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I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
This website drzhelnov.github.io is my personal website.
My email is ... pavel [at] zheln [dot] com.
ORCiD | LinkedIn | GitHub | Twitter
2023–2027
PhD in Health Policy, Management and Evaluation
(enrolled full-time)
Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Provisional thesis title: Avoidably WAsted REsearch (AWARE)
Landing page: https://researchwaste.info/
Supervisor: Dr. Andrea Tricco, MSc, PHD
Link to Graduate Student Directory
Study program:
Health Systems Research – Organization and Management Studies
Collaborative Specialization in Global Health
Co-registered as a graduate student at the Knowledge Translation Program of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto)
Here is a summary of my first year of studies (GPA: 3.87 out of 4.00):
- Canada's Health System and Health Policy (HAD5011H), Weight 0.50, Grade A-
- Introduction to Theories of Organizational Behaviour and Applications to the Health Care Sector (HAD5773H), Weight 0.50, Grade A
- Introduction to Health Services and Systems Research Theory and Methods (HAD6760H), Weight 0.50, Grade A-
- Biostatistics II (CHL5202H), Weight 0.50, Grade A
- Introduction to Knowledge Synthesis for Knowledge Users (CHL5434H), Weight 0.50, Grade A+
- Applying Health Services and Systems Research Methods (HAD6770H), Weight 0.50, Grade A-
- Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Systems and Policy Research (HSR1001H), Weight 0.50, Grade A-
- Seminar in Organizational Behaviour (HAD5750H), Weight 0.50, Grade A
- Machine Learning with Applications in Python (INF2179H), Weight 0.50, Grade A
2019–2020
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Achievements:
- Completed 60 units toward the Candidate of Sciences in Medicine degree (Doctor of Philosophy – PhD Equivalent) in Traumatology and Orthopedics
- Passed first-year qualifying exams
- GPA: 4.7 out of 5.0 / 3.7 out of 4.0 (A-/Distinction)
- Withdrew for family reasons
2017–2019
Diploma of Postgraduate Education in Traumatology and Orthopedics
Saint Petersburg, Russia
GPA: 4.8 out of 5.0 / 3.8 out of 4.0 (A-/Distinction)
2011–2017
Specialist Diploma in General Medicine – Combined Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master’s Degree Equivalent
Saint Petersburg, Russia
GPA: 4.6 out of 5.0 / 3.6 out of 4.0 (B+/Distinction)
2021–2023
TOEFL iBT
Total: 108
Reading: 29 / Listening: 27 / Speaking: 26 / Writing: 26
2019–2024
Certificate to Practice Traumatology and Orthopedics in Russia
Saint Petersburg, Russia
2017–2022
Accreditation to Practice Primary Care Medicine in Russia
Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
Moscow, Russia
2010
Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF)
Niveau B2
2017
2nd place winner
7th International Medical Congress of Junior Researchers “Saint Petersburg Readings” (Traumatology and Orthopedics), Saint Petersburg, Russia
2017
1st place winner
Traumatology and Orthopedics
78th Conference “Current Problems of Experimental and Clinical Medicine”, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2016
3rd place winner
Traumatology and Orthopedics
77th Conference “Current Problems of Experimental and Clinical Medicine”, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2012
3rd place winner
Latin Studies
Students’ Conference “Students’ Science”, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2024
Research Assistant Team Lead
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Research Fellowship with Professor Patrick Keilty and the GLAM Incubator, Faculty of Information.
Project page: Graph-Based Archival Description at the Archives of Ontario
Key Responsibilities:
- Create a proof of concept that explores the possibilities and potential benefits of a graph-based data model for archival description, using the International Council on Archives’ new Records in Contexts (RiC) standard and Linked Open Data (RDF data format). The overall objective of this project is to develop a data model, to select and model a small-scale sample of data drawn from the Archives of Ontario’s datasets, and to thereby test the possibilities and potential benefits for internal staff and public end-users.
- Advise another Research Assistant on the team on daily activities, provide project management, evaluate technology options, and assist with the development of functional requirements, data mapping, and data conversion.
Key Achievements:
Open Source code and data – GitHub repo
- Supported the team’s successful development of a new data model and URI format within the alotted time frame.
- Adapted the existing Python code to convert freehand-drawn Draw.io diagrams to fully featured RDF graphs.
- Wrote from scratch Python and Shell code to enable the creation of maps in RDF Mapping Language (RML) using the above diagramming tool.
- Successfully converted a large sample of the Archives of Ontario data to the new format while providing scalability for a full dataset conversion.
- Presented the results to the external stakeholder, enabling the transferability and sustainability of the code and data.
