Jane Brenneman Gibson

Director, Knowledge Transfer & Exchange

Master of Clinical Science, University of Western Ontario

Jane Brenneman Gibson’s extensive policy-making experience and formal clinical training in speech pathology has certainly helped her to lead the Institute’s Knowledge Transfer & Exchange (KTE) department.

KTE – a core business of the Institute – ensures that the research findings generated from the Institute’s scientists are put into the hands of key decision-makers in a timely, accessible and useful manner.

“It’s vital that IWH knows its audiences very well. I’m familiar with the kinds of decisions clinicians make every day and the importance of accessing evidence-based information,” says Gibson. “Also, I’ve been involved in provincial policy-making decisions, so I understand the policy-development process.” These experiences and skills, coupled with Gibson’s infectious energy, make her a dynamic leader of the KTE department.

Gibson, with the Institute since 2000, is also helping to implement the Institute’s new five-year strategic plan. “Several initiatives were identified within that plan that directly impact KTE, such as developing metrics to help monitor KTE efforts. We’re making sure that we hit all of the plan’s targets,” she notes.

KTE is a relatively new field and Gibson has been leading the way in developing a network of others who are involved or interested in KTE. For instance, she and colleagues have created a KTE Community of Practice, a group of KTE professionals dedicated to discussing best practices, networking, and sharing information about what works best in KTE.

Within the occupational health and safety field, Gibson and KTE colleagues from the Centres of Research Expertise have created the KTE Hub to share KTE resources and networks of audiences to try to maximize the reach of the research findings to these key decision-makers.

“It’s important for KTE professionals to learn from one another. Because KTE is still in its infancy, we need to maintain our own KTE networks and share our experiences and keep up-to-date on what’s going,” says Gibson.