Leading Innovation: Mamatha Bhat

In the most recent U.S. News & World Report – Best Global Universities Rankings, the University of Toronto ranked 16th in the world, tied with Cornell, Princeton and the University of California San Francisco, and was named the world’s fifth best university for clinical medicine.

Combining groundbreaking research with a passion for mentorship, Professor Mamatha Bhat helps represent the spirit of collaborative excellence that defines Temerty Medicine.

Bhat is an associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology and guides the next generation of clinician-scientists as the director of the Department of Medicine’s Clinician Scientist Training Program. She is also the partnerships and engagement lead at the Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education in Medicine and a member of the Institute of Medical Science.

At the University Health Network (UHN), Bhat is also a clinician-scientist and hepatologist at the Ajmera Transplant Centre and leads an interdisciplinary research team that works to improve liver transplantation outcomes through artificial intelligence tools that integrate clinical, genomic and imaging data for personalized care.

She spoke about the environment of innovation and mentorship that continues to inspire her work at Temerty Medicine.

What makes Temerty Medicine a great place for you to do this work?

Temerty Medicine is the largest faculty of medicine in Canada and provides a unique environment where cutting-edge research is closely interlinked with outstanding clinical care. At the UHN, we have the largest transplant program in Canada, where highly impactful research and clinical care are internationally recognized. We have a deeply collaborative culture across disciplines, from data science to bioinformatics to clinical medicine, that creates opportunities to pursue innovative solutions to complex problems. We’re fortunate to have robust support for clinician-scientist training at U of T, which makes it an ideal place to build both research and training programs.

How has mentorship helped you get where you are?

Mentorship has been critical at every stage of my career, from my time as a medical student to now. I’ve been very fortunate to have mentors from across disciplines who supported my clinician-scientist career, and whose encouragement was invaluable to navigating challenges and recognizing opportunities for growth.

How are you mentoring or supporting the next generation?

As director of the Clinician Scientist Training Program, I have the privilege to support the next generation of clinician-scientists in our department. I guide them through their individual training pathways and help them build the tools, networks and resilience needed to thrive in academic medicine. It’s especially important that we continue to support young physician-scientists at a time when research funding has become more limited so they can successfully launch their independent research careers.

What is the most fulfilling part of your role at U of T?

Seeing a research idea translate into better and more personalized patient care, and ultimately inform clinical guidelines. I also feel privileged to be part of the journey of clinician-scientist trainees as they evolve into confident researchers who will carry medical knowledge forward. It’s inspiring to be part of an institution that combines excellence in clinical care with international leadership in research and education.