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
- Understanding employment transitions among people living with arthritis across the life course. Funded by Canadian Disability Participation Project, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Grant. Completed. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Shahidi FV, Jetha A, Kristman VL, Smith PM, Gignac MA. The employment quality of persons with disabilities: findings from a national survey. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023;33(4):785-795. doi:10.1007/s10926-023-10113-7.
- Jetha A. Three scenarios of a future working world [for young adults living with a disability]. Institute for Work & Health; 2023.
- Martin Ginis KA, Jetha A, Gignac MA. Experiential aspects of employment and their relationship with work outcomes: a cross-sectional study using a novel measure of participation in workers with and without physical disabilities. Disability and Health Journal. 2023;16(3):101448. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101448.
- Di Giuseppe G, Pagalan L, Jetha A, Pechlivanoglou P, Pole JD. Financial toxicity among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: a systematic review of educational attainment, employment, and income. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 2023;183:103914. doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.103914.
- Gignac MA, Bowring J, Tonima S, Franche RL, Thompson A, Jetha A, Smith PM, MacDermid JC, Shaw WS, Van Eerd D, Beaton DE, Irvin E, Tompa E, Saunders R. A sensibility assessment of the Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT): a tool to help workers with an episodic disability plan workplace support. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023;33(1):145-159. doi:10.1007/s10926-022-10057-4.
Speaker Series presentations
- Surveying the landscape for AI use in occupational health and safety in Ontario and British Columbia. IWH Speaker Series. March 25, 2025.
- Three scenarios of a future working world: Using strategic foresight to imagine and respond to a changing world of work for young adults living with a disability in Canada. IWH Speaker Series. October 17, 2023.
- Racial and ethnic inequities in the return-to-work of workers following an injury or illness: Findings from a systematic review. IWH Speaker Series. January 17, 2023.
- What the future of work looks like to young people with disabilities. IWH Speaker Series. December 14, 2021.
- Fragmentation in the future of work: Exploring the impact of the changing nature of work on vulnerable workers. IWH Speaker Series. February 23, 2021.
Interviews and articles
- How employers can support employees with psoriatic conditions. Benefits Canada. February 21, 2023. Available from: https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/disability-management/how-employers-can-support-employees-with-psoriatic-conditions/
- Launching a research program on AI, work and health. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 111, Winter 2023.
- ‘My new co-worker is shiny’: Pandemic accelerated adoption of workplace robots. OHS Canada. April 25, 2022. Available from: https://www.ohscanada.com/features/my-new-co-worker-is-shiny/
- I struggled with office life. Now others are alive to benefits of remote working. The Guardian. July 25, 2021. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/25/working-from-home-mental-health
- Re-opening the economy should include access for young people with chronic disease . The Province. June 14, 2021. Available from: https://theprovince.com/opinion/op-ed/dr-arif-jetha-re-opening-the-economy-should-include-access-for-young-people-with-chronic-disease