Robin Hayeems

Dr. Hayeems is a Scientist in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (CHES) at SickKids Research Institute and an Associate Professor in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto. Dr. Hayeems is trained in genetic counselling (ScM, Johns Hopkins University), public health and bioethics (PhD, University of Toronto), health policy research (University of Toronto, IHPME Postdoctoral Fellowship) and health services research (University of Toronto, Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship).

Dr. Hayeems’ research focuses on the development and implementation of high-quality genomic screening and diagnostic tools for the maternal-child health context. Using applied health services and policy research methods, her work focuses on the delivery, evaluation and governance of genomic screening and diagnostic tools in the prenatal, newborn and early childhood periods. As a member of several provincial advisory committees, her work informs and is informed by policy development in this area.

Research

Dr. Hayeems maintains a policy-relevant program of research related to patient and systems-oriented outcomes of genomic screening, and diagnostic technologies and novel models of care to support the appropriate, equitable and sustainable delivery of these technologies in child health.

Despite enthusiasm surrounding the diagnostic performance of emerging genomic technologies, health system coverage and reimbursement decisions increasingly require evidence of clinical utility and cost-effectiveness. Given the wide range of rare diseases and the indirect relationship between diagnostics and health outcomes, generating and evaluating this body of evidence is complex. To this end, Dr. Hayeems and her team are working on strategies for measuring the value of new genome diagnostics from patient, health care provider, and health care system perspectives. Genomic medicine also faces challenges related to efficient and accessible delivery of services. To reduce these challenges, Dr. Hayeems and her team are working on innovative virtual tools and working on better equipping community-based providers with the resources needed to optimize their engagement with genomic medicine.

Education

Degrees

• 2002–2007: PhD, Dept. Public Health Sciences & Collaborative Program in Bioethics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 1998–2001: ScM, Genetic Counselling, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD and The National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
• 1996–1998: M.Sc., Medical Science, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 1992–1996: B.Sc. (Hons.), Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, PQ

Postgraduate Research and Specialty Training

• 2011–2013: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences, Health System and Policy Evaluation Program, Toronto, ON
• 2008–2010: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Health System Strategy Division, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Toronto, ON
• 2007–2010: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2006–2007: Research Fellow, Centre for Health Economics & Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Experience

• 2019–Present: Associate Professor (status), Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2017–Present: Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2014–2019: Assistant Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2014–2017: Scientist-track Investigator, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2011–2013: Genetic Counsellor, Division of Clinical & Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2001–2005: Genetic Counsellor, Adult Genetics Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON

Achievements

• 2018: Value Assessment Initiative: Challenge Award (2nd Place) - PhRMA Foundation/ Personalized Medicine Coalition, Washington, DC, USA
• Co-Chair, Prenatal Screening Ontario - Advisory Committee, Advisory to Prenatal Screening Ontario, Better Outcomes Registry and Network and Ontario Ministry of Health, Ontario, Canada
• Member, Ontario Genetics Advisory Committee, Advisory to Ontario Health (Quality Division), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1. Hayeems RZ, Luca S, Pullenayegum E, Meyn MS, Ungar WJ. Genome Diagnostics: Novel Strategies for Measuring Value. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2019 Oct;25(10):1096-1101.
2. Hayeems RZ, Luca S, Ungar WJ, Bhatt A, Chad L, Pullenayegum E, Meyn MS. The development of the Clinician-reported Genetic testing Utility InDEx (C-GUIDE): a novel strategy for measuring the clinical utility of genetic testing. Genet Med. 2020 Jan;22(1):95-101. 
3. Hayeems RZ, Bhawra J, Tsiplova K, Meyn MS, Monfared N, Bowdin S, Stavropoulos DJ, Marshall C, Basran R, Shuman C, Ito S, Cohn I, Hum C, Girdea M, Brudno M, Cohn RD, Scherer S, Ungar WJ. Care and cost consequences of pediatric whole genome sequencing compared to chromosome microarray. European Journal of Human Genetics. 2017 Dec: 25(12): 1303-1312. 
4. Hayeems RZ, Miller FA, Vermeulen M, Potter BK, Chakraborty P, Davies C, Carroll JC, Ratjen F, Guttmann A. False positive newborn screening for cystic fibrosis and healthcare utilization. Pediatrics. 2017 Nov: 140(5): e20170604. 
5. Hayeems RZ, Campitelli M, Ma X, Huang T, Walker M, Guttmann A. Rates of prenatal screening across health care regions in Ontario, Canada: A retrospective cohort study. Canadian Medical Association Journal Open. 2015 Apr: 3(2): e236-243.