ACADEMIC EDUCATION
AMS-Fitzgerald Fellowship in AI and Human-Centred Leadership – Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto – 2024-present
AI for Health Care: Concepts and Applications – School of Public Health (T.H. Chan), Harvard – 2024
Healthcare Analytics: AI, Big Data & Digital Transformation Certificate – Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto – 2022
Data Science Certificate – School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto – 2021
Executive Master of Health Informatics – The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto – 2019
Health Informatics Certificate – Chang School, Toronto Metropolitan (Ryerson) University, Toronto – 2018
Ph.D. Candidate (Toxicology and Alcohol abuse) – Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran – Ph.D. program discontinued due to relocation to Canada – 2014-2015
Master of Public Health (MPH) – Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran – 2012
Doctorate of Medicine – Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran – 2000
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Digital Health Research Lead – OntarioMD Inc., Toronto – 2023-present
Executive Director (FHLIP Conference) – University of Toronto – 2023-present
Program Analyst – OntarioMD Inc., Toronto – 2020 – 2023
Consultant, Instructor and Mentor – AZ Health Informatics Consulting, Toronto – 2017-present
Clinical Data Scientist – InfoClin Inc., Toronto – 201- 2020
Health Informatics Program Specialist & Coordinator – Skills for Change, Toronto – 2018 –2019
Co-Founder & Decision Support Director – Institute of Preventive Medicine SYB (IPMSYB), Mashhad, Iran – 2012-2015
Medical Director and Physician – Addiction Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre, Mashhad, Iran – 2009 –2015
Senior Decision Support & Business Intelligence Leader – Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran – 2005-2015
- Director of the Provincial Department of Mental Health and Addiction Control
- Director of the Provincial Department of Health Education and Promotion
- President of a Regional Health Network
- CEO of a Regional Hospital
- Executive Director of Knowledge Management Unit (KMU) of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Executive Director of the Addiction Research Centre
Family Physician (with mental health and addiction control specialty) – Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran – 2000-2015
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Principal Investigator and Research Lead – AZ Health Informatics Consulting, Toronto – 2020-present
Digital Health Research Lead – OntarioMD, Toronto -2023-present
Visiting Researcher – TMU (Ryerson) University, in partnership with InfoClin Inc., Toronto – 2016-present
Clinical Research Assistant – SickKids Hospital, Toronto – Mar-Sep 2017
Clinical Research Assistant – Southlake Regional Health Centre, Toronto – Aug-Dec 2015
Clinical Research Executive Director and Principal Investigator – Addiction Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran – 2013-2015
Public Health Research Director – Provincial Public Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran – 2011-2014
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Faculty – Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto – 2021-present
- MHI2007H-Quantitative Skills for Health Informatics
- MHI2018H-Knowledge Management & Systems
Professor – George Brown College – 2023-present
- Health Informatics Technology and Clinical Practice II (COMP 4051) – Precision Medicine & AI
Adjunct Lecturer – Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto – 2020-present
- MHI2015Y-Health Informatics Project
- MHI2001H-Fundamentals of Health Informatics
- MHI2002H-Emergent Topics in Health Informatics: Intelligent Medicine, Machine Learning and Knowledge Representation
Digital Health-related Workshops Instructor – AZ Health Informatics Consulting, Toronto – 2018-present
Health Informatics Bridging Program Instructor and Coordinator – Skills for Change in partnership with George Brown College, Toronto – 2018-2019
PEARL Health Educator (Patient Education and Research Learning Program) – Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto – 2015-2016
College Instructor – Khorasan Welfare College, Iran – 2013-2015
Adjunct Faculty – Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran – 2010-2015
PUBLICATIONS
PEER-REVIEWED
Abbas Zavar, Razieh Poorandy. From Strategy to Synergy: Paving Ontario’s Proactive Path in Precision Medicine with Collaboration and Visionary Leadership. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics 2024.
Abbas Zavar, Razieh Poorandy R. From Blueprint to Best Practice: Gauging the Efficacy of Digital Health Solutions. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics 2024.
Abbas Zavar, Karim Keshavjee. Multi-EMR Structured Data Entry Form: User-Acceptance Testing of a Prototype. Student Health Technology Information 2017.
Abbas Zavar, Lida Jarrahi, Bahman Alimoradi, Nafiseh Khosravi. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): Reliability and Validity of the Persian Version. Asia Pacific Journal of Medical Toxicology 2015 Mar.
Reza Afshari, Abbas Zavar, Mahbobeh Alidoust, Razieh Poorandy. Knowledge and Attitude of Health Network Staff toward Illegal Drug Use. Addiction and Health Journal 2015.
Abbas Zavar, Elina Khadivi, Fatemeh Kabiri. Assessment of education needs for retraining of physician work at Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers. Future of Medical Education Journal 2013 Sep; 3(3): 46-47.
Mohammad Khajehdaluee, Abbas Zavar, Mahbobeh Alidoust, Razieh Poorandy. Smoking among high school students of an area with medium socioeconomic status. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association 2014 Mar; 64(3): 291-5.
Abbas Zavar, Mohammad Khajehdaluee, Mahbobeh Alidoust, Razieh Poorandy. Self-Esteem and Illegal Drug Abuse in High School Students. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal 2013 Nov; 15(11): 1-7.
Reza Afshari, Bita, Bita Dadpour, Azan Shafahi, Abbas Zavar. Snakebite prognostic factors: Leading factors of weak therapeutic response following snakebite envenomation. Asia Pacific Journal of Medical Toxicology 2012 Dec; 1(1): 27-33.