2020
Independent Researcher/Tutor
Self-Employed
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Saint Petersburg, Russia (Remote)
Key Responsibilities:
- Run own research/educational projects.
- Seek funding and hire collaborators.
- Manage own finances and time, including switching between currencies and time zones.
Key Achievements:
-
Launched a web-based open evidence synthesis portal all by self, started a crowdfunding campaign.
-
Published systematic progress reports for 15 consecutive self-funded weeks.
-
Participated in the PRISMA 2020 development process, with two standalone (independent from the main PRISMA process) manuscripts being prepared for publication.
-
Provided paid Medical English courses to two practising physicians and launched a half-free, half-subscription-based blog for Russian-speaking English learners.
-
Produced 3 pocket clinical practice guidelines on diverse conditions, digested and adapted for clinicians, published in an industry journal:
- Algorithm of examination in olfactory disorders. Non Nocere. New Therapeutic Journal. 2023;(9):78‑86. Russian.
- Know to the bone: Algorithm for diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in a clinic. Non Nocere. New Therapeutic Journal. 2023;(10‑11):42‑53. Russian.
- Doing it right: Algorithm for diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease (for non-specialist physicians). Non Nocere. New Therapeutic Journal. 2024;(5):72‑79. Russian.
-
Engineered and developed a software stack for finding and summarizing relevant, high-quality health research. This technology is currently tested in production (Technology Readiness Level 5) and is being prepared for a public release. Contact Pavel.
2023
Freelance Medical Writer
Technological Platforms
Mexico City, Mexico
Key Responsibilities:
- Monitor and apply for relevant projects.
- Plan and conduct applied research and write reports for healthcare industry stakeholders or blog posts for various audiences.
- Track and report work hours, including self-managing own agile work flow with Jira.
- Communicate effectively with clients from different time zones, industry areas, and linguistic backgrounds.
Key Achievements:
- Negotiated with 4 clients, completed 3 jobs, secured 1 long-term partnership offer.
- Have completed a large research report for pharma that involved a literature review as well as editing and analysis of interview transcripts.
- Built on experience with a previous project (Zheln.com) to lay out service options for clients.
2021–2022
Orthopedic Traumatologist Physician
Administrative Department for the Implementation of Functions of a National Medical Research Center
Priorov National Medical Research Centre of Traumatology and Orthopaedics
Moscow, Russia
Key Responsibilities:
- Review national clinical practice guideline projects in traumatology and orthopedics before they are sent to the Health Ministry for final review.
- Analyse statistical reports from trauma and orthopedic institutions across 30+ regions of Central Russia and compile an annual report to the Health Ministry.
- Self-manage own schedule when working remotely to join meetings and meet the deadlines, including switching between time zones.
Key Achievements:
- Demonstrated profound knowledge of current practices in grading the certainty of evidence and choosing the strength of recommendation.
- Made advanced use of current data and text management software in applied health research
- Showed good comprehension, delivered the required information in a timely manner and well-presented format, and was easy to work with.
- Curated development of and/or coauthored 20+ national clinical practice guideline projects from draft to regulatory approvement.
2020
Startup Co-Founder
Project021.org
(currently not operational)
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Key Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with four other co-founders to create a technical design document for a social crowdsourcing network for global researchers.
- Participate in the team meetings twice a week as part of a Scrum Agile process.
- Design and run the market research strategy.
Key Achievements:
- Contributed to the creation of the landing page and the minimum viable product web site.
- Designed, conducted, and published a rapid market-scoping review and a survey targeting a population of 12,800 potential users.
2019–2020
Emergency Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon
Department of Orthopedic Trauma #2
Dzhanelidze Research Institute of Emergency Medicine
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide emergency department management to patients with orthopedic injuries presenting to a major trauma center.
- Operate on patients with orthopedic and spinal emergencies.
Key Achievements:
- Streamlined management of the incoming flow of patients with spine problems by designing and, in collaboration with the IT team, implementing an extension to the institutional electronic health records system.
- Treated 500+ orthopedic cases, with 100+ specialist spinal cases.
2018–2020
Medical Reviewer
Foreign Travel Department
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Key Responsibilities:
- Review medical and financial documentation related to foreign travel insurance cases.
- Translate medical records and related invoices to Russian from English and, in part, several other languages (e.g., Turkish, Bulgar, German, French).
Key Achievements:
- Designed and volunteered to provide comprehensive time tracking reports that improved managerial decision-making.
- Volunteered to research various legal, procedural, and scientific documentation that increased transparency of the medical review services delivered by the Department.
- Gained operational knowledge about health systems in 30+ countries worldwide.
- Completed authorized translations of 300+ medical records (144,000 words) from English-speaking countries.
