AMS Healthcare Conference – April 8, 2025
8:15 — 9:00 Breakfast
9:00 — 9:15
Helen Angus
As Chief Executive Officer at AMS, Helen Angus brings her many talents and a renewed energy to the organization’s role as a catalyst for change and innovation in healthcare. Helen has a demonstrated ability to lead complex organizations and inspire others to drive systems-level change. From 2018 – 2021 she was Deputy Minister in the Ontario Ministry of Health, where she helmed Ontario’s initial health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She played a critical leadership role in the groundbreaking work of Cancer Care Ontario and as co-chair of the Council of Deputy Ministers of Health. Helen is currently a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
Will Falk
Will Falk spent 25 years as a strategist and advisor in New York and Toronto advising top academic centres, governments, and innovative companies in healthcare. Since retiring from the PwC partnership in 2017, Will had had several roles. He is an Executive in Residence at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto where he has taught since 2008. He is a Senior Fellow at the CD Howe Institute and an Innovation Fellow at Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care. He invests in and has worked with several startups focused on healthcare. He received his B.Sc. from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and his M.P.P.M. from Yale University’s School of Management where he was later a Visiting Research Fellow.9:15 — 9:30
Zayna Khayat
Zayna Khayat is adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Zayna is the in-house health futurist with Deloitte Canada's Healthcare practice, and advises various health technology companies. Zayna previously led the Futures team with national home healthcare and aging social enterprise, SE Health, as their Future Strategist. Dr. Khayat was previously the lead of health system innovation at MaRS Discovery District, a health innovation hub in Toronto, Canada. In 2017 she was seconded to the REshape Innovation Centre at Radboud university medical centre in the Netherlands. Zayna completed her Ph.D. in diabetes research from the University of Toronto (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as a Principal in the healthcare practice of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). 9:30 — 10:30
Mark Daley
Mark Daley is the Chief AI Officer at Western University and a Professor in the Department of Computer Science with cross-appointments in five other departments, The Rotman Institute of Philosophy, and The Western Institute for Neuroscience. He is also a faculty affiliate of Toronto's Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.Mark was named in the Maclean's magazine "Power List 2024" of the top 100 Canadians shaping the country.
Mark has previously served as the Vice-President (Research) at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research(CIFAR), and Chief Digital Information Officer, Special Advisor to the President, and Associate Vice-President (Research) at Western. Mark is the past chair of Compute Ontario and serves on a number of other boards.
Jude Kong
Dr. Jude Kong is a professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (budgetary cross-appointed) and Mathematics Department (cross-appointed), University of Toronto, where he serves as the director of the Artificial Intelligence and Mathematical Modeling lab (AIMM lab). Additionally, he is the Director of the Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC) and the Global South Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network (AI4PEP). He is also the Regional Node Liaison to the steering committee of the Canadian Black Scientist Network. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mathematics with a certificate in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Alberta, his MSc in Mathematical Modelling from the University of Hamburg, Germany, and the University of L’Aquila, Italy. His B.Sc. in Mathematics (major) and Computer Science (minor) was acquired at the University of Buea, Cameroon, and his B.Ed. in Mathematics was earned at University of Yaounde I, Cameroon. He did a 2-years of postdoc at Princeton University. Dr. Kong is an expert in AI, data science, mathematical modelling, and mathematics education. His principal research program focuses on developing and deploying innovative artificial intelligence, mathematical and data science methodologies and technologies for decisionmakers in communities, public health, government and industry in order to provide important insights into local and global-scale socio-ecological challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kong led a team of 52+ researchers across nine African countries, using AI to help contain and manage the virus. In 2022, he founded the AI4PEP network, overseeing 160+ researchers from 16 countries. The network focuses on leveraging Southern-led responsible AI solutions to enhance public health systems for better prevention, preparedness, and response to disease outbreaks. Dr. Kong’s many research contributions and exceptional leadership have earned him several prestigious awards and recognitions. These include the York University (YU) Research Leader Award in 2020; recognition as one of Canada’s Innovation Research Leaders in 2021; recognition as a Black Hero of Operational Research by the Operational Research Society in 2021; recognition as a YU Community Change Maker in 2022; recognition from YU Magazine for enumerating positive change by inspiring Black students to aspire in 2022; nomination for the 2022 Postdoc Supervisor of the Year Award; 2022 Faculty of Science, YU Early Career Researcher Award; YU 2023 Research Leader Award and the 2023 YU President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award. He is an Editor for Data & Policy Journal; Royal Society Science; Scientific Reports, and Big Data and Information Analytics.
