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UHN Collaborative Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research

About Us

The UHN Collaborative Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research is a hub for interdisciplinary health systems research, collaboration, and engagement, driving innovation and impact in health policy and clinical care. We aim to become a premier partner for impactful health systems research at UHN, across Canada, and beyond by fostering co-leadership and co-design across diverse expertise.

Our Mission

The Centre’s mission is to cultivate a connected and inclusive research community while building meaningful relationships with patients, the public, policymakers, and industry to support the translation of research into evidence-informed action that drives health system transformation.

The Centre is led by the Centre Chair and Executive Committee who provide oversight on Centre activities, strategic leadership, and how the Centre fosters collaboration to ensure the Centre fulfills its mandate as a hub for health systems and policy research at UHN and beyond.

Executive Committee

Beate Sander
Beate Sander, Chair
Dr. Beate Sander (RN, MBA, MEcDEV, PhD) is a Senior Scientist at UHN, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Economics of Infectious Diseases, and Professor (Status Only) at the University of Toronto.
Katherine S. McGilton
Katherine S. McGilton
Dr. Katherine S. McGilton (RN, PhD, FCAHS, FAAN, FCAN) is a Senior Scientist at UHN’s KITE Research Institute and Professor (Status Only) at the University of Toronto. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Canadian Academy of Nursing.
Jonathan Crawford Irish
Jonathan Crawford Irish
Dr. Jonathan Crawford Irish (MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS, FCAHS) is a Senior Scientist at UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Division Head and Professor of Head and Neck Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Toronto, and Vice President, Clinical, at Ontario Health–Cancer Care Ontario.
Kali Barrett
Kali Barrett
Dr. Kali Barrett (MD, MSc, FRCPC) is an Affiliate Scientist at UHN, a critical care physician, and health services researcher. She is also Medical Director of the RECOVER Home Ventilation Program at Toronto Grace Health Centre.
Laura Williams
Laura Williams
Laura Williams (MSW, RSW, CHE) is Senior Director of Patient Experience and Engagement at UHN and a PhD candidate at Queen’s University. Laura specializes in patient and family engagement, leading teams and contributing to provincial policy on patient-centred care.
Alyssa Indar
Alyssa Indar
Dr. Alyssa Indar (RN, PhD) is Director of Scholarship and Innovation in Collaborative Academic Practice at UHN, where she leads strategy to advance nursing and health professions scholarship.
Jennifer A.H Bell
Jennifer A.H. Bell
Dr. Jennifer A.H. Bell (MA, PhD) is an Education Investigator at UHN’s The Institute for Education Research (TIER), a Senior Bioethicist and Clinician-Scientist at UHN, and member of the Joint Centre for Bioethics at the University of Toronto.
Senthujan Senkaiahliyan
Senthujan Senkaiahliyan
Senthujan Senkaiahliyan (MHSc) is a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto and Research Scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His work focuses on implementing and evaluating AI innovations to improve decision-making, efficiency, and system performance.

Operational Team

Michele Strom
Michelle Storm
Michele Strom is the Manager of Strategy & Operations for UHN’s Collaborative Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research, bringing over a decade of experience across government, policy, digital health, and health services research. Michele holds an MSc, PMP certification, and advanced leadership training, and supports high-impact, collaborative health systems research across UHN and beyond.
Jenny Gatov
Jenny Gatov
Jenny is the Scientific Associate and Partnerships Lead. She has a background in psychology and a Master’s in Epidemiology from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, with 12 years of experience in health services research, program evaluation, and quality improvement. She is completing a PhD in Health Informatics at IHPME, studying the real-world impact of internet-based CBT in Ontario.
Yeva Sahakyan
Yeva Sahakyan
Dr. Yeva Sahakyan is the Economics Lead for the Collaborative Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research. She is a foreign-trained physician with a Master of Public Health and a Master of Biostatistics, and over 20 years of professional experience. Her expertise includes health economics and decision-analytic modeling. She provides scientific leadership across a diverse research portfolio, including infectious and chronic diseases.

Education and Learning
The Centre facilitates learning and collaboration by highlighting advancements and emerging trends in health systems and policy through rounds, workshops, and symposiums.

Rounds
The Centre hosts monthly rounds open to UHN and the public. Rounds spotlight advances in health systems and policy research, spanning topics such as health equity, health service delivery, governance and policy, health economics, knowledge translation and more, and provides opportunities for UHN researchers to engage with peers across diverse disciplines.

Rounds generally occur on the first Thursday of each month between 12 – 1 PM at UHN. If you are interested in attending, please contact michele.strom@uhn.ca for more information. These meetings are also accessible virtually.

*If you would like to be added to the Centre's listserv for updates, rounds, and events, please email hspr.collab@uhn.ca.

Collaborate with Us

The Centre builds partnerships with organizations to deliver health systems and policy expertise at UHN, in Canada, and internationally. We offer services across the health systems and policy research spectrum including but not limited to economic evaluations, Health Technology Assessments that support evidence-informed decision-making, policy assessments, epidemiology and population health analytics, and program evaluations.

How to Get Started

  1. Connect with us: Reach out to hspr.collab@uhn.ca to schedule an initial consultation.
  2. Discuss your needs: We will work with you to understand your priorities, challenges, and goals.
  3. Match with experts: Based on your needs, the Centre will connect you with the right research teams and experts at UHN.
  4. Collaborate and innovate: Together, we will co-design and deliver research that generates actionable insights and drives meaningful health systems improvements.

Together, we can address complex health challenges through collaborative research and innovation.

For further inquiries, suggestions, or to get involved, email hspr.collab@uhn.ca.