2017
Crowd Transcriptionist
Key Responsibilities:
- Transcribe 1-minute-long chunks of voice recordings in American, British, or Australian English.
Key Achievements:
- Transcribed 45 minutes of audio overall, including voice recordings of very low quality and comprehensibility.
2015
Ward Nurse
Department of Neurosurgery #2
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide nursing care to patients with neurosurgical disorders of traumatic and non-traumatic origin, including the critically ill.
- Perform and assist physicians with performing routine neurosurgical ward procedures.
Key Achievements:
- Learned to be gentle and caring with socially disadvantaged and mentally challenged patients and to provide palliative and end-of-life care, including working with the patients' family.
- Gained firm basic medical procedural skills.
2024–now
Affiliate
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2021–2023
Member
Association for Interdisciplinary Meta-Research and Open Science
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2020–2023
Member
Russian Society for Evidence-Based Medicine
Moscow, Russia
Chair: Professor Olga Yu. Rebrova, PhD
Key Responsibilities:
- Monitor, translate to Russian, conduct an evidence review, and publish medical news for general audiences and health care professionals on the Society's web resources.
- Contribute to the development of national clinical practice guidelines in traumatology and orthopedics as a work group member on behalf of the Society.
- Advocate evidence-based practice and follow the Society's ethical code while practising as a physician.
Key Achievements:
- Brought the Saint Petersburg Section of the Society's web site back into operation after 8 years of suspension.
- Created a Telegram news channel for the Society, that has reached 480+ subscribers in 18 months.
- Created a private chat for the Society members to communicate (previously, there was none), through which several research initiatives have arisen.
- Have piloted the Society's role as a national clinical practice guideline developer and contributed to 3+ ongoing projects, making the development process openly available on GitHub for the first time (discontinued later).
2021–now
Evidence Synthesis News Channel
Key Achievements:
- A one-of-a-kind resource in Russian.
- Currently at 34 subscribers.
2021
Evidence Ambassador
World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day
Key Achievements:
- Participated in an awareness campaign by posting social media and blog posts both in English and Russian.
- Received recognition with the Zheln project included on the Evidence Ambassadors list on the campaign's website.
- Took part in several allied webinars as a visitor.
2013–2021
Founder of an Online Students' Learning Resource
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Key Achievements:
- Created a social media learning resource for Russian-speaking medical students.
- Have been raising evidence-based practice awareness since 2016.
- Currently at 500+ subscribers.
2018–2020
Student Lead
Spine Surgery Group of the Students' Research Society
Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics
Pavlov University
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Supervisor: Professor Denis I. Kutyanov, MD, PhD
Key Responsibilities:
- Mentor undergraduate and postgraduate students who come to take part in the research conducted by the Department.
- Ensure that the Department's planned research activities are on schedule.
- Help convene the public events organized by the Department.
Key Achievements:
- Led a 30-minutes-long local interactive seminar involving 20+ student participants about information search for evidence synthesis and publicly shared it on YouTube.
- Managed a group of 5 undergraduate and postgraduate students for 3 years, leading to the group's participation in 3 scientific conferences, publication of 6 conference abstracts and 1 article in a peer-reviewed journal (accepted), multiple bedside clinical teaching sessions.
- Advised 2 PhD students on research design and subject-specific issues, with both students having successfully defended their theses.
- Helped convene 3 two-day congresses for health practitioners in trauma care, with 1000–2000 international participants each.
- 13 evidence synthesis projects.
- 4 research methodology/software projects.
- Clinical study experience.
- Policy-making and knowledge-translation experience:
- Administrative and editorial contributions to 34 national clinical practice guidelines in orthopedic surgery;
- Task force member in 12 guidelines;
- 22 guidelines approved for use as active regulations according to Russian Federal Law;
- Used as reference for the development of federal universal health care reimbursement standards and quality assurance criteria.
- Written translation experience.
- 15 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
- Over 90% Open Access to published work.
- Funding: own projects all volunteer work, self-funded, or crowdfunded; collaborations mostly supported by collaborators’ research grants or self-funded.
2024
(collaborator on a scoping review and empirical study in progress)
Konstantinidis M et al. Conducting pairwise and network meta-analyses in Updated and Living Systematic Reviews: a scoping review.
