and patterns of dementia pharmacotherapy in home care clients (2013).

Maxwell’s work has contributed to national and international efforts examining medication use, neurodegenerative disorders, and care quality for older adults. She maintains affiliations including adjunct status with the Department of Community Health Sciences and Medicine at the University of Calgary and has been involved in funded projects addressing public health needs in aging populations.