Dr. Shabnam Haghzare
As an electrical engineering student, Dr. Shabnam Haghzare was fascinated with artificial intelligence (AI) but it was only when she joined AGE-WELL as a graduate student that she saw its extraordinary potential to help older adults.
“When I started with AGE-WELL, the technical aspect was not new for me, but the application to older adults and people living with dementia was,” says Dr. Haghzare. “The experience equipped me with an understanding of the human side of my professional work.”
Dr. Haghzare received funding and other support from AGE-WELL while working on a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, under the supervision of Drs. Alex Mihailidis and Jennifer Campos. Her thesis focused on the use of automated vehicles as assistive technology by older adults living with or without dementia.
Today, she applies that academic background and AI expertise in her role as national AI lead with the Strategic Partnership Team at Mitacs, a Canadian not-for-profit that fosters innovation in Canada by connecting businesses and researchers with access to talent, financial support and partnerships.
At Mitacs, Dr. Haghzare engages with companies, ranging from startups to multinational enterprises, on AI-related projects. She works with industry partners to define their project scope, match them with the right academic researchers (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) to support their projects, and facilitate co-funding for projects via industry and government.
Taking part in AGE-WELL’s EPIC training program, and the opportunities it opened, prepared Dr. Haghzare to transition smoothly into her Mitacs role.
“AGE-WELL taught me the real-world value of what we do and the competencies that we need to survive outside of grad school.”– Dr. Shabnam Haghzare
AGE-WELL, as Canada’s technology and aging network, brings together diverse stakeholders. Dr. Haghzare credits the industry exposure through AGE-WELL for the opportunity to move directly to the industry side rather than starting on the academic side of Mitacs’ Strategic Partnership Team.
“AGE-WELL taught me the real-world value of what we do and the competencies that we need to survive outside of grad school. They cultivated a sense of responsibility, an understanding of commercialization and the funding environment, and how to present yourself.”
She says the ability to translate knowledge and technical information to different target audiences has been “a huge value add and asset that I’m now fine-tuning in my Mitacs role—and it definitely comes from AGE-WELL.”
The Mitacs role complements Dr. Haghzare’s interests and style of working that she developed during her time in the EPIC program, which included a year as president of AGE-WELL’s HQP (Highly Qualified Personnel) Advisory Committee.
Dr. Haghzare’s interest in commercialization and entrepreneurship started at the AGE-WELL Summer Insititute, when it was in Banff in 2018. It’s a signature event in the AGE-WELL EPIC program, which is led by Dr. Samantha Sandassie. The experience left a deep impression.
“The Summer Institute, coupled with AGE-WELL’s method of defining projects by pinpointing the problem, has equipped me in my Mitacs position to help companies identify the problem they want to solve using AI, learn how their enterprise works, and find the best academic fit for their project.”
Dr. Haghzare considers herself fortunate that in her Mitacs role, she brings together her academic expertise, AGE-WELL training, and passion for commercialization as part of the important work to help drive AI research and development in Canada.