Dr. Tyler Williamson, BSc'05, PhD'11

When Dr. Tyler Williamson received a phone call on a snowy Saturday in March 2020 from Dr. Jon Meddings, then-dean of the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), the message was simple: “Tyler, COVID is here. Find a way to track it.” 

Within 72 hours, Williamson and his team had built a basic COVID-19 tracker that scraped numbers from news websites, because, at the time, there was no central source for such data in Alberta. It marked the beginning of a defining chapter in his career. 

When Williamson first enrolled at the University of Calgary, he didn’t know he’d eventually help steer the future of health-data science in Canada. Through coursework, data and unexpected opportunities, he built a career grounded in rigour and public service.  

Now the director of the Centre for Health Informatics at the CSM, Williamson has become a key figure in one of Canada’s most urgent and complex challenges: connecting health information systems across jurisdictions, providers and platforms. 

“People often assume their health data is shared across the system,” he says. “But the truth is, it’s not. It’s far easier to transfer money between banks than it is to share your medical record between care providers.” 

That disconnect is not just a technical inconvenience — it’s a public-health crisis. It’s what drives Williamson’s work. 

“These aren’t one-off mistakes,” he says. “They’re systemic failures. And that’s why this matters so much.” 

Williamson’s rise through academia is a story of both excellence and relevance. After completing his bachelor’s in statistics in 2005 and PhD in biostatistics in 2011, he quickly became a sought-after collaborator and thought leader in the field of health data integration. His work combines administrative health data and electronic medical records to support public health surveillance, chronic disease research and the improvement of care-delivery systems.  

Williamson’s statistical work is rigorous, but its outcomes are deeply human. That rare balance has helped his research resonate across disciplines, organizations and even borders. 

During the pandemic, Williamson wasn’t just building dashboards, he advised directly on critical decisions. He met with then-Mayor Naheed Nenshi several times a week, advising on school closures, public health orders and whether to cancel events like the Calgary Stampede. 

“That period was emotionally intense,” he reflects. “Even now, I don’t think we fully understand the ripple effects of some of those decisions. I probably lost more sleep during that time than any other point in my life.” 

But that crucible forged something powerful. Williamson emerged not just as a data scientist or advisor, but as a systems-level thinker who could speak to policy, legislation and public impact. 

And his influence has only grown. 

Since 2023, Williamson has helped revise Alberta’s Health Information Act and advised on national legislation like Bill C-72, reframing how Canada approaches fragmented health data systems  

“One of my colleagues said it best: laws like the Health Information Act aren’t written in stone. They’re just people agreeing on a set of rules,” he says. “And, if they can be made, they can be changed.” 

At the heart of Williamson’s approach is a quiet, but resolute belief in equity, innovation and the power of connection. He’s not interested in chasing credit, he’s interested in making things better. 

That ethos shapes his work with Networked Health, a pan-Canadian collaboration of government, academic, and health-care leaders looking to understand and solve the root causes of disconnected health data. 

“We’ve spent over a billion dollars on systems like Connect Care in Alberta, which is great for hospitals,” Williamson explains. “But family doctors can still choose whatever electronic health record they want, and those systems don’t have to connect. Virtual care adds another layer. It’s like we’re building parallel systems that don’t talk to each other.” 

Even before the pandemic, Williamson was helping shape international conversations. As part of a World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating team, he conducted statistical analyses on the safety of the yellow fever vaccine across vulnerable populations. These findings helped shift global policy, especially in protecting children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals — and remain among the most impactful publications in the field of vaccine safety.  

It’s one thing to publish papers; it’s another to see them cited in WHO technical reports and to know they helped rewrite guidelines that affect millions. 

And yet, for all his research prestige, those who work with Williamson often talk first about his presence, not his CV. Known for his approachability, generosity and sense of humour, he’s described by colleagues as someone who brings energy, clarity and kindness to every meeting. He is a leader not just because of his credentials, but because of his care for students, for staff and for the people his work ultimately serves. 

“I want my data to be secure, yes. But I also want my anonymized health information to help save lives,” says Williamson. “I want us to evaluate our systems, to innovate. Now, when I sit across from a minister, I can say, ‘Here’s what’s broken — and here’s how we fix it.’” 

That transformation, from academic to advocate, from tracker builder to policy shaper, has been one of the most meaningful aspects of his career. He remains deeply grounded in his community.  

Williamson grew up on a farm just north of Cochrane, and he’s the third generation in his family to attend UCalgary. His wife, Heather, is a current student in psychology, and two of their four children, Lucy and Max, are undergrads and his young sons, Logan and Seth, are likely to follow. 

“UCalgary is in our blood, my grandfather, Donald Hughes Williamson (BEd’71), is a grad, (as is) my dad, Robert Scott Williamson (BSc (Eng)’88), and (my) mother, Janielee Williamson, attended UCalgary Nursing, too” he says. “It’s where I found my voice as a researcher, but also where I’ve had the space to pivot, grow and lead.” 

After completing his PhD, Williamson left to join the faculty at Queen’s University. He and his young family built a life there, but eventually returned to Calgary, where he found something different. 

“There’s something special about this place,” he says. “It’s the leadership, the openness to collaboration. We’re not stuck in hierarchy here. People are willing to say, ‘Let’s try something new.’ That culture is part of the secret sauce.” 

What drives him most now is showing his children, and the next generation, what’s possible when you lead with courage, curiosity and compassion. 

“I didn’t understand what it meant to be courageous in my career until recently. It’s about trying something new, even when the outcome is uncertain. And that can be incredibly rewarding,” Williamson says. 

It’s a mindset that’s already changing policy and institutions and, slowly but surely, changing lives. His story is one of innovation and service, intellect and empathy. He’s helped change how we understand health data in this country and, more importantly, how we use it.