Assistant Professor - Leadership in Health Informatics Systems and Policy Research

University of Toronto•Toronto, ON

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenure stream position in the areas of Leadership in Health Informatics Systems and Policy Research. The appointment will be at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of January 1st, 2027. Candidates must hold a PhD at the time of appointment in Health Informatics, Information Science, Information Systems, or other relevant fields. They should have focused expertise in the implementation or scaling of digital health innovations, with strengths in areas such as data governance and stewardship, socio-technical systems, and safety and risk management. Candidates must also demonstrate a record of excellence in both teaching and research in health informatics policy, leadership, and systems research, and proven excellence or emerging excellence as a leader of collaborative, multi-/inter-/trans-disciplinary research. The successful candidate will be expected to pursue innovative and independent research and establish an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded program. Innovation in information technology is rapidly transforming healthcare across all levels, from individual patient care (micro) to enhancing operations within healthcare organizations (meso) and shaping policy, regulation, and governance at the system level (macro). Advances in technologies like Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and Generative Artificial Intelligence offer opportunities to transform health service delivery. However, research has largely focused on technology accuracy rather than real-life use at patient, organizational, and system levels. Research gaps exist in understanding how to best design information infrastructure and appropriate policies to sustain, scale, and spread innovations safely and equitably, particularly concerning digital health data governance, data sharing, privacy, equity, safety, innovation mobilization and spread, change management, and strategies to avoid negative unintended consequences. We seek candidates who demonstrate collegial and collaborative service, and whose research and teaching interests complement and bolster our existing departmental strengths: Health Informatics, User-centred Design and Development of Digital Health Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Health Systems Research, Implementation Science, Learning Health Systems, Interoperability, and virtual health. Excellence in research, including an emerging reputation, can be demonstrated by attracting competitive external research funding, a record of publications in appropriate top-ranked peer-reviewed journals or forthcoming publications meeting international standards of excellence, the submitted research statement, and strong endorsements by referees of high international standing. Successful candidates will have also demonstrated commitment to integrating knowledge users, policy makers, and members of the public in their research. Excellence in teaching will be demonstrated through a strong teaching dossier, including a statement of teaching philosophy, sample course materials, a record of previous teaching accomplishments and innovations, and teaching evaluations or other evidence of superior performance. The successful candidate will be expected to teach courses such as Leadership for Digital Health Transformation; Systems Design and Policy Development in Health Informatics; Information and Interoperability Governance; Knowledge Management and Systems, AI/ML and Precision Medicine; and Digital Health Implementation and Translation for professional and research stream students. The candidate will have the opportunity to assume academic leadership positions, including advancing curricula related to health informatics. The candidate may also have the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses.

Requirements

Hold a PhD at the time of appointment in Health Informatics, Information Science, Information Systems, or other relevant fields.
Focused expertise in the implementation or scaling of digital health innovations.
Strengths in areas such as data governance and stewardship, socio-technical systems, safety and risk management.
Demonstrated record of excellence in both teaching and research in health informatics policy, leadership, and systems research.
Proven excellence or emerging excellence as a leader of collaborative, multi-/inter-/trans-disciplinary research.
Ability to attract competitive external research funding.
Record of publications in appropriate top-ranked peer-reviewed journals or forthcoming publications meeting international standards of excellence.
Strong endorsements by referees of high international standing.
Demonstrated commitment to integrating knowledge users, policy makers, and members of the public in their research.
A strong teaching dossier, including a statement of teaching philosophy, sample course materials, a record of previous teaching accomplishments and innovations, and teaching evaluations or other evidence of superior performance in teaching-related activities.
Provide the name and contact information of three references.

Nice To Haves

Research and teaching interests that complement and bolster existing departmental strengths: Health Informatics, User-centred Design and Development of Digital Health Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Health Systems Research, Implementation Science, Learning Health Systems, Interoperability and virtual health.

Responsibilities

Pursue innovative and independent research.
Establish an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.
Teach courses in areas such as Leadership for Digital Health Transformation; Systems Design and Policy Development in Health Informatics; Information and Interoperability Governance; Knowledge Management and Systems, AI/ML and Precision Medicine; and Digital Health Implementation and Translation.
Assume academic leadership positions, including advancing curricula related to health informatics.
Potentially teach undergraduate courses.
Demonstrate collegial and collaborative service.
Integrate knowledge users, policy makers, and members of the public in their research.