Dr. Shelley McLeod

PhD
Clinician Scientist

Research Director, Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute

Department of Emergency Medicine (Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute), Mount Sinai Hospital

Advancing emergency care through research and innovation

At the Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI) at Sinai Health, we lead research that strengthens how emergency care is delivered across the health system. The focus of our work is on enhancing emergency care through evidence-based practices, innovative technologies and system-level interventions.

Our research spans clinical trials, systematic reviews and population-based studies. We study how patients move through the emergency department, how clinical decisions are made, and how health systems can make better use of resources. By identifying gaps, testing solutions and sharing insights, we aim to create improvements that can be applied across diverse health care settings.

Collaboration is central to what we do. We work closely with clinicians, researchers and policymakers to ensure our findings translate into actionable guidelines and health policies. Over the past 10 years, we have published more than 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts that provide practical solutions for reducing overcrowding, streamlining patient flow, and supporting sustainable emergency care.

Ultimately, we strive to make emergency care more responsive, equitable and efficient, not only for patients, but for the health system as a whole. Our goal is to ensure that research drives meaningful change, shaping a stronger, more effective emergency care system for communities everywhere.

Telephone
Contact

Email: [email protected]

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Location

Room 2B 213, 600 University Avenue
Toronto, M5G 1X5

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Related links

Publications: PubMed
Google Scholar: Shelley McLeod
ORCID: 0000-0003-2686-6307

LinkedIn: Shelley McLeod
X: @SMcLeod_SREMI

Accordion Items
  • 2025; Vice Chair, Research Committee, International Federation of Emergency Medicine
  • 2022–present; Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto
  • 2022–present; Research Co-Lead, Division of Emergency Medicine Executive, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto
  • 2022–present; Chair, Predictors of Workload in the Emergency Room POWER III Provincial Steering Committee
  • 2021–present; Associate Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), program of Clinical Epidemiology & Health Care Research (CEHCR), University of Toronto, Toronto
  • 2014–present; Research Director, Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto

Former appointments

  • 2020–2022; Chair, Ontario Virtual Urgent Care Research and Evaluation Committee
  • 2016–2022; Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto
  • 2015–2020; Chair, Provincial Lead of Ontario electronic Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (eCTAS) Research and Evaluation Committee 
  • PhD, Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (formerly the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; 2015–2020 
  • MSc, Clinical Epidemiology, Health Research Methodology (formerly the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; 2007–2012 
  • MSc, Cardiorespiratory Physiology, Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; 2001–2003 
  • Honours BSc, Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; 1997–2001  
  • 2021 – Best Paper, International Conference of Emergency Medicine (ICEM), Drug treatments for COVID-19: A living systematic review and network meta-analysis
  • 2021 – Best Paper - Evidence into Practice, International Conference of Emergency Medicine (ICEM), Creation of a novel evaluation tool to manage conflicts of interest in clinical practice guideline panels
  • 2021 – Department of Family and Community Medicine Award for Research Mentorship, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto
  • 2021 – Division of Emergency Medicine Award of Excellence for Excellence in Research/Quality Improvement in Emergency Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto

We are always looking for motivated students and researchers to join our team. 

Potential summer, undergraduate and graduate students should contact Dr. Shelley McLeod directly at [email protected] 

Notable publications

Drug treatments for mild or moderate covid-19: systematic review and network meta-analysis

BMJ, 2025

Health care utilization and outcomes of patients seen by virtual urgent care versus in-person emergency department care

Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2023

Defibrillation strategies for refractory ventricular fibrillation

The New England Journal of Medicine, 2022

Demographic characteristics, outcomes and experience of patients using virtual urgent care services from 14 emergency department led sites in Ontario

Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2022

Intracranial hemorrhage after head injury among older patients on anticoagulation seen in the emergency department: A population-based cohort study

Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2021

Join our team

Visit our job board to see research positions.