Dr. Aviroop Biswas
Dr. Aviroop Biswas is a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. He is also an assistant professor in epidemiology at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Biswas obtained his PhD in health services research at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. During his PhD studies, he received a doctoral research fellowship from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and was a past recipient of the University of Toronto’s Ted Goldberg award for academic excellence and promise in health services research. Biswas was previously a Mustard post-doctoral fellow at the Institute for Work & Health (2017-2019).
Biswas’s research at the Institute aspires to improve the sustainability of employment and the prevention of future worker injury and chronic disease by informing health promotion activities related to healthy physical activity and worker wellbeing. His research projects have involved analysis of survey and administrative data, machine learning, as well as systematic reviews.
“Worker health goes beyond simply thinking about protecting workers from the hazards of work. Unhealthy living not only increases the risk of preventable disease, but is also a major cause of workplace absence and injury. The challenge is to convince employers that the health and well-being of workers is in the best interests of the workplace to promote.” – Dr. Avi Biswas
Projects
- Artificial intelligence and occupational injury and illness in Ontario: implications for prevention and recovery. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. 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. (PI on the project)
- Evaluating the effectiveness of distance learning in delivering Ontario's JHSC certification training. Funded by Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Ongoing.
- Examining sex/gender differences in exposures to workplace-acquired communicable disease: a systematic review. Funded by WorkSafeBC. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Exploring where Canadians work and live and their association with active transportation. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Robson LS, Chen C, Imam S, Biswas A, Landsman V, Shahidi FV, Smith PM, Mustard C. Differing effects of in-person and online methods of delivering JHSC Certification Part 1 Training. Institute for Work & Health; 2023.
- Biswas A, Chen C, Dobson KG , Prince SA, Shahidi FV, Smith PM, Fuller D. Identifying the sociodemographic and work-related factors related to workers' daily physical activity using a decision tree approach. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):1853. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16747-9.
- Jetha A, Bakhtari H, Rosella LC, Gignac MA, Biswas A, Shahidi FV, Smith BT, Smith MJ, Mustard C, Khan N, Arrandale VH, Loewen PJ, Zuberi D, Dennerlein JT, Bonaccio S, Wu N, Irvin E, Smith PM. Artificial intelligence and the work-health interface: a research agenda for a technologically transforming world of work. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2023;66(10):815-830. doi:10.1002/ajim.23517.
- Jetha A, Navaratnerajah L, Shahidi FV, Carnide N, Biswas A, Yanar B, Siddiqi A. Racial and ethnic inequities in the return-to-work of workers experiencing injury or illness: a systematic review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023;33(3):432-449. doi:10.1007/s10926-023-10119-1.
- Biswas A, Chen C, Prince SA, Smith PM, Mustard C. Daily accelerometer-measured physical activity patterns and associations with cardiometabolic health among Canadian working adults. Health Reports. 2023;34(3):15-29. doi:10.25318/82-003-x202300300002-eng.
Speaker Series presentations
- Is there an optimal daily movement pattern for heart health? A study of Canadian workers' activity tracker data. IWH Speaker Series. June 14, 2022.
- The health paradox of physically demanding work: What is it and should we be concerned?. IWH Speaker Series. May 11, 2021.
- Developing practical recommendations for integrating workplace safety and wellness initiatives. IWH Speaker Series. February 18, 2020.
- Do workplace facilities and health promotion programs help workers be physically active?. IWH Speaker Series. November 7, 2017.
Interviews and articles
- Workers doing vigorous, tiring activity all day no healthier than those who are least active. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 109, Summer 2022.
- Review synthesizes differences between men, women in injury risks and outcomes. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 108, Spring 2022.
- The physical activity paradox. Rehab & Community Care. February 17, 2022. Available from: https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?m=1929&i=731841&p=18&ver=html5
- How can workplaces help promote exercise?. The Weekend Morning Show with Dave Trafford. November 21, 2021. Available from: https://www.iheartradio.ca/newstalk-1010/shows/the-weekend-morning-show-with-dave-trafford-1.377616
- Workplaces can help promote exercise, but job conditions remain a major hurdle. The Conversation. November 15, 2021. Available from: https://theconversation.com/workplaces-can-help-promote-exercise-but-job-conditions-remain-a-major-hurdle-170921