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The University of Toronto's master of biotechnology program has approved a graduate field of specialization in digital health technologies.

“We are creating a new breed of professional who is equipped with the ability to code and apply data science in the context of emerging opportunities in digital health technology,” says Jayson Parker, associate professor, teaching stream in the department of biology, about digital health technologies at ����TV Mississauga.

“Part of the toolkit for our students will be the ability to apply advanced tools in artificial intelligence to problems in biology and in health-related industries,” he says.

This diverse digital health field includes mobile medical apps, health information technology, general wellness, electronic medical records, software and cybersecurity, health information technology, wearable technology and more.

The focus of the graduate field in digital health technology is data science, including advanced training in machine learning tools.

“This new field will run in parallel with the long-running MBiotech Program at UTM, which will continue to concentrate on biotherapeutics,” says Leigh Revers, associate professor, teaching stream, and director of the master of biotechnology program at ����TV Mississauga.

“Both streams of students will earn the same degree,” says Revers.

The two-year professional master’s degree in digital health technologies involves eight to 12 months of industry placement in paid student internships where students will learn about basic business, health, regulation and data science.

“The addition of the DHT [digital health technology] stream will allow what is a very successful graduate program to expand its frontiers,” says Revers.

Students in the first cohort of the field begin classes in May.