Zayna Khayat
Zayna Khayat is adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Zayna is the in-house health futurist with Deloitte Canada's Healthcare practice, and advises various health technology companies. Zayna previously led the Futures team with national home healthcare and aging social enterprise, SE Health, as their Future Strategist. Dr. Khayat was previously the lead of health system innovation at MaRS Discovery District, a health innovation hub in Toronto, Canada. In 2017 she was seconded to the REshape Innovation Centre at Radboud university medical centre in the Netherlands. Zayna completed her Ph.D. in diabetes research from the University of Toronto (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as a Principal in the healthcare practice of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Vu Ngo
Vu Ngo is the founder of C3LABS.AI, a strategic consultancy guiding Fortune 100 and public institutions through digital transformation. A pioneering digital strategist, he bridges technology and purpose, aligning AI and innovation with real-world impact. As a change agent, Vu champions societal impact, community growth, and ethical AI, ensuring technology serves diverse communities. Beyond his corporate work, he is deeply engaged in advocacy for diversity, inclusion, and systemic change, leveraging both technology and the arts—including his work with AMPLi5.ART—to drive meaningful progress.
10:30 — 11:00 Break
11:00 — 12:15
Laura Rosella
Laura Rosella, PhD, MHSc, is the Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Population Health Analytics Lab.She is an Associate Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, where she holds Canada Research Chair in Population Health Analytics. In 2020, she was made the Inaugural Stephen Family Research Chair in Community Health at the Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners. Her additional scientific appointments include the Vector Institute and Site Director for ICES U of T.
She has authored over 130 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of epidemiology, population health and health services research. She has been awarded several national grants, including a CIHR Foundation grant to support her population health analytics research program. Notably, Dr Rosella was recently awarded the Brian MacMahon Early Career Epidemiology Award by the Society for Epidemiologic Research and was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. She was president of the Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CSEB) from 2018-2020.
David Buckeridge
David Buckeridge is a Professor in the School of Population and Global Health at McGill University in Montreal where he directs the Surveillance Lab, an interdisciplinary group that develops, implements, and evaluates novel computational methods and software for public health surveillance. He is also the Chief Digital Health Officer at the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) and the Director of Digital Health Research at the Research Institute of the MUHC. His research and practice focus on the informatics of health and health system monitoring and he holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Health Informatics and Data Science and is an Associate Member with the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (Mila). He is also currently seconded part-time to the Public Health Agency of Canada as the Executive Scientific Director of the Data, Foresight and Surveillance Branch. Dr Buckeridge has a MD from Queen's University, a MSc in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto, a PhD in Biomedical informatics from Stanford University, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.Nicola Mercer
Dr. Nicola Mercer (MD MBA MPH FRCPC C. Dir) is the Medical Officer of Health and CEO of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, a role she has held since 2007. Before joining Public Health, she practiced in acute health care for 15 years as an anaesthesiologist and critical care physician. She is a current Board member at Public Health Ontario, a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons nominating committee, a past member of the University of Guelph Board of Trustees and holds Special Graduate Faculty status in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph.
In 2017, Dr. Mercer was appointed by then Ontario Minister of Health to the Minister’s Expert Panel on Public Health; looking at Public Health within an Integrated Health System. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she implemented one of North America’s first mask mandates and ensured residents were protected by some of the best vaccine rates in the country. For this work, Dr. Mercer was recognized with a Municipal World Women of Influence in Local Government Award in 2021 and a King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2024.
Rina Lamba
Rina Lamba has nearly 20 years of experience working in the health sector, covering a broad spectrum of roles as a frontline nurse, administrator of a long-term care home, manager and currently director for the Regional Municipality of York (Public Health branch). She is also co-founder and President of Summit Leaders, a not-for-profit organization that empowers youth from underserved communities to build their social capital and access to future opportunities. Rina has a passion for innovation to improve access and affordability in the health system. She has shared her perspectives on healthcare through opinion pieces published on various platforms and was selected as a Fellow in the Women and Media Fellowship Program by Enterprise Canada in 2022. Additionally, she has been accepted and is currently a fellow of the two-year AMS Fitzgerald Fellowship in AI and Human-Centered Leadership, in collaboration with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.Rina earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Toronto and completed her MBA, along with a specialty Graduate Diploma in Health Industry Management, from the Schulich School of Business in 2019.
