Meet Our UPLEARN Team

Dr. Andrew Pinto is the current Director of the University of Toronto Practice- and Community-Based Learning and Research Network, beginning his term in September 2023. He is also the founder and current Director of the Upstream Lab, based at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital. Dr. Pinto holds the CIHR Applied Public Health Chair in Upstream Prevention, and is a Public Health and Preventive Medicine Specialist and family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital. Among other roles, he is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine, the clinical research lead for the Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research Network, and the founder of the Canadian Primary Care Trials Network.

Dr. Babak Aliarzadeh has extensive experience in health information technology, particularly in utilizing electronic medical records (EMRs) for health research. He has been an integral part of the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) since its inception in 2008. In 2015, he joined the University of Toronto Practice-Based Research Network (UTOPIAN). As the UPLEARN Data Analytics Manager, Dr. Aliarzadeh is responsible for regularly updating and maintaining the UPLEARN EMR database, as well as supporting research and health quality improvement initiatives within the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Aliarzadeh has contributed to various studies, including research on poverty screening in primary care, diabetes care, the use of electronic health records to enhance healthcare quality, and integrating health data to address disparities and improve patient outcomes.

Tao Chen is the System Administrator for the Secure Analytic Virtual Environment at UPLEARN. He holds a PhD in Information Systems and a MSc in Computer Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Tao possesses a deep understanding of natural language processing, semi-supervised learning, and differential privacy, and is particularly interested in applying these technologies to primary healthcare research to enhance patient care while ensuring patient privacy is protected.

Jamie Wang is a Research Project Coordinator at the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM), University of Toronto. She holds a Master of Health Informatics degree from the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto. She has extensive experience in health research administration. She played a pivot role that ensured the success of 2 large CIHR grant applications and supported a number of research projects with the focus ranging from primary care to digital health and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data. She takes the lead in satisfying ethics oversight and authorization requirements for the EMR Database projects and is actively involved in engage in family medicine colleagues in the communities. She also oversees the post-award administration of multiple research grants and conducts screening and assessment of incoming research support requests. Her exemplary commitment and dedication earned her the DFCM Award of Staff Excellence in Leadership Values in 2023 and the DFCM Quality Improvement Award of Excellence in 2020. 

Site Contact: Markham Stouffville Hospital, North York General Hospital, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Southlake Regional Health Centre - Newmarket, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Gurnoor is a Research Officer with the University of Toronto Practice- and Community-Based Learning and Research Network (UPLEARN). Here, she has supported several projects, including CanTreatCOVID, the Primary Care Severe Asthma Registry and Education project, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Advance Care Planning project. Prior to joining UPLEARN, Gurnoor held roles at St. Michael’s Hospital and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Overall, Gurnoor has a strong background in knowledge translation and stakeholder engagement. In particular, she has a passion for patient engagement and ensuring that research has meaningful impact in the real world. 

Site Contact: St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Humber River Hospital, Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga Hospital

Céline Jean-Xavier, Ph.D., serves as a Research Officer in the Department of Family & Community Medicine with the University of Toronto Practice- and Community-Based Learning and Research Network (UPLEARN). Céline brings a wealth of experience from her extensive background in fundamental research, particularly on spinal cord activity and motor functions.At UPLEARN, she collaborates with various stakeholder groups, including patients and healthcare professionals, to enhance patient care through evidence-based deprescribing initiatives like the SPIDER study (Structured Process Informed by Data, Evidence, and Research). Additionally, she supports the CanTreatCOVID (Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial of Treatments for COVID in Community Settings) study. With her interdisciplinary approach, Céline is passionate about advancing primary care through rigorous research, with the ultimate goal of ensuring accessible, safe, and high-quality healthcare for all.

Site Contact: Mount Sinai Hospital, Women’s College Hospital, Scarborough Health Network, Micharl Garron Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital.

Zeynep is a Data Specialist with the University of Toronto Practice and Community Based Learning and Research Network (UPLEARN). Here, she is responsible for data visualization and dashboard management including CareCanvas project. She holds a Master’s in Management Science  from University of Waterloo and a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from Sabanci University. Overall, Zeynep has a strong background in data analysis, predictive modeling and advanced statistics. She has a proven track record in improving data processing efficiency and implementing business applications.

Michael Rzadki is the POPLAR Database Architect based at the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) at the University of Toronto. With a degree in Computer Engineering from Queen's University, Michael brings a wealth of experience in data engineering, security, and governance. Prior to joining UPLEARN, Michael held various roles working with seed-stage deep tech startups across Canada, where he developed a robust expertise in managing data integrity and confidentiality. His current focus is on streamlining the collection and analysis of electronic medical record (EMR) data across Ontario, ensuring that the data infrastructure is both secure and optimized for research and quality improvement. Through his work within UPLEARN, Michael is dedicated to enhancing the accessibility and utility of EMR data, enabling better decision-making and more impactful healthcare outcomes across the province