Toronto (Aug. 2, 2000) - Dr. J. Ivan Williams will be joining Toronto Rehab on November 1, 2000 as Vice President, Research to guide the development and growth of our research efforts. Dr. (Jack) Williams is currently President and CEO of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).
During his prolific 30-year career in health research, Dr. Williams has studied health services, from primary care to trauma programs; and health outcomes across a multitude of health conditions ranging from mental illness to spinal cord injury, chronic pain, arthritis and joint replacement, and stroke. He has an extensive track record of publications, research grants and supervision of graduate students.
Dr. Williams’ main areas of interest lie in musculoskeletal health, and how the health care needs of people with disabilities are being met. We are excited at the prospect of Dr. Williams joining Toronto Rehab this fall to build a new research enterprise from the ground up. Dr. Williams noted, “As the University of Toronto's academic institute in rehabilitation, Toronto Rehab is well positioned to fully develop its research program, and to fulfill its obligation as a fully affiliated teaching hospital in rehabilitative sciences."
Dr. Williams' appointment follows a decision that evolved during our recent strategic planning process to create a new research institute and to recruit a VP Research to guide and coordinate the hospital's research activities. Our investment in this area is what will make us unique and set us apart from other service providers.
Upon his arrival in November, Dr. Williams' first order of business will be to develop a strategic plan for research and identify our research priorities. Next on his agenda will be recruiting the organization's first Research Chair, filling current research vacancies, and securing the funds to support our research endeavours.
Dr. Williams has a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from Nebraska Wesleyan, a Master's degree in Sociology from the University of New Hampshire, and a Ph.D., also in Sociology, from Florida State University. Shortly after completing his Ph.D. in 1968, Dr. Williams began his academic career at the University of Western Ontario where he founded and directed the Health Care Research Unit. In 1977 he joined the Division of Community Health at the University of Toronto, where he established and directed its Health Care Research Unit. In 1984, he moved to Montreal to join the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McGill University, where he chaired the graduate program for three years. He was also a senior investigator at the Montreal General Hospital's Division of Clinical Epidemiology.
Dr. Williams became the Deputy Director of the Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 1989. Three years later, he was part of the team that worked with Dr. David Naylor to create ICES. He served as the Deputy Director of Research for six years before becoming President and CEO in 1998. He will continue his research activities at ICES, part-time, as a senior scientist.
For the past 12 years, he has been a professor in the Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences. He also holds appointments in the graduate programs in Community Dentistry, Community Health, Nursing Science, and Rehabilitation Science, and at the Institute of Medical Science - all at the U of T. He continues an auxiliary appointment at McGill University's School of Physical and Occupational Therapy.
