Measurement Expertise, ethical insights
Consulting services for health research excellence
Sneha Shankar, PhD: Provides expert strategic solutions in assessment validity, research methodology and psychometrics, informed by innovative methods, current evidence and best practices in the health professions.
Summary of Expertise
Research
Methodology & Scaling
Evaluation
Expert application of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, specializing in scale development and healthcare education methodology.
Psychometrics & Validity
Clinical
In-depth psychometric analysis focusing on test validity and reliability, ensuring fairness and ethical standards in high-stakes assessments.
Occupational Therapy
Clinical expertise to recognize barriers and inform accessible, inclusive practices that foster participation for patients, clients, educators, and learners.
Biography
Sneha Shankar is a licensed Occupational Therapist (OT) and a measurement and methodology expert. She earned her PhD from the University of British Columbia in Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology (MERM), where her research specialized in innovative qualitative methods to investigate equity and fairness in testing responses. Her work highlighted the diversity in individual responses and the inherent complexity of assessment. Following her doctorate, Sneha completed a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University in quantitative modelling. In this capacity, she served as a research analyst and thought leader, bridging the gap between academia and industry. Her postdoctoral research focused on evaluating fairness across diverse student populations for a high-stakes assessment.
With over a decade of research and leadership experience, Sneha also brings a clinical background as an Occupational Therapist. She is dedicated to enhancing participation and inclusivity across health disciplines, leveraging her national experience to lead with integrity. Currently based in Montreal, she continues to contribute to the field of medical and health education through rigorous research, teaching at McGill University, and strategic collaboration with a vast professional network.
Notable Skills
Psychometrics & Analysis
Extensive quantitative methodological work involving high-stakes tests and large-scale provincial surveys. Specialized in evaluating data and improving tools like the Knowledge Uptake and Utilization Tool to ensure trustworthiness and scientific applicability across diverse populations.
Validity & Research
Expert advisory on validity for national competency exams and medical health sciences education. Published researcher focusing on innovative testing methods, the influence of context on assessments, and leading edge clinical reasoning validation strategies.
Knowledge Translation
Strategic dissemination of research through interdisciplinary forums, including podcasts and academic publications. Dedicated to facilitating complex discussions and engaging knowledge users to bridge the gap between technical psychometric analysis and practical application.
Systematic & Scoping Reviews
Proven leadership in directing and publishing systematic reviews related to measurement tools. Expert in synthesizing vast academic data to evaluate the efficacy and psychometric integrity of health-discipline assessment instruments.
Measurement FAQs
Why does validity matter in health research?
Validity matters because decisions are only as strong as the evidence behind them. High‑stakes assessment decisions require strong validity evidence (qualitative and quantitative), so you can be confident that the scores genuinely justify the outcomes.
What defines ethical measurement?
Ethical measurement isn’t just good practice—it’s the foundation of trustworthy health science. It means using best practices, current research evidence and multiple methods to ensure outcomes are fair, accurate and dependable. Ethics in measurement is also transparency and accountability in analyses. When measurement is defensible, we can truly trust the results that guide decisions.
How does research evidence support strategic decisions?
Up-to-date evidence turns research into trustworthy guidance for learners, clinicians, and organizations. Using evidence advances measurement in order to adapt to changing environments, diverse populations and more. Data provides information to analyze, current research evidence provides the knowledge, strategy and accountability in order to make sound decisions.
Trusted by Leaders in Health Education
Talk ethics & measurement.
PROFESSIONAL INQUIRIES
Sneha Shankar
sneha.shankar@mcgill.ca