Abbas Zavar, Reza Afshari, Mahbobeh Alidoust, Razieh Poorandy, Bita Dadpour. Curriculum Development in regard to Illicit Drug Abuse. Future of Medical Education Journal (FMEJ) 2012 Jun; 2(2): 31-6
Reza Afshari, Mégarbane B, Abbas Zavar. Thallium poisoning: one additional and unexpected risk of heroin abuse. Clinical Toxicology Journal 2012 Sep; 50(8): 791-2.
Abbas Zavar, Reza Afshari. Illegal drug self-poisoning induced death; Referred or not referred to Health system in Mashhad, Iran 2004-2007. HealthMed journal 2012; 6(6): 2074-9
NON-PEER-REVIEWED
Abbas Zavar, Simon Ling. OntarioMD’s strategic approach to combat physician burnout. Canadian Healthcare Technology, May 2024.
Abbas Zavar, Razieh Poorandy. Enhancing primary care through AI: A strategic framework for the future. Canadian Healthcare Technology, April 2024.
Abbas Zavar, Simon Ling. Welcome to AI-IntegratedCare: Connecting Patients and Doctors with Innovative Technologies. OntarioMD Blog, 2023.
Abbas Zavar, Karim Keshavjee, Simon Ling, Edward Brown, et al., Preparing for Precision Medicine in Ontario: A Current State. Assessment A report evaluating Ontario’s current data sources and infrastructure to implement Precision Medicine initiatives. Canadian Healthcare Technology, Jun 2022.
Lida Jarahi, Abbas Zavar, Mahboubeh Neamat Shahi. Evaluation of Depression and the Contributing Factors in Pregnant Women Referring to Urban and Rural Health Care Centers of Sarakhs City, Iran Journal of Midwifery & Reproductive Health, 2015.
Mirshahpanah M, Abbas Zavar, Reza Afshari. Evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practice of physicians working in Governmental Institutions. Journal of Mashhad Medical Council (JMMC), 2014; 18(1): 2-7
Lida Jarrahi, Abbas Zavar. Evaluation of the frequency of unwanted pregnancy and its related factors in the pregnant women of Sarakhs. Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility, 2014; 17(124): 8-14
Abbas Zavar. Addiction prevention programs. Journal of Mashhad Medical Council (JMMC), 2014; 17(3): 151-153
PRESENTATIONS
Healthcare Enhanced by AI & Learning (HEAL) 2024
- Meeting the Needs of Patients and Physicians: AI as a Catalyst for Change: Oral (workshop)
Future of Health Leadership, Informatics and Policy (FHLIP) 2024
- From Strategy to Synergy: Paving Ontario’s Proactive Path in Precision Medicine with Collaboration and Visionary Leadership: Oral
Future of Health Leadership, Informatics and Policy (FHLIP) 2024
- From Blueprint to Best Practice: Gauging the Efficacy of Digital Health Solutions: Oral
eHealth Conference 2023
- Optimizing for Precision Medicine in Ontario: A Comprehensive Review and Evaluation of the Current Landscape: Oral
HIMSS Ontario Chapter Digital Health Innovation Conference 2022
- Preparing for Precision Medicine in Ontario: An Environmental Scan and Assessment: Oral
Annual Meeting- North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) 2018
- User Acceptance of a Web-based EMR | EHR Data Entry Form: Poster
e-Health Conference2018
- Standardizing Free Text in EMRs: Automating Data Coding in Primary care: Oral
- Re-architecting Interoperability: A Creative Use of Constraints: ePoster
- Addressing the Opioid Epidemic with Evidence: Oral
The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, ‘Research Day 2018’
- Improving the Accuracy of Identifying Patients with Hypertension in EMR: Poster
Prince Margaret Cancer Conference, Accelerating Precision Medicine Conference 2018
- Identifying Patients with Cancer in Electronic Medical Records: Poster
e-Health Conference 2017
- Re-Architecting Interoperability: ePoster
Interdisciplinary Thinking within Interethnic Contexts Symposium, TMU (Ryesrson) University 2017
- Using disease risk prediction models to improve diabetes prevention processes in Canada: Poster
- Bending the cost curve in healthcare: Poster
The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, ‘Research Day 2017’
- Re-Architecting Interoperability: Poster
- Are mHealth Apps Effectively Delivering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques? : Poster
- Population Health Economics: A novel currency for transactions in healthcare: Poster
First International Congress of Alcohol Abuse in Iran 2014
- Evaluation of the Reliability and Validity of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): Oral presentation
- Evaluation of the Demographic Factors of Alcohol Consumers in Mashhad: Poster
- Domestic Violence in Alcohol Abuse: Poster
- Specific Adverse Consequences in Alcoholic Women: Poster
- Epidemiology and Pattern of Alcohol Use among Drug Abusers Attending To Drop-in Center: Poster
Asia Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology, 12th International Scientific Congress 2013
- Methanol Poisoning, outcome predictor: Poster
7th National Congress on Addiction Sciences 2013
- Health and Medical Education regarding Illicit Drug Use: Oral presentation
- Drug abuse in high school students and its related factors: Oral presentation
- Self-Esteem and Illegal Drug Use in High School Students: Poster
- Knowledge and Attitude of Health Network Staff towards Illegal Drug Use: Poster
11th International Congress of Asia Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology (APAMT) 2012
- Pattern of Change in Illicit Overdose in Iran: Poster
11th International Congress of the Iranian Society of Toxicology 2011
- Thallium-contaminated opium (Case reports): Poster
- Illegal drug self-poisoning induced death; Referred or not referred to Health system in Mashhad, Iran 2004-2007: Poster
Iranian Congress of Addiction & Poisoning 2010
- Pattern of illegal drug use in the past five decades in patients with drug dependent (addicted) voluntary treatment in Sarakhs, 2009: Poster