12:15 — 13:15 Lunch
13:15 — 14:30
Fahad Razak
Fahad Razak is an internist at St Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto), Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Data-Informed Health Care Improvement at the University of Toronto, Provincial Lead for Quality Improvement in General Medicine at Ontario Health, and Vice President Research at the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine. He co-founded GEMINI, the largest hospital research and quality improvement network in Canada, and has received over $80 million in grant funding as Principal Investigator. GEMINI is used by an active community of more than 1000 scientists, health system leaders.Dr. Razak completed a degree in Engineering Science and Medical Doctorate at the University of Toronto, and was the first physician appointed as the David E. Bell Fellow at Harvard University. He is a Senior Fellow at Massey College and on the advisory board of the BMJ.
Notable recognitions include the inaugural Canadian Society for Internal Medicine National Award for Mentorship, Dean’s Emerging Leader Award and the President’s Impact Award at the University of Toronto; the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine’s New Investigator Award; and the Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship from the PSI Foundation.
Dr. Razak served as Scientific Director for the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and contributed to over 50 science and policy briefs that shaped Ontario’s response to the pandemic. He was a member of the Federal Expert Panel on Science Advisory and Research convened by the Minister of Health, and the on the Transformation Sub-Committee convened by the Board of the Canadian Institute for Health Information to help guide their future directions.
Kevin Smith
Dr. Kevin Smith, O.Ont., KSG, is President & CEO of University Health Network, Canada’s largest academic health sciences centre and consistently recognized as one of the world's top 10 hospitals. Dr. Smith has spent his career at the interface of the University and Research Hospital and is passionately committed to the mission of education, research, and exemplary patient care. Dr. Smith is a pioneer in advancing integrated care models spanning the continuum of health and social services.Dr. Smith is a Professor, Institute for Medical Sciences, Department of Medicine, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
Educated in Canada, the U.S., and the United Kingdom, Dr. Smith began his career in medical education, followed by leadership roles in university administration, academic hospitals, and health systems. He is professionally certified in Corporate Governance by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Harvard Program in Effective Governance and completed the Wharton School CEO Program for Health Care Leadership.
Dr. Smith was deeply honoured to be appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province's highest civilian honour. For his contributions to health care, he was made a Knight of St. Gregory by His Holiness The Pope. He has been the grateful recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver and Golden Jubilee Medals. In 2024, Dr. Smith was named one of Newsweek Magazine’s top hospital CEOs. Dr. Smith has served previously in many roles including as former Chair, Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario; Chair, The Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Hospital Association, and as a frequent advisor to governments and the private sector.
Stephen Lucas
Dr. Stephen Lucas is an accomplished public servant with extensive public policy leadership experience in health, research and innovation, environment and climate change and energy well as federal-provincial-territorial relations. He retired in May 2024 after more than 35 years with the Public Service of Canada, including 10 years in the Deputy Minister community.
Eileen McMahon
Eileen McMahon is Chair and co-founder of Torys’ Intellectual Property and Drug/Device Regulatory practices. She is recognized as Canada’s leading life sciences lawyer, having advised Fortune 500 companies, leading manufacturers, innovators, SMEs and hospitals/universities/research institutes on complex IP and regulatory issues for over 35 years.
Eileen provides clients with deep market insight and a practical, business minded approach - helping them identify, protect, and leverage IP and regulatory assets, obtain, and maintain market exclusivity, handle high-risk situations, and navigate the impact of current and proposed laws. Eileen has market-leading legal experience in relation to federal and provincial laws impacting AI in healthcare and AI-based healthcare products. She is the only Canadian lawyer to be recognized as a Star Individual in Chambers Life Sciences, an international legal ranking directory. Managing IP recognizes her as one of the world’s Top 250 Women in IP.
