Dr. Thilina Bandara
Assistant Professor, USask; Research Lead, Urban Public Health Network
About
As a public health research and administrative leader, Dr. Bandara is driven to understand and implement public and private innovations that work to improve health equity. He has experience conducting and managing epidemiological and policy-based initiatives in academic, healthcare, non-profit and governmental settings. Dr. Thilina Bandara's work is characterized by a focus on equity, policy analysis, and collaborative efforts to address complex health challenges. Through his academic roles, research projects, and leadership positions, Dr. Bandara contributes to the advancement of the public health system in Canada.
Education
PhD in Community and Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Conference Presentations
Title: How the pandemic reshaped trust and equity in Canadian public health
Date: May 2025
Conference: Canadian Public Health Association Conference 2025
Co-Authors: Muhajarine, N., Neudorf, C., Betker, C.
Title: The impact of health system transformation on public health in the prairie provinces: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Date: May 2025
Conference: Canadian Public Health Association Conference 2025
Co-Authors: Shaw, S., Cabaj, J., Reimer, J.
Title: The Development of a Census of Local Public Health Units Across Canada
Date: May 2025
Conference: Canadian Public Health Association Conference 2024
Co-Authors: Plante, C., Sandhu, N., Neudorf, C.
Title: The Road to Elimination of Cervical Cancer: Increasing Human Papillomavirus Immunization Coverage.
Date: April 2025
Conference: Northern Intertribal Health Authority: Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Infections Conference
Co-Authors: Neudorf, C., Rathwell, M., Plante, C., Khan, A., Ondieki, M.
Title: Proportionate Universalism and HPV Immunizations.
Date: Nov 2023
Conference: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer Elimination of Cervical Cancer Summit.
Title: Exploring peoples-specific and community-specific facilitators and barriers to HPV immunization uptake in First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and urban Indigenous communities
Date: Nov 2023
Conference: Canadian Immunization Conference 2023
Co-Authors: Dolin, A., King, K., Jamieson, L., Amagoalik, L.
Academic Research Publications
Bandara, T., Sandhu, N., Mehdiyeva, K. et al. (2025) Enablers and barriers to public health practice during COVID-19: Perspectives from local public leadership from across Canada. Can J Public Health. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-024-00982-7
Malkin J, Jessiman-Perreault G, Alberga Machado A, Teare G, Snider J, Tirmizi SF, Youngson E, Wang T, Law J, Bandara T, Rathwell M, Neudorf C, Allen Scott L. Individual and Geospatial Determinants of Health Associated With School-Based Human Papillomavirus Immunization in Alberta: Population-Based Cohort Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024
Mar 27;10:e45508. doi: 10.2196/45508. PMID: 38536211.
Dionne, M., Sauvageau, C., Kiely, M., Rathwell, M., Bandara, T., Neudorf, C., Dubé, E.School-based vaccination program against HPV and Hepatitis B: A longitudinal analysis of vaccine coverage between 2015 and 2021 in Quebec, Vaccine, 2023, ISSN 0264-410X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.09.054.
Dionne, M., Sauvageau, C., Kiely, M., Rathwell, M., Bandara, T., Neudorf, C., Dubé, E. “The problem is not lack of information”: A qualitative study of parents and school nurses’ perceptions of barriers and potential solutions for HPV vaccination in schools, Vaccine, 2023, ISSN 0264-410X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.09.054.
Plante C., Sandhu N., Bandara T., Fuller D., Neudorf C. (2022). Defining the “local public health unit” for public health systems and services research in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health. doi: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-022-00714-9
Malkin J., Allen Scott L., Machado A.A., Teare G., Snider J., Tirmizi S.F.A., Bandara T., Rathwell M., Neudorf C. (2022) Factors influencing human papillomavirus school-based immunization in Alberta: A mixed-methods study protocol. PLoS ONE 17(12): e0278472. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278472:
Bandara T., Neudorf C., Muhajarine N. (2022). An equity-based assessment of immunization-related responses in urban Alberta during the 2014 measles outbreak: A comparative analysis between Calgary and Edmonton. Canadian Journal of Public Health: doi: 10.17269/s41997-021-00578-5.
Plante C., Bandara T., Littlejohns L.B., Sandhu N., Pham A., Neudorf C. (2021). Surveying the local public health response to COVID-19 in Canada: Study Protocol. PLOS ONE. 16(11): e0259590. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259590.
Nasser R., Cammer A., Bandara T., Bovee, S. (2021). Staff perceptions of a mealtime management educational video for training in long term care homes. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. 15;1-6. doi:10.3148/cjdpr-2020-031.
Bielska IA, Embrett M, Jewett L, Buote R, Manis DR, Parikh M, Speicher DJ, Agarwal G, Nartowski R, Finnegan H, Bandara T, Hamilton CB, Moore E, Liu RH, Roher SIG, Lopatina E, Nguyen DTK, Lawrence L, Lukewich J. (2020). Canada’s Multi-Jurisdictional COVID-19 Public Health Response – January to May 2020. Public Health and Governance/Zdrowie Publiczne i Zarządzanie; 18(1):88-105.
Bandara T, Musto R, Kancir J, Neudorf C. Public health physician perspectives on developing and deploying clinical practice guidelines during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. (2020). Healthcare Management Forum. 33(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/0840470420917412.
Goodridge, D., Bandara, T., Marciniuk, D., Hutchinson, S., Crossman, L., Kachur, B., Higgins, D., Bennett, A. (2019). Promoting chronic disease management in persons with complex social needs: A qualitative descriptive study. Chronic Respiratory Disease. January 2019. doi:
10.1177/1479973119832025.
Fuller, D., Neudorf, J., Lockhart, S., Plante, C., Roberts, H., Bandara, T., Neudorf, C. (2019). Individual- and area-level socioeconomic inequalities in diabetes mellitus in Saskatchewan between 2007 and 2012: A cross-sectional analysis. Canadian Medical Association Journal Open. January 21, 2019: doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20180042.
Bandara, T., Banerjee, A., Dhillon, J., Rafferty, E. (2015). Developing the tools to manage complex crises: Training students in interdisciplinarity. Pedagogy in Health Promotion. December 2, 2015: doi: 10. 1177/2373379915614867.
Bandara, T. (2014). Housing-First and the Primary Health Care Approach to Health Equity. Health Science Inquiry. 5;1, 99-100.
Bandara, T. (2013). A Multi-Level Approach to Addressing Mental Health Stigma in Canada. Health Science Inquiry. 4;1, 83-84.
Bandara, T., Muhajarine, N. (2013). Neighborhood Design and Quality of Life in Saskatoon. Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. 2013 Edition, 4318-4324.
Bandara, T., Moraros, J., Bird, Y. (2012). Incidence of Male Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Physical Violence Against Pregnant Women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The Health Education Monograph Series. 29;2, 6-12.
Other Outputs
Title: How have we seen trust in science, academic and public health change?
Format: University of Saskatchewan Signature Series Podcast
Date: 2024
Co-Authors: Muhajarine, N., Neudorf, C.
Title: A Population Health Approach to Health System and Human Resource Planning
Format: Brief; https://www.schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca/research-ideas/publications-and-policy-insight/policy-brief/human-resource-planning.php
Date: 2024
Title: Mass COVID-19 immunization: Ensuring equitable access to vaccination
Format: Popular media article
Date: 2020
Co-Authors: Muhajarine, N., Neudorf, C.
SURGE-SK
5D40.28 Health Sciences, 107 Wiggins Rd. Saskatoon, SK
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