DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

As the 2022/2023 academic year comes to an end, the IMS Magazine team is looking towards the future of healthcare in their Summer 2023 issue. With a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), this issue showcases how the IMS community is using technology to improve the quality of patient care and the efficiency of our healthcare system.

This issue features several IMS faculty who are pushing the boundaries of new technology. Drs. Alexander Bilbily and Farzad Khalvati are using AI to enhance the power of current imaging techniques like x-rays, MRIs, and PET scans, reducing the need for more invasive or costly diagnostic testing. Drs. Abigail Ortiz and Robert Wu are using wearables to monitor patients both in and out of the hospital and predict future illness episodes. All of the faculty in this issue also discuss how privacy, trust, and generalizability are important considerations with AI technology and emphasize that although the landscape of healthcare is changing, the doctor-patient relationship cannot be replaced.

In this issue we hear about how Julia Tomasi, a PhD student in the IMS, incorporated wearables and virtual reality into her thesis, allowing her to monitor patients remotely during the pandemic. We also hear about a different side of technology from IMS graduate Helen Liu, who is applying the skills she acquired during graduate school to a career as a healthcare investment analyst.

IMS faculty Dr. Cindi Morshead is also featured in this issue and discusses mentorship and following your passion, both of which were common themes at the 2023 IMS Scientific Day. This year we held a two-day event on April 24th and 25th at Hart House, featuring a new professional development initiative ‘Charting Your Own Course’. The event was a huge success and gave students the opportunity to network and hear from individuals who have been successful in both academic and non-academic careers. This was a record-breaking year with over 180 IMS students submitting abstracts to present their research findings at IMS Scientific Day.

On behalf of the entire IMS community, I extend my sincere congratulations to the new faculty joining the IMS and members who have recently been promoted. I would also like to thank the Editors-in-Chief, Jason and Stacey, along with the editors, journalists, photographers, and design team producing another great issue of IMS Magazine. I hope you enjoy reading about the innovative ways that the IMS is using technology to improve our health.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mingyao Liu Director, Institute of Medical Science