I am an internal medicine physician and scientist at Unity Health Toronto and the Temerty Professor of AI Research and Education in Medicine at the University of Toronto.
I completed a BSc in Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie, medical school and residency at the University of Toronto, a Masters in Economic and Social History at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, a 1-year interdisciplinary fellowship with the Canadian Frailty Network a 2-year research fellowship studying big data and advanced analytics in the Clinician Investigator Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and a 1-year fellowship in Artificial Intelligence and Compassion with AMS Healthcare.
I serve as a Provincial Clinical Lead for Quality Improvement in General Internal Medicine with Ontario Health, the Vice-Chair of the Researcher Council of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, and was a member of the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel on Health Data Sharing. I received the 2023 Canadian Society of Internal Medicine New Investigator Award, the 2022 Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Early Career Leadership Award and the 2022 Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s early career Trailblazer Award in Population and Public Health Research.
I am near the ocean.
I am a hospital-based general internist at St Michaels Hospital and Scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. I am co-lead of the GEMINI program. I am also the Provincial Co-Lead, Quality Improvement in General Internal Medicine at Ontario Health, and I find this a great fit for my clinical work and research focus.
At the University of Toronto, I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. I am a member of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.
My training includes a degree in Engineering Science (Biomedical Engineering), Medical Doctorate, Residency and Fellowship in General Internal Medicine at the University of Toronto. I was the first physician appointed as a David E. Bell Fellow at Harvard University and my post-doctoral training focused on social determinants of health and population health through use of large datasets.
Notable research recognitions at the University of Toronto include the Dean’s Emerging Leader Award, the President’s Impact Award, and being named a Senior Fellow at Massey College. I received the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine’s New Investigator Award and the Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship from the PSI Foundation. I have received >$65 million in grant funding as Principal Investigator from sources such as CIHR, NSERC, and the Canadian Cancer Society. I have published >100 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 35, >50 as first/senior author), including in high impact journals such as JAMA, the BMJ, PLOS Medicine and PNAS as first/senior author.
I am a Canada Research Chair in Data-Informed Health Care Improvement and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. I serve as a Provincial Clinical Lead for Quality Improvement in General Internal Medicine with Ontario Health, and am Vice-President Research at the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine. I am on the advisory board of the BMJ.
I was the Scientific Director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and co-authored >50 science and policy briefs that shaped the policy, public health and clinical response to the COVID-19 crisis. I am a member of the Federal Expert Panel on Science Advisory and Research convened by the Minister of Health.
I can see something grow that I have nurtured and cared for. For GEMINI, I feel inspired as I see our team grow stronger and more skilled in striving to achieve the complex and broad goals we have set for ourselves.
PhD in Pharmaceutical Science, University of Toronto
MSc in Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto
BSc (Hons) in Biology and Psychology, York University
Prior to joining GEMINI, I managed a research program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, aimed at developing and evaluating the effectiveness of brief interventions for addictive disorders and co-morbid mental health issues. In my role, I guided the execution of randomized controlled trials and prospective studies, developed protocols and grants proposals, and managed all data collection and analysis efforts. Some of my key accomplishments include successfully leading a national trial on the real-world effectiveness of nicotine patches which involved over 2,000 participants, acquiring grant funding for problem gambling and tobacco dependence research from national and provincial agencies, and authoring dozens of publications in top-tier scientific journals.
I have the freedom to explore different ideas and make something my own.
Backcountry canoe camping with my friends and kids
Building something with my kids (i.e. mini catapult, fuel-powered rocket, etc.), essentially anything that has the potential to be launched or explode
Backyard BBQ with friends and family on a sunny summer afternoon
I have a Computer Science undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Masters and PhD in Bioinformatics from Boston University.
I have been fortunate to have been involved with several major data projects that include managing a national longitudinal database of clinical patient data for a rare disease to studying mental illness using anonymized genetic data.
I know I can’t save lives directly but try to contribute in other ways to make a meaningful impact.
Relaxing with a cup of coffee or glass of wine (depending on the time of day)
Rewatching my favourite shows
Sitting by a fire doing any of the above!
I have a Bachelors of Science degree at U of T major in Math and Statistics
I completed my Bachelor’s of Science at the University of Toronto, majoring in Statistics.
I was a data analyst for a non-for-profit organization, where I prepared data for research and contributed to the publishing of the annual data report.
When my work makes a meaningful and positive impact on the larger community.
My cats, Soju and Sake
Iced coffee
Trying new restaurants around Toronto
A foreign medical graduate from Ukraine.
