Dr. Sara Shearkhani
PhD
Implementation Scientist
Research Interests
Dr. Sara Shearkhani is an Implementation Scientist at Waypoint Research Institute and an Assistant Professor (Status)) at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. Her research examines how health systems can better respond to people whose needs cross organizational, professional and service boundaries, with a particular focus on populations experiencing social and structural barriers to care. Sara holds a PhD in Health Services Research from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in Economics. She completed a CIHR Health System Impact Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Drawing on her training in health services research and economics, Sara combines mixed-methods research, evaluation and community engagement to understand gaps in care and support the implementation of practical solutions. She works with patients, families, community organizations and healthcare teams to ensure their knowledge and priorities shape both the changes introduced and how success is assessed.
At Waypoint, her research includes advancing physical health equity for people living with serious mental illness, including those in forensic mental health settings, through integration of preventive and physical healthcare into mental health settings. Her current research explores equitable access to preventative care and chronic disease prevention, including the organizational practices and partnerships across mental health, primary care and community services needed to support coordinated, comprehensive care. Her work also focuses on building implementation and evaluation capacity and embedding research and learning into everyday practice.