Adam Gavarkovs

Adam Gavarkovs headshotDr. Adam Gavarkovs, BHSc, ScM, AM, PhD

Adjunct Research Professor

Phone: 519-661-2111 x88929
E-mail: adam.gavarkovs@schulich.uwo.ca

Appointments

  • Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Research Clusters

Research Interests

  • Health Professions Education
  • Instructional Design
  • Self-Regulation
  • Motivation
  • Randomized Controlled Trials

Education

  • BHSc in Health Promotion, Western University (2011-2015)
  • ScM in Behavioral and Social Health Sciences, Brown University (2015-2017)
  • AM in Public Health Nutrition, Harvard University (2017-2019)
  • PhD in Health Professions Education Research, University of Toronto (2019-2023)

Short Bio

Dr. Gavarkovs’ research aims to illuminate the processes underpinning learning, how to support constructive learning processes in health professions training contexts (e.g., medical school, residency training, continuing professional development), and how to evaluate educational interventions. For example, during his PhD, Dr. Gavarkovs developed the Purpose, Adaptability, Confidence, and Engrossment (PACE) Model of Motivational Design, which outlines four conditions for motivated engagement in learning that educational interventions should be designed to facilitate. The PACE model has implications for how to support learner motivation and performance across the health professions education continuum. Several recent randomized controlled trials have provided initial support for educational designs derived from the PACE model. Dr. Gavarkovs is interested in continuing his work on educational design and evaluation using a variety of rigorous quantitative methodologies. He is also interested in promoting the uptake of rigorous data analysis methods in the field of health professions education.

Publications (last five years)

  1. Gavarkovs, A. G., Jensen, R. D., Finan, E., & Brydges, R. (2024). When I say…active learning. Medical Education. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.15383
  2. Gavarkovs, A. G., Crukley, J., Miller, E., Kusurkar, R. A., Kulasegaram, K., & Brydges, R. (2023). Effectiveness of life goal framing to motivate medical students during online learning: A randomized controlled trial. Perspectives on Medical Education, 12(1), 444-454. doi:10.5334/pme.1017 
  3. Gavarkovs, A. G., Kusurkar, R. A., & Brydges, R. (2023). The Purpose, Adaptability, Confidence, and Engrossment (PACE) model: A novel approach for supporting professional trainees’ motivation, engagement, and academic achievement. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1036539. doi:10.3389/feduc.2023.1036539
  4. Artino, A. R., Gavarkovs, A. G., Brydges, R., Gruppen, L. D. (2023). Self-regulated learning in health professions education: Theoretical perspectives and research methods. In J. Cleland & S. J. During (Eds.), Researching Medical Education, Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons. Ltd.
  5. Gavarkovs, A. G., Kusurkar, R. A., Kulasegaram, K., Crukley, J., Miller, E., Anderson, M., & Brydges, R. (2022). Motivational design for web-based instruction in health professions education: Protocol for a systematic review and directed content analysis. JMIR Research Protocols. doi: 10.2196/42681
  6. Brydges, R., Law, M., Ma, I. W. Y., Gavarkovs, A. G. (2022). On embedding assessments of self-regulated learning into licensure activities in the health professions: A call to action. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 13(4), 100-109. doi: 10.36834/cmej.73855
  7. Ng, S. L., Crukley, J., Brydges, R., Boyd, V., Gavarkovs, A. G., Kangasjarvi, E., Wright, S., Kulasegaram, K., Friesen, F., Woods, N. N. (2022). Toward ‘seeing’ critically: A Bayesian analysis of the impacts of a critical pedagogy. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 27, 323- 354. doi: 10.1007/s10459-021-10087-2
  8. Beckerman-Hsu, J. P., Aftosmes-Tobio, A., Gavarkovs, A. G., Kitos, N., Figueroa, R., Kalyoncu, Z. B., Lansburg, K., Yu, X., Kazik, C., Vigilante, A., Leonard, J., Torrico, M., Jurkowski, J. M., Davison, K. K. (2020). Communities for Health Living (CHL) a communitybased intervention to prevent obesity in low-income preschool children: Process evaluation protocol. Trials, 21(1), 674. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-04571-0
  9. Carey, M. P., Rich, C., Norris, A. L., Krieger, N., Gavarkovs, A. G., Kaplan, C., Guthrie, K. M., & Carey, K. B. (2020). A brief clinic-based intervention to reduce alcohol misuse and sexual risk behavior in young women: Results from an exploratory clinical trial. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49, 1231-1250. doi: 10.1007/s10508-020-01635-9
  10. Gavarkovs, A. G. (2019). Behavioral counseling training for primary care providers: Immersive virtual simulation as a training tool. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, 116. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00116
  11. Gavarkovs, A. G., Blunt, W., & Petrella, R. J. (2019). A protocol for designing online training to support the implementation of community-based interventions. Evaluation and Program Planning, 72, 77-87. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2018.10.013
  12. Scime, N. V., Gavarkovs, A. G., & Chaput, K. H. (2019). The effect of skin-to-skin care on postpartum depression among mothers of preterm or low birthweight infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 253, 376-384. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.04.101
  13. Beckerman, J. P., Aftosmes-Tobio, A., Kitos, N., Jurkowski, J. M., Lansburg, K., Kazik, C., Gavarkovs, A. G., Vigilante, A., Kalyoncu, B., Figueroa, R., Klabunde, R., Barouch, R., Haneuse, S., Taveras, E., & Davison, K. K. (2019). Communities for Healthy Living (CHL) – a family-centered childhood obesity prevention program integrated into Head Start services: Study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 78, 34- 45. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2019.01.002
  14. Davison, K. K., Gavarkovs, A. G., McBride, B., Kotelchuck, M., Levy, R., & Taveras, E. (2019). Engaging fathers in early obesity prevention during the first 1000 days: Policy, systems, and environmental change strategies. Obesity, 27(4), 525-533. doi: 10.1002/oby.22395