As the needs of students and the health system evolve, new leadership is guiding the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program toward a more focused and future-ready approach under newly appointed Director Dr. Felipe Cepeda.
By: Marielle Boutin
Since launching in 2008, the MHI program has gone through a period of rapid growth and transformation, ultimately giving rise to the Executive Master of Health Informatics (EMHI), an expanded curriculum structured to meet the needs of emerging leaders across Canada.
Following the introduction of the EMHI, both programs have undergone massive shifts, becoming more customized to the needs of two different student populations.
According to EMHI Program Director, Karim Keshavjee, managing both streams as one was becoming increasingly challenging.
To better support the distinct needs of both programs, leadership has now been divided, with Dr. Felipe Cepeda appointed as incoming Director of the MHI, effective July 1, 2026, and Dr. Keshavjee focusing exclusively on the EMHI.
The shift began when Dr. Keshavjee examined how the EMHI could better meet the healthcare system’s growing need for digital leadership, recognizing the importance of attracting professionals further along in their careers to better engage with emerging digital health technologies.
“This advanced leadership training requires a very customized and interdisciplinary approach which is very different from the needs of the MHI program students, who are early career individuals seeking entry level positions” says Dr. Keshavjee.
He goes on to say that the MHI program is experiencing a different evolution, notably one that must help earlier-career students develop more advanced, future-ready skills and prepare them to take on complex, mid-career roles as AI rapidly reshapes entry-level pathways.
“Over the next decade, we can expect to see a completely transformed healthcare system with AI being used pervasively at many different levels of the system,” says Dr. Keshavjee. “Our students will need exceptional AI skills and exhibit good judgement in the workplace of the future.”
Although he is stepping into a leadership role as the MHI’s new Director, Dr. Cepeda is no stranger to the program.
An EMHI alumnus, he has held an adjunct faculty appointment since 2024, teaching MHI courses such as Economics and Value Design in Healthcare.
In addition to his direct contributions to the program, Dr. Cepeda distinguished himself as a natural fit for the Director role through his work as a clinician and on care coordination, mental health informatics, and equity-focused data stewardship.
According to Dr. Cepeda, a standout quality of the MHI is its focus on applied problem-solving that integrates clinical, technological, and policy perspectives to drive healthcare improvements. However, he sees his new role as an opportunity to address blind spots, ensuring the program’s interdisciplinary exposure can be leveraged into shared capability by training students to translate across perspectives and produce practical solutions.
“I see evolution through clearer focus, not rupture,” says Dr. Cepeda. “For the MHI, that means helping students translate across disciplines, communicate clearly, respond to feedback, navigate stakeholder tension, assess trade-offs, and use those frameworks in settings where priorities, incentives, and data are rarely clean.“
Ultimately, Dr. Cepeda hopes to prepare leaders who can navigate complexity and drive meaningful change in healthcare systems.
“My vision is for the MHI to be recognized for producing digitally fluent leaders who are […] strong not only in ideas but in implementation […]. Students need to understand technology, but they also need judgment: how to evaluate digital health interventions, govern data responsibly, work across disciplines, and ensure innovation improves care without adding burden or widening gaps.”
For the MHI, this shift builds on the program’s strong foundation while responding to a Canadian health system where connected care, responsible AI, implementation, equity, and data stewardship are becoming part of everyday health-system work.
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Communications
Marielle Boutin
Email Address: ihpme.communications@utoronto.ca