Tara Gomes

PhD, MHSc

Scientist

Biography

Tara Gomes is an epidemiologist and Principal Investigator of the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN), a provincial network of researchers with expertise in pharmaceutical utilization, outcomes and policy who rapidly conduct research for drug decision-makers in Ontario and across Canada.  She holds a Canada Research Chair in Drug Policy Research and Evaluation, is a Scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital and ICES, and is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto.  Her research is focused on pharmacoepidemiology, drug safety and drug policy research leveraging large, administrative databases, and she has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and over 100 policy reports in this area.  Dr. Gomes also works closely with government regulators at the provincial and national level to develop evidence to inform policies related to opioid use disorder and opioid-related harm through the Ontario Opioid Drug Observatory.  In 2014, she was awarded the Institute for Public Administration of Canada’s Bronze Public Sector Leadership Award in Health and Education to recognize the impact of the ODPRN’s work.

Recent Publications

  1. Hanna, M, Subic, AM, Park, AL, Wu, F, Campbell, DM, Leece, P et al.. COVID-19 immunisation among individuals with opioid use disorder in Ontario: a population-based cohort study. BMJ Public Health. 2025;3 (2):e002755. doi: 10.1136/bmjph-2025-002755. PubMed PMID:41321367 PubMed Central PMC12658482.
  2. Ledlie, S, Tadrous, M, Bayoumi, AM, McCormack, D, Kent, JT, Besharah, J et al.. Initiation of opioid agonist treatment following hospital-treated opioid toxicities and the risk of repeat events in Ontario, Canada: a cohort study using inverse probability of treatment weights. BMJ Public Health. 2025;3 (2):e002779. doi: 10.1136/bmjph-2025-002779. PubMed PMID:41262783 PubMed Central PMC12625834.
  3. Drucker, AM, Sutradhar, R, Ling, V, Eder, L, Gomes, T, Fralick, M et al.. Systemic therapies for psoriatic disease and serious adverse events in older adults: a population-based cohort study. J Invest Dermatol. 2025; :. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2025.10.604. PubMed PMID:41248822 .
  4. Boucher, LM, Lau, J, Scott, MM, Everett, K, Gomes, T, Tanuseputro, P et al.. Relationship Between Palliative Care and Location of Death Among People With Opioid Use Disorder: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J Palliat Care. 2025; :8258597251392965. doi: 10.1177/08258597251392965. PubMed PMID:41223096 .
  5. Ledlie, S, Scarfone, K, Shearer, D, Zurba, N, Miskovic, M, Munro, C et al.. Exploring disparities: a regional analysis of harm reduction supply distribution and opioid-related deaths across Ontario's Public Health Units. Harm Reduct J. 2025;22 (1):184. doi: 10.1186/s12954-025-01319-4. PubMed PMID:41219973 PubMed Central PMC12606891.
  6. Rebić, N, Hamzat, B, Cheung, G, Eurich, DT, Kaboré, JL, de Léséleuc, L et al.. Trends in prescription opioid use for pain in Canada: a population-based repeated cross-sectional study of 6 provinces. CMAJ. 2025;197 (36):E1175-E1183. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.250670. PubMed PMID:41145185 PubMed Central PMC12578457.
  7. Antoniou, T, McCormack, D, Wang, T, Tadrous, M, Gomes, T. Impact of Direct Oral Anticoagulant Uptake on Hospitalizations for Stroke/Transient Ischemic Attack, Intracranial Hemorrhage, and Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Individuals With Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Study. Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2025;39 (6):e70051. doi: 10.1111/fcp.70051. PubMed PMID:41057022 PubMed Central PMC12503986.
  8. Camden, A, Brown, HK, Gomes, T, Hutcheon, JA, Kelly, LE, Lu, H et al.. Canadian perinatal opioid project: a protocol for a national health data system. BMJ Open. 2025;15 (8):e103160. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103160. PubMed PMID:40887131 PubMed Central PMC12410675.
  9. Torabi, A, Chu, C, Abdul Aziz, Y, Yada, N, Chaudhry, S, Wang, T et al.. Evaluating regional and temporal variations in quality indicators for opioid initiation and pharmacist medication reviews in Ontario: A population-based repeated cross-sectional study. Can Pharm J (Ott). 2025;158 (5):294-301. doi: 10.1177/17151635251358873. PubMed PMID:40881660 PubMed Central PMC12373646.
  10. Wynne, W, Iacono, A, Yang, J, Hamzat, B, Leece, P, Kolla, G et al.. Circumstances surrounding alcohol toxicity deaths and prior pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder in Ontario, Canada. Alcohol Alcohol. 2025;60 (5):. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agaf055. PubMed PMID:40856508 PubMed Central PMC12378735.
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Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Assistant Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
  • Assistant Professor, Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
  • Scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
  • Principal Investigator, Ontario Drug Policy Research Network