Academic Status: PhD Candidate

Previous Academic Training: BSc in Neuroscience (Dalhousie University)

UBC Academic Department: Experimental Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine

Supervisor: Helen Tremlett, PhD

Project title: Using linked health data to explore the epidemiology and impact of mental health in multiple sclerosis

Email: kyla.mckay@ubc.ca

Awards Received:

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Award
• Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Rising Star Award
• Alistair M Fraser Master’s Studentship Award – Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
• SPRINT Scholarship – endMS Network
• Faculty of Medicine Graduate Award – University of British Columbia
• UBC Four Year Doctoral Fellowship

Publications:

• McKay K.A., Tremlett H. The systematic search for risk factors in multiple sclerosis. Lancet Neurology. 2015;14:237-238.
• McKay K.A., Kwan V, Duggan T, Tremlett H. Risk Factors Associated with the Onset of Relapsing-Remitting and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review. Biomed Research International. 2015;2015:1-11.
•  McKay, K.A., Tremlett, H., Fisk, J.D., Patten, S.B., Fiest, K., Berrigan, L., Marrie, R.A. Adverse health behaviours are associated with depression and anxiety in multiple sclerosis: A prospective multisite study. Multiple Sclerosis Journal 22(5), 684-693 (2015).
• Fiest, K.M., Fisk, J.D., Patten, S.B., Tremlett, H.,Wolfson, C., Warren, S., McKay, K.A., Berrigan, L. Marrie, RA. Comorbidity is associated with pain-related activity limitations in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders 4(5), 470-476 (2015).
• Zhornitsky, S. McKay, K.A., Rangachari, M.  Cholesterol and markers of cholesterol turnover in multiple sclerosis: Relationship with disease outcomes. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders 5, 53-65 (2016).
• Berrigan, L.I., Fisk, J.D., Patten, S.B., Tremlett, H., Wolfson, C., Warren, S., Fiest, K.M., McKay, K.A., Marrie, RA. Health-Related Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis: Direct and Indirect Effects of Comorbidity. Neurology. 2016.
• Fiest, K.M., Fisk, J.D., Patten, S.B., Tremlett, H.,Wolfson, C., Warren, S., McKay, K.A., Berrigan, L. Marrie, RA. Fatigue and Comorbidities in Multiple Sclerosis. International Journal of MS Care. In Press.
• McKay, K.A., Tremlett, H., Zhu, F., Kastrukoff, L., Marrie, RA., Kingwell, E. A population-based study comparing multiple sclerosis clinic users and non-users in British Columbia, Canada. European Journal of Neurology. 2016.

Conference Presentations:

• McKay, K.A. A population-based study comparing multiple sclerosis clinic users and non-users in British Columbia, Canada. International Population Data Linkage Conference, August, 2016, Swansea, United Kingdom
• McKay, K.A. A population-based study comparing multiple sclerosis clinic users and non-users in British Columbia, Canada. American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, April 2016, Vancouver, BC
• McKay, K.A. Determinants of non-adherence to disease-modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis – a cross Canada prospective study. American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, April 2016, Vancouver, BC
• McKay K.A. Adverse health behaviours are associated with depression and anxiety in multiple sclerosis: a prospective multi-site study. 2015 Neuroinflammation Symposium, April 2015, Toronto, ON
• McKay K.A., Zhornitsky S. Cholesterol and markers of cholesterol turnover in multiple sclerosis: relationship with disease outcomes. endMS Summer School, May 2015, Montreal, QC
• McKay K.A., The association between beta-interferon for multiple sclerosis and incident depression: Work in progress. 9th Annual Neuroinflammation Symposium, June 2014, Montreal, QC
• McKay K.A. Risk factors associated with clinical disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review.  endMS Conference, December 2013, Saint-Sauveur, QC