Tan, Kennard
BSc, MD
Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Medical Microbiologist and Medical Lead of Analytics, Royal Jubilee Hospital
Affiliation(s): Royal Jubilee Hospital
Research and Scholarly Interests: Genetics genomics proteomics and related approaches, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology, Informatics
Clinical Interests:
I’m a medical microbiologist who is involved in using health informatics and data analytics to improve the delivery, efficiency and quality of laboratory diagnostics. Currently, I am the Medical Lead of Analytics for BC’s Agency of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, which is within PHSA, and also work as a medical microbiologist at Fraser Health. I completed my Medical Degree at the University of Alberta, my medical microbiology residency at UBC, and post-residency fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. I worked for Island Health in Victoria from 2012 to 2017 as a medical microbiologist and as the Physician Lead for Clinical Analytics for the IHealth project. While in Victoria, I completed a Masters in Health Information Science at the University of Victoria, with a thesis is on the use of computerized clinical decision support tools for infection control. Presently, I am involved in multiple projects related to robotics, health informatics and data analytics. I cannot imagine a more exciting time to be working, as all these fields will change the way we diagnose and manage infections. Outside of work, I enjoy the challenges of being a new father as my children do not follow a predictable algorithm or sensible logic as my work.
Academic Background
- MSc (Health Information Science), University of Victoria. 2011 – present
- Fellowship. Research-fellowship in Medical Microbiology. Johns Hopkins Hospital. 2011 – 2012
- Residency. Post-Grad training for Medical Microbiology. University of British Columbia. 2006 – 2011
- MD (Doctor of Medicine), University of Alberta. 2002 – 2006
- BSc (Life Sciences, Molecular Biology (via Integrated Sciences Program)), The University of British Columbia. 1996 – 2000
Professional Qualifications
- FRCPC – Medical Microbiology. 2011
- Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Microbiology. 2010
Awards and Recognition
- Johns Hopkins Pathology: Pathology Young Investigators’ Day Award in Clinical Research. May 2012
- Infectious Disease Society of America: Travel grant for poster presentation at conference. Oct 2010
- European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases: Registration grant for poster presentation at conference. Apr 2010
Publications
Selected Publications
- Prospective Evaluation of a Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry System in a Hospital Clinical Microbiology Laboratory for Identification of Bacteria and Yeasts: a Bench-by-Bench Study forAssessing the Impact on Time to Identification and Cost-Effectiveness. Tan KE, Ellis BC, Lee R, Stamper PD, Zhang SX, Carroll KC. (J Clin Microbiol. 2012 Oct;50(10):3301-8).
- Cryptococcus gattii infections with cutaneous involvement. Mistry N, Tan K, Shokravi M, Hoang L. (Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery 2011 Jul-Aug; 15(4): 236-7).
- Mumps virus detection during an outbreak in a highly unvaccinated population in British Columbia. Tan KE, Anderson M, Krajden M, Petric M, Mak A, Naus M. (Canadian Journal of Public Health 2011 Jan-Feb; 102(1): 47-50).
- Toxoplasmosis. Wright AJ, Tan KE, Alghamdi FA, Mackenzie IR, Isaac-Renton J, Morshed M. (ASCP Check Sample 2011, In Press).
- Trichosporon species: Classification, Identification, and Clinical Relevance. Tan K, Grant J. (American Society for Clinical Pathology – Check Sample: Microbiology 2010 Aug; 53(6): 61-71).
- Answer to case of the month #114 intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia (IPDH). Tan KE, Marshall GB, Burrowes P, Gray R. (Canadian Association of Radiologist Journal 2006 Dec; 57(5): 303-5).
- Carboplatin and Vinblastine for the Treatment of Metastatic Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urothelial Tract. Al-Karim HA, Tan KE, Chi KN, Bryce CJ, Murray NR, Coppin C. (American Journal of Clinical Oncology 2002 Oct; 25(5): 515-9).
Research Interest
- Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases – including Infection Control & Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Advanced Diagnostic Methods – MALDI-TOF MS & Molecular Methods
- Health Informatics
Clinical Service