Dr. Laura Rosella is an epidemiologist and Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She also holds a Canada Research Chair in Population Health Analytics. Her work on population health management and diabetes is revolutionizing prevention strategies, and improving health decision-making and intervention for populations at risk for type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Dr. Rosella obtained a MHSc in Community Health and Epidemiology and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto. As the Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Population Health Analytics Laboratory at the University of Toronto, Dr. Rosella focuses on type 2 diabetes prevention by analyzing trends in population health data. Most notably, Dr. Rosella and colleagues developed the Diabetes Population Risk Tool (DPoRT), the first instrumental tool that uses a risk prediction algorithm to evaluate rates of diabetes in populations of interest. DPoRT has been widely used to facilitate diabetes prevention policy decisions and resource allocation recommendations.
In addition to her work on DPoRT, Dr. Rosella developed a new systematic approach to determine who should get screened for diabetes – an advancement that can greatly enhance prevention efforts and outcomes in the population. Her current research focuses on examining risk factors that lead to other chronic conditions among those living with type 2 diabetes, tackling health inequities in healthcare system planning and delivery, and using artificial intelligence, machine learning models and population health data to predict type 2 diabetes years before onset.
Dr. Rosella is actively involved in the diabetes research community. She is a member of the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, Adjunct Scientist and Site Director at ICES U of T, Faculty Affiliate at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and Program Director for the Dalla Lana School of Public Health PhD Program in Epidemiology. Her significant contributions to population health and diabetes research have merited her several awards and recognitions, including the Brian MacMahon Early Career Epidemiology Award and being named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018. Dr. Rosella continues to be a source of inspiration for young scientists and health researchers alike.
— Written by Leora Goldstein