Dr. Arif Jetha
Dr. Arif Jetha is associate scientific director and scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. He is also an associate professor (status-only) at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Jetha earned his PhD in behavioural sciences and public health at the University of Toronto, and an MSc in health community and development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also held post-doctoral fellowships at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety and the Institute for Work & Health.
Jetha’s program of research aims at understanding how sociopolitical, technological, environmental and economic changes that characterize the future of work affect the health and employment participation of vulnerable workers. He is specifically interested in the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on the health, safety and well-being of workers. Also, Jetha leads research on how changing working conditions can shape the labour market experiences of young workers and persons living with disabilities at the early career phase and across the life course.
To pursue his research program, Jetha takes a systems perspective and uses a mixed-methods research approach. He collaborates closely with diverse research partners to produce findings that can inform policy and practice. Jetha is currently the recipient of the Stars Career Development Salary Award from the Arthritis Society.
“The world of work is changing at a rapid rate. Studying the future of work allows me to understand the emerging challenges facing workers and create an evidence base that can be used to inform the design of policies and programs that are resilient to change and protect the most vulnerable.”
— Dr. Arif Jetha
Projects
- Accommodating and Communicating about Episodic Disabilities (ACED): A partnership to deliver workplace resources to sustain employment of people with chronic, episodic conditions. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Signature Initiative. Ongoing.
- Artificial intelligence and occupational injury and illness in Ontario: implications for prevention and recovery. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy: Envisioning the future of disability policy in Canada. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Ongoing.
- Champions as social agents of change: what can we learn from worker well-being initiatives?. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Conceal or reveal? Facilitators and barriers to older workers' communication of accommodation needs. Funded by Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada. Ongoing.
Publications
- Jetha A. Supporting young persons with disabilities in the future of work. Institute for Work & Health; 2024.
- Ponzano M, Buren R, Adams NT, Jun J, Jetha A, Mack DE, Martin KA. Effect of exercise on mental health and health-related quality of life in adults with spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 2024 epub ahead of print. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2024.02.737.
- Martin Ginis KA, Sinden AR, Bonaccio S, Labbe D, Guertin C, Gellatly IR, Koch L, Ben Mortenson W, Routhier F, Basham CA, Jetha A. Experiential aspects of participation in employment and mobility for adults with physical disabilities: testing cross-sectional models of contextual influences and well-being outcomes. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2024;105(2):303-313. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2023.08.004.
- Jetha A, Navaratnerajah L, Kondratowski S, Parmassar M, Tucker LB, Gignac MA. Impact of employment and income support interventions on the health of young adults with episodic disability: findings from a systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 2024;50(2):122-128. 10.5271/sjweh.4133.
- Van Eerd D, Le Pouésard M, Yanar B, Irvin E, Gignac MA, Jetha A, Morose T, Tompa E. Return-to-work experiences in Ontario policing: injured but not broken. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2024;34(1):265–277. doi:10.1007/s10926-023-10135-1.
Speaker Series presentations
- Life course concepts in the work experiences of people with arthritis. IWH Speaker Series. November 22, 2016.
Interviews and articles
- Coronavirus: The risks to essential workers with hidden health conditions. The Conversation. April 15, 2020. Available from: https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-the-risks-to-essential-workers-with-hidden-health-conditions-135819
- Despite social distancing, many front-line public workers feel the strain. The Globe and Mail. March 20, 2020. Available from: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/article-despite-social-distancing-many-front-line-public-workers-feel-the/
- The future of work will hit vulnerable people the hardest. The Conversation. March 2, 2020.
- What’s causing the bottleneck in disability management?. Canadian HR Reporter. February 24, 2020. Available from: https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/wellness-mental-health/whats-causing-the-bottleneck-in-disability-management/326532
- Grant round-up: Anticipating future risks among externally funded projects under way at IWH. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 99, Winter 2020.