14:30 — 15:00
Zayna Khayat
Zayna Khayat is adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Zayna is the in-house health futurist with Deloitte Canada's Healthcare practice, and advises various health technology companies. Zayna previously led the Futures team with national home healthcare and aging social enterprise, SE Health, as their Future Strategist. Dr. Khayat was previously the lead of health system innovation at MaRS Discovery District, a health innovation hub in Toronto, Canada. In 2017 she was seconded to the REshape Innovation Centre at Radboud university medical centre in the Netherlands. Zayna completed her Ph.D. in diabetes research from the University of Toronto (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as a Principal in the healthcare practice of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
15:00 — 15:15 Break
15:15 — 16:15
Abi Sriharan
Dr. Abi Sriharan is a leading health systems innovation and AI strategy scholar, shaping the future of healthcare through research, policy, and leadership. Trained at the University of Oxford, she serves as the Scientific Director of the Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership at the Schulich School of Business, where she leads cutting-edge research on AI as a driver of healthcare transformation, workforce adaptation, and value creation. Supported by CIHR and SSHRC funding, her work informs global discussions on AI strategy, public-private partnerships, and the future of work in healthcare. She has advised governments, health systems, and industry leaders on integrating AI to optimize care delivery, improve patient outcomes, and strengthen health system resilience. A sought-after speaker and strategic advisor, Dr. Sriharan helps business and healthcare leaders anticipate AI’s impact, navigate its complexities, and drive innovation with purpose and strategy.Anna Foat
Anna Foat is a passionate patient advocate. She lends her expertise to public health care organizations trying to create compassionate and equitable digital solutions. Professionally she’s spent over 20 years in technology roles in the private sector designing new products, services and systems using human centered design. In her spare time she is a member of Batchawana Fire Search and Rescue at her home in northern Ontario.
Brian Hodges
Brian Hodges is Executive-Vice President Education and Chief Medical Officer at University Health Network, and Professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Brian is a practicing psychiatrist, teacher, and healthcare leader. His research and writing focus on assessment, competence, compassion and the future of the health professions.Paul Woods
Dr. Paul Woods is a senior healthcare leader with a wide range of clinical and executive experience in both Canada and the United States, highly regarded for his proven ability to lead positive change in complex environments. Prior to joining Southlake, Paul served as the President & CEO of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), one of Canada’s leading academic hospitals, where he led the organization to achieve Exemplary Standing with Accreditation Canada for the first time in 12 years. Under his leadership, LHSC opened Ontario’s first publicly owned ambulatory surgery centre, as well as an Office of Health Equity through a new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy.
While working state-side as Senior Vice President at the not-for-profit system Trinity Health in Michigan, Paul led strategies that improved quality of care as well as enhanced patient and provider experience. Through strong engagement with physicians, nurses and other clinicians, he implemented successful initiatives at Trinity to serve more patients and improve health outcomes while promoting sustainability. Paul has also held various other leadership roles in the health system including at Alberta Health Services, the University of Calgary’s Department of Family Medicine, and the Michigan Center for Clinical Systems Improvement.
His insights have been sought through Board appointments, most recently as President of the Board of Directors for Trinity Health Coordinated Care, a four state Accountable Care Organization. He has also served as a Board member of Chicago Mercy Hospital, the first chartered hospital in Chicago which focuses on serving disadvantaged populations. Originally from Ontario, Paul obtained his medical degree from Western University after attending high school in Newmarket. He received his Master of Science degree from the Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice at the world-renowned Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
16:15 — 16:30
Helen Angus
As Chief Executive Officer at AMS, Helen Angus brings her many talents and a renewed energy to the organization’s role as a catalyst for change and innovation in healthcare. Helen has a demonstrated ability to lead complex organizations and inspire others to drive systems-level change. From 2018 – 2021 she was Deputy Minister in the Ontario Ministry of Health, where she helmed Ontario’s initial health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She played a critical leadership role in the groundbreaking work of Cancer Care Ontario and as co-chair of the Council of Deputy Ministers of Health. Helen is currently a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
Will Falk
Will Falk spent 25 years as a strategist and advisor in New York and Toronto advising top academic centres, governments, and innovative companies in healthcare. Since retiring from the PwC partnership in 2017, Will had had several roles. He is an Executive in Residence at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto where he has taught since 2008. He is a Senior Fellow at the CD Howe Institute and an Innovation Fellow at Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care. He invests in and has worked with several startups focused on healthcare. He received his B.Sc. from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and his M.P.P.M. from Yale University’s School of Management where he was later a Visiting Research Fellow.
Zayna Khayat
Zayna Khayat is adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Zayna is the in-house health futurist with Deloitte Canada's Healthcare practice, and advises various health technology companies. Zayna previously led the Futures team with national home healthcare and aging social enterprise, SE Health, as their Future Strategist. Dr. Khayat was previously the lead of health system innovation at MaRS Discovery District, a health innovation hub in Toronto, Canada. In 2017 she was seconded to the REshape Innovation Centre at Radboud university medical centre in the Netherlands. Zayna completed her Ph.D. in diabetes research from the University of Toronto (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as a Principal in the healthcare practice of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). 16:30 — 18:00
Networking Reception