Dr Sharmin Bala
Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 22 089 3600
- sharmin.bala@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Research Fellow and Professional Practice Fellow
- Qualifications
- MBBS (Bachelors in Medicine and Surgery) MD (Post-graduation in Clinical Pharmacology) PhD
- Research summary
- Dementia, Covid-19, interRAI, geriatric pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance research
- Teaching
- Early Learning in Medicine: Integrated Cases, and Early Professional Experience
- Inter-professional Education
- Memberships
- Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment
- APSA: Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association
- ASCEPT:The Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists
- Indian Pharmacological Society
- Sir H N Reliance Medical Research Society
- Stop Gaps Choral Ensemble and Cultural Academy
Research
I am working on a research grant funded by Brain Research New Zealand as an employee of the University of Otago in collaboration with the University of Auckland.
Project Title: Impact of COVID-19 on the health and psychosocial status of vulnerable older Māori and Pacific people living in the community and aged residential care.
I am working in collaboration with the Gerontology Research team and Pacific Health department in Christchurch and Dunedin on heart failure projects in the Pacific population in New Zealand.
My Doctoral Thesis was: Assessing medication appropriateness in older adults and suggesting therapeutic alternatives in individuals with dementia.
Publications
Cheung, G., Bala, S., Lyndon, M., Ma'u, E., Rivera Rodriguez, C., Waters, D. L., Jamieson, H., Nada-Raja, S., … Walker, X. (2022). Impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on the health and psychosocial well-being of Māori, Pacific Peoples and New Zealand Europeans living in aged residential care. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 41, 293-300. doi: 10.1111/ajag.13025
Wood, T., Angevaare, M., Leyenaar, M., Bala, S., Peel, N., Gray, L., & Nguyen, K.-H. (2021). How well does self-reported health predict mortality in an InterRAI context? An exploratory analysis [Research letters]. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22, 2216-2219. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.02.018
Nishtala, P. S., & Bala, S. S. (2019). Sources of data used in pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance. In Z. U.-D. Babar (Ed.), Encyclopedia of pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy (Vol. 2). (1st ed.) (pp. 391-399). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-812735-3.00206-5
Bala, S. S., Chen, T. F., & Nishtala, P. S. (2019). Reducing potentially inappropriate medications in older adults: A way forward. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 38(4), 419-433. doi: 10.1017/S0714980819000084
Bala, S. S., Jamieson, H. A., & Nishtala, P. S. (2019). Factors associated with inappropriate prescribing among older adults with complex care needs who have undergone the interRAI assessment. Current Medical Research & Opinion, 35(5), 917-923. doi: 10.1080/03007995.2018.1543185
Nishtala, P. S., & Bala, S. S. (2019). Sources of data used in pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance. In Z. U.-D. Babar (Ed.), Encyclopedia of pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy (Vol. 2). (1st ed.) (pp. 391-399). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-812735-3.00206-5
Chapter in Book - Research
Cheung, G., Bala, S., Lyndon, M., Ma'u, E., Rivera Rodriguez, C., Waters, D. L., Jamieson, H., Nada-Raja, S., … Walker, X. (2022). Impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on the health and psychosocial well-being of Māori, Pacific Peoples and New Zealand Europeans living in aged residential care. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 41, 293-300. doi: 10.1111/ajag.13025
Journal - Research Article
Bala, S. S., Jamieson, H. A., & Nishtala, P. S. (2019). Determinants of prescribing potentially inappropriate medications in a nationwide cohort of community dwellers with dementia receiving a comprehensive geriatric assessment. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34, 153-161. doi: 10.1002/gps.5004
Journal - Research Article
Bala, S. S., Jamieson, H. A., & Nishtala, P. S. (2019). Factors associated with inappropriate prescribing among older adults with complex care needs who have undergone the interRAI assessment. Current Medical Research & Opinion, 35(5), 917-923. doi: 10.1080/03007995.2018.1543185
Journal - Research Article
Bala, S. S., Narayan, S. W., & Nishtala, P. S. (2018). Potentially inappropriate medications in community-dwelling older adults undertaken as a comprehensive geriatric risk assessment. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 74(5), 645-653. doi: 10.1007/s00228-018-2412-x
Journal - Research Article
Bala, S., & Chhabria, P. (2017). Rising prevalence of osteopenia in young and middle aged men in south Mumbai: An alarming situation. Madridge Journal of Behavioral & Social Sciences, 1(1), 32-36. doi: 10.18689/mjbss.2017-105
Journal - Research Article
Bala, S. S., Chincholkar, A., Wagh, R., Mutalik, M., Siddiqui, W., & Gupta, M. (2015). A comparative study of efficacy of neem seed oil, terbinafine cream and a combination of both terbinafine cream and neem seed oil applied topically in the treatment of clinical dermatophystosis. World Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 4(10), 1263-1274. Retrieved from http://www.wjpps.com/
Journal - Research Article
Bala, S. S., Chincholkar, A. S., Wagh, R. J., & Mutalik, M. M. (2014). A retrospective study of prescription patterns of antimicrobials in an urban health centre run by a medical college. International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences, 3(1), 88-91. Retrieved from http://www.ijmrhs.com/
Journal - Research Article
Wood, T., Angevaare, M., Leyenaar, M., Bala, S., Peel, N., Gray, L., & Nguyen, K.-H. (2021). How well does self-reported health predict mortality in an InterRAI context? An exploratory analysis [Research letters]. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22, 2216-2219. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.02.018
Journal - Research Other
Bala, S. S., Chen, T. F., & Nishtala, P. S. (2019). Reducing potentially inappropriate medications in older adults: A way forward. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 38(4), 419-433. doi: 10.1017/S0714980819000084
Journal - Research Other
Bala, S. S., Pawar, V. G., & Shivaprakash, S. (2018). Assessment of the cautionary antimicrobial consumption pattern using defined daily dose as a part of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme [Short communication]. Journal of the Academy of Clinical Microbiologists, 20(1), 52-56. doi: 10.4103/jacm.jacm_26_17
Journal - Research Other