Harvey Skinner

Harvey Skinner, a psychologist, was the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Health at York University created on July 1, 2006. This new Faculty has a mission to be an integrative force for promoting health – locally and globally (www.yorku.ca/health). Previously, he was Chair of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, where he played a role in the academic transformation resulting in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Skinner is a Registered Psychologist in Ontario and a certified trainer in Motivational Interviewing. In September 2007 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Skinner has broad experience in behavior change at individual, organizational and systems levels. He is the author or co-author of 7 books and over 150 articles and chapters. Three of his instruments are widely used internationally for the assessment of alcohol dependence (Alcohol Dependence Scale), drug problems (Drug Abuse Screening Test) and family functioning (Family Assessment Measure). Skinner was one of the first to focus on linking behavior change, organizational improvement and information technology (e-health), described in his book Promoting Health Through Organizational Change (2002). Skinner has been a pioneer in the use of computer technology for health assessment, and was one of the first to initiate a major program of research using the Internet for eHealth promotion. The TeenNet and Global Youth Voices program created innovative websites for engaging youth in health promotion, including smoking prevention, gambling education, and youth action projects.

Skinner is principal investigator of the Connected Health and Wellness Project - a cloud-based software system that enables collaborative health and wellness management. The project is a diverse partnership involving York University, a leader in producing a new ‘Health Coach’ profession; McMaster University, the originator and lead vendor of the open-source OSCAR Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and the MyOSCAR Personal Health Record (PHR); NexJ Systems Inc. a leading provider of cloud-based solutions including the NexJ Connected Wellness Platform, and other healthcare, academic, and industry partners. The total budget is $40.3 million, with the Federal Government providing $15.5 million and partners contributing $24.8 million.

Skinner has a special interest in global health. Currently, he is Chair of the Board of the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO) leading peacebuilding initiatives in the Middle East. Also, he serves on the Board of the Canadian Association for People-Centred Health, and is a member of the Canadian Coalition for Public Health in the 21st Century, and the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research. He has served as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization, U.S. Institute of Medicine, U.S. National Institutes of Health. Skinner has two children, two step-children and five grandchildren.