Paul MacPherson
Scientist, Methodological & Implementation Research
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Research Interests
Dr. MacPherson has an active clinical practice in infectious diseases with a particular interest in HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Dr. MacPherson's research focuses on the health and wellbeing of gay and other men who have sex with men in Ontario and strives to ensure this population has access to and is engaged and retained in informed, relevant, and comprehensive healthcare. Dr. MacPherson works with community groups, community members, clinicians, mental health
professionals, and researchers to drive change.
Current
Projects include:
- Ontario
Gay Men's Health Survey
- The health and wellbeing of gay seniors
- PrEP use in Ottawa and Ontario
- Optimizing strategies for targeting and delivering PrEP
- Development of a Clinical Guide on Gay Men's Health
- HUGO, a comprehensive health website for gay men and healthcare providers
Brief Biography
Dr. MacPherson received his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley in 1991 and his MD from McMaster University in 1998. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Toronto and subspecialty training in infectious diseases at the University of Ottawa. Dr MacPherson is a staff physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus, a scientist in the Methodological and Implementation Research Program within the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa. Dr MacPherson holds a University of Ottawa Tier 1 Clinical Research Chair in Gay Men's Health.
Selected Publications
Orser, L., MacPherson, P.,
O’Byrne, P. and Saeed, M. Use of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who
Have Sex with Men: Low Uptake and Retention Despite High-Risk Indications. AIDS
Care. 37 (1): 141-150, 2025
O’Byrne, P., MacPherson, P.
and Orser, L. An approach to sexually transmitted infection testing for men who
have sex with men. Can Fam Phys: 70 (7-8): 449-455, 2024.
Kroch, K., O’Byrne, P.,
Orser, L., MacPherson. P., O’Brien, K., Light, L., Kang, R., Nyambi, A.
Increased PrEP uptake and PrEP-RN coincide with decreased HIV diagnoses in men
who have sex with men in Ottawa, Canada. CCDR. 49(6): 274-281, 2023
MacPherson, P., Razmjou, S.
& O’Byrne, P. Falling Short of Clinical Recommendations: Low Uptake of the
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex
with Men in Ontario, Canada—Results from the Ontario Gay Men’s Health Survey. Sex
Res Soc Policy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-023-00921-0, 2023
Charest, M., Razmjou, S., O’Byrne,
P. and MacPherson, P. Health Disparities Among Men Who Have Sex with Men:
Looking Beyond Sexual Risk and the Gay, Urban Core. JOMH. 19(4):58-69,
2023.
Diseases, conditions and populations of interest
Research and clinical approaches
