Dr. Zahava Rosenberg-Yunger
Overview
Dr. Zahava Rosenberg-Yunger is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Health Services Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. She holds a PhD in Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation and the Collaborative Program in Bioethics from the University of Toronto, where her research applied an ethical lens to international resource allocation and public drug reimbursement.
With a career spanning academia, the non-profit sector, and international consulting, Dr. Rosenberg-Yunger specializes in the intersection of health policy, ethics, and patient and public engagement. She previously served as an Associate Director at Modus Outcomes, an international consulting firm, where she led the design of meaningful outcome measures to optimize decision-making in medical product development. Her work was grounded in the patient experience, ensuring that clinical outcome assessments were oriented towards improving lives for patients and their families.
Her leadership record also includes serving as the Director of Health Policy and Research at the Ontario Pharmacists Association and as Project Lead for the Ontario Pharmacy Evidence Network (OPEN), where she founded the OPEN Citizens’ Council. Dr. Rosenberg-Yunger has authored over 50 scholarly publications and book chapters on topics such as pharmacy practice, equity in resource allocation, and implementation science. She is a long-standing member of the TMU Research Ethics Board and the Yeates School of Graduate Studies, where she contributes to institutional governance and graduate mentorship.
- Health Policy & Ethics: Investigating the ethical dimensions of resource allocation and the socio-political factors influencing health technology assessment.
- Patient and Public Engagement: Specializing in methodologies (such as the Delphi method and Citizens' Councils) that integrate the perspectives of marginalized populations, patients, and clinicians to co-create health solutions.
- Pharmacy Practice & Public Health: Analyzing the evolving role of community pharmacy as a bridge to primary care and the implementation of equitable service delivery models.
- Knowledge Translation (KT): Developing multi-modal KT strategies—including white papers and policy briefs - To translate complex research findings into actionable public health policy.
Dr. Rosenberg-Yunger views teaching as a privilege and a vital extension of her research. She acts as a facilitator of learning, prioritizing a supportive environment where diverse learning styles are recognized and accommodated.
- Equity & Accessibility: She is deeply committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). This includes ensuring financial accessibility through open-source materials and providing differentiated instruction for students with disabilities, such as modifying lecture aids for visual impairments.
- Diverse Perspectives: In core courses like The Healthcare System (CHSM 301), she integrates Aboriginal and immigrant perspectives to foster cultural competence. Drawing on her research regarding the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, she teaches students to recognize and mitigate stigma in patient care.
- Mentorship: Whether working with undergraduate or graduate students, Dr. Rosenberg-Yunger emphasizes one-on-one mentorship. She maintains an "open-door" approach, providing proactive support to help students bridge the gap between academic theory and professional healthcare leadership.
- Principal Investigator, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) | 2020 – 2023
○ Project: Integrating Citizens' Perspectives into Pharmacy Practice Research: OPEN's Citizen Council - Principal Investigator, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) | 2014 – 2021
○ Project: Development and Assessment of an Instrument for Evaluating Patient and Public Involvement in Resource Allocation Decisions - Co-Applicant, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) | 2019 – 2020
○ Project: PODS meets PROMPT: Enhancing Medication Support at Transitions in Care - Project Lead, Ontario Pharmacy Research Collaboration | 2015 – 2016
○ Project: Development of a Diabetes Decision Aid for Patients and Pharmacists