New endeavour called HALO will draw from knowledge in law and medical schools
To support Canada’s artificial intelligence strategy and health data investments, the University of Ottawa has established Health AI and Law in Ottawa (HALO), which connects scholars in health AI, data, law, and policy across its faculties, research institutes, and specialized centres.
“The federal investment in health data is an important signal that Canada is serious about health AI,” said Vanessa Gruben – uOttawa law professor and director of the Centre for Health Law, Policy, and Ethics – in a news release.
“Canada's AI strategy arrives at a pivotal moment for our health system,” added Dr. Kumanan Wilson, professor in uOttawa’s Faculty of Medicine and chief executive officer and chief scientific officer of the Bruyere Health Research Institute.
The university’s news release explained that HALO will unite academics, innovators, and governments with the hospitals, research institutes, and medical organizations within Ottawa’s and Canada’s clinical and research ecosystem.
Gruben stressed the importance of multistakeholder governance infrastructure to support the federal government’s health data and health AI investments.
“HALO is building that infrastructure for the health sector — connecting academia, hospitals, government, and innovators in the capital of the country where that work belongs,” Gruben said.
According to uOttawa, the new endeavour seeks to offer legal, policy, and data asset guidance and to fortify government and industry efforts to transform the country’s AI health system and improve care.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
The university’s Faculty of Medicine; Centre for Health Law, Policy, and Ethics; and Centre for Law, Technology, and Society developed HALO.
The Ottawa Medical AI Research Institute (OMARI), the Ottawa Academic Health Network (OAHN), and researchers from Ottawa medical organisations are participating in the initiative, with national stakeholders also expected to join.
Per uOttawa’s news release, HALO can draw from:
- experience relating to big data, clinical trials, and knowledge translation from the medical school participants
- proficiency in AI governance, privacy, ethics, and data sovereignty from the law school participants
- knowledge on health data and responsible technology design from those in the Faculty of Arts and the Telfer School of Management
Wilson explained that HALO aims to help Canada answer the following legal, governance, and technical questions arising in its AI strategy:
- how to maximize health AI’s health and economic impact
- how to adopt AI in healthcare safely and equitably
- how to safeguard health data sovereignty and privacy
The news release noted that HALO can produce interdisciplinary analyses relevant to the strategy’s six pillars: sovereign AI infrastructure, scaling Canadian champions, skills and adoption, public trust, safety, and improved public services.