Konstantinidis M et al. Characteristics and statistical properties of meta-analyses in updated and living systematic reviews: An empirical study. OSF Registries. 2024. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/CBKUV
Funding: None
2023
(collaborator on a scoping review in progress)
Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals:
Funding: None
2023
(PhD dissertation in progress)
Avoidably WAsted REsearch (AWARE): Knowledge to Action. https://researchwaste.info/
Former Open Science Framework repository: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/E87V2
2023
(collaborator on a scoping review in progress)
Colacci M, Straus S, Tricco A, Zhelnov P. Protocol for a Scoping Review of Bias in Medical Applications of Machine Learning. OSF Registries. 2024. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4VA9Z
2022
(methods paper on hold)
Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals:
The first published scoping review featuring the '2-week' methodology (Clark et al., 2020)
Funding: None
Other publications:
2020
(publication pending due to copyright issues)
Zhelnov P, Alikov Z, Kutianov D, Dulaev A, Iskrovskiy S. A Russian translation for: Vaccaro AR, Oner C, Kepler CK, Dvorak M, Schnake K, Bellabarba C, Reinhold M, Aarabi B, Kandziora F, Chapman J, Shanmuganathan R, Fehlings M, Vialle L; AOSpine Spinal Cord Injury & Trauma Knowledge Forum. AOSpine thoracolumbar spine injury classification system: fracture description, neurological status, and key modifiers. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013 Nov 1;38(23):2028-37. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182a8a381.
With permission from the lead author Dr. Alexander Vaccaro and the AO Foundation
Funding: Self-funded
2020
(on hold due to low yield)
Zhelnov P. Translating PRISMA 2020 into Russian [Internet]. OSF; 2020. Available from: osf.io/qdmu6
In collaboration with Dr. Matthew J. Page of the PRISMA 2020 Update Core Group
Funding: Crowdfunding initiated; <$50 donations so far
2022–2024
(complete)
Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals:
Funding: This research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under grant # 22-25-00516.
Other publications:
2022–2024
(complete)
Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals:
Funding: This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (agreement No. 075-10-2021-113, unique project ID RF----193021X0001).
Other publications:
2021–2023
(resigned)
National clinical practice guideline program in traumatology and orthopedics
Listed as a task force member:
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Closed chest trauma", ID: 728. 2022 Mar 10. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/728_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Scheuermann's disease", ID: 704. 2021 Dec 20. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/704_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Fracture of radius shaft", ID: 707. 2021 Dec 20. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/707_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Fracture of distal radius", ID: 706. 2021 Dec 20. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/706_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Fractures of proximal radius", ID: 705. 2021 Dec 20. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/705_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Fracture (dislocation) of thoracic and lumbosacral spine", ID: 448. 2021 Nov 8. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/448_2 (major contributor)
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Injuries of articular cartilage of knee", ID: 690. 2021 Nov 8. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/690_2
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Injury of cruciate ligaments of knee", ID: 691. 2021 Nov 3. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/691_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Open wound of wrist and hand", ID: 688. 2021 Nov 2. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/688_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Fracture of shoulder and upper arm", ID: 689. 2021 Nov 2. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/689_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Fractures of femur (except proximal femur)", ID: 658. 2021 Aug 26. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/658_1
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical practice guideline "Tear of meniscus of knee", ID: 659. 2021 Aug 25. Russian. Available from: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/659_1
Funding: Employment
2021–2022
(retired)
Funding: Self-funded
2020
(discontinued)
Funding: None (so far); a preliminary LoI submitted for a $25,000 SENS Research Foundation grant
2020–2022
(discontinued)
Funding: Crowdfunding initiated; <$50 donations so far
2019–2021
(no active support)
Funding: None
2020
(preprint published)
Funding: None
2020
(report published)
Acknowledged in the PRISMA 2020 Statement
Funding: None
Other publications:
2020
(template published)
Funding: None
2018–2021
(complete)
Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals:
Funding: The work was performed under the research project of the state task of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 2020–2022 (Improvement of national clinical guidelines for the treatment of patients with spine and spinal cord injury, No. A-A20-120021890131-4).
Other publications:
2016–2020
(complete)
Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals:
Funding: None
Other publications:
2016–2020
(complete)
Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals:
Funding: None
Other publications:
Papers in Peer-reviewed Journals:
2016–2018
(discontinued)
Funding: None
2013–2015
Did not publish due to clinical years in medical school
2012
(source code lost)
Funding: None
SQL/MySQL/SQLite (Competent)
Git/GitHub (Competent)
Jira/Agile/Scrum (Competent)
BibTeX/Markdown/Pandoc (Competent)
HTML/CSS/Jekyll/Bootstrap (Competent)
R statistical software (Competent)
JavaScript/C#/VBA/PHP/C/Bash/Python (Junior Developer)
Layer-1 & Layer-2 Blockchains/Solana/Ethereum/Solidity (NFT Developer)
English (Fluent – С1/С2)
Russian (Native – С2)
French (Intermediate – B1/B2)
Spanish (Pre-intermediate – A2)
Ukrainian (Pre-intermediate – A2)
Worked with medical and financial documentation in Turkish, Bulgarian, and Indonesian
Started learning German and Japanese