As a Physician, I helped people to improve health, wellness and quality of life by assessing their healthcare needs, developing healthcare plans, and educational programs. My past experiences in research include projects, which investigated the clinical course and management of alcohol-induced liver and pancreas lesion, long-COVID syndrome. My therapeutic areas of specialty were internal medicine, pancreatic and liver toxicity, and substance abuse.
The results of my work benefiting others.
Playing with my children and dog
Cycling
Traveling.
I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience with a specialization in Neurobiology from Brock University.
My past experience includes implementing an organization-wide standardized Physician Transfer of Care procedure as well as launching a patient-centered education campaign to reduce wait times for oncology laboratory services, both at Niagara Health in St. Catharines, ON. I was privileged to present my honours thesis research at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement National Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare in Orlando, FL.
I graduated from UofT’s Bachelor of Pharmacy program, which was followed by a Pharmacy Residency at SMH. To further broaden my clinical knowledge and skills, I completed a Doctor of Pharmacy degree through the University of Florida.
For more than 15 years, I have held clinical pharmacy positions at St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH), in both the ‘General Internal Medicine’ program and the ‘Infectious Diseases and Positive Care Clinic’. I also developed a pharmacy consultant role at Casey House that provides clinical pharmacy services to complex medical patients living with HIV. Currently, I am a Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner in HIV for the SMH Academic Family Health Teams. I have a life-long commitment to education, and have had the fortunate opportunity to precept numerous pharmacy students and residents, as well as lecture at the University of Toronto (UofT).
Ingenuity in healthcare results in positive change with improved patient outcomes.
Getting outside with my kids
Enjoying a quiet cup of afternoon tea
I have over 15 years experience working in various industries and can draw on my knowledge to bring creative solutions to my daily tasks.
Listening to podcasts, walking in nature
I received my Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, India. I also received a PG Diploma in Clinical Research from Oxford College of Arts, Business and Technology, Scarborough Campus, Toronto.
As a Physician, I was involved in service to patients in a variety of healthcare settings such as primary health care centre (PHC) as a Junior Doctor, lab resident in a clinical Biochemistry lab.
Being part of Medical Science research
Gardening & Painting
I obtained an Honours BSc (Biology) and later a MSc (Bioinformatics) from York University. During my masters I worked with honey bees, getting stung every summer because we were stealing their honey.
I worked as a junior data scientist in ecology, where I looked at the long-term effects of climate change on lake ice in the Northern Hemisphere, where our lake ice work has been recognized several times on the news.
After paddling on Lake Shore after sunrise.
Paddling, camping, race cars, parkour
A graduate of Economics, I have actively pursued a career in Linux Infrastructure management, Automation, Containerization and Orchestration, over an 8-year period, attaining the RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer) and RHCDS (Red Hat Certified Datacenter Specialist) credentials.
I have worked as a DevOps Engineer where I created and maintained various continuous integration and deployment strategies for clients in Banking, Telecoms, Education, and Hospitality —using CI/CD tools like Ansible and Jenkins to cut deployment time by 40%.
I share something that helps others overcome a challenge.
I make genuine connections I didn’t think possible, and with someone /people I could never have imagined.
I experience people who transcend their limitations to achieve a feat, small or big.
In knowing that I am a better person today, because of my actions yesterday.
Cooking
Photography
Discovering new places
I received my Bachelor’s of Science, majoring in Life Science, and then my Masters of Science in Epidemiology from Queen’s University.
My past experiences include my Masters thesis project, which investigated the prevalence and determinants of physical activity among ovarian cancer survivors. After completing my masters thesis, I worked at SickKids Hospital for The Children’s Stroke Program, coordinating an international multi-centre study that investigated the Vascular Effects of Infection in Paediatric Stroke.
Movie theatre popcorn (with lots of butter)
Dogs
Swimming in lakes/oceans/pools
I received my Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Psychology and Business, and a minor in Legal Studies from the University of Waterloo.
When I can make a positive impact in people’s lives. A nice cup of tea doesn’t hurt either.
– Archery
– Drawing
– Every dog in the world 🙂
I completed my Masters of Science in computer applications and information technology. I completed a postgraduate diploma in computer and network support technician. I also hold a RHCE and RHCSA certification.
I worked as a System Admin where I configured, implemented, troubleshot, updated and maintained production and administrative computing system hardware and infrastructure. I worked for a data center and the GIS (Geographic Information System) industry.
When I am with my family and when I throw myself into it. Just do it! This is what I find myself doing more often than not when I’m stuck on something.
Riding a motorcycle
Exploring mountains
Photography
I have been involved in several research projects such as the healthcare utilization project, benzodiazepine study, mental health and social determinants of health study to name a few.
Hiking
Travelling
Spending time with family and friends