Dr. Haleh Ayatollahi is a professor of Medical Informatics at Iran University of Medical Sciences, specializing in health information management and digital health innovations. With a PhD in Health Informatics from the University of Sheffield, UK, she has extensive experience in academia and research. She currently serves as the Director of Deputy of Research and Technology at the School of Health Management and Information Sciences and the Health Management and Economics Research Centre. A key member of the Medical Informatics Evaluation and Examination Board, Dr. Ayatollahi has contributed significantly to the fields of eHealth, telemedicine, and health information systems. She has received multiple awards for her research, including the Best Researcher Award and the Khayam Award for a selected PhD thesis. Her work focuses on advancing digital healthcare solutions through innovative research and system evaluation. She actively mentors students and contributes to the global medical informatics community. 📚
Profile
Education 🎓
Dr. Haleh Ayatollahi holds a PhD in Health Informatics from the University of Sheffield, UK (2006-2010) 🎓. She earned her M.Sc. in Medical Records Education from Iran University of Medical Sciences (2000-2002) 📖, where she also completed her B.Sc. in Medical Records (1996-1998) and an Associate Degree in Medical Records (1994-1996) 🏥. Her academic journey has been marked by a strong focus on medical records, health informatics, and digital healthcare solutions. Through her education, she has gained expertise in health information systems, user-centered system design, and IT adoption in healthcare. Her advanced training has enabled her to contribute to numerous research projects, systematic reviews, and digital health innovations. With her extensive background in health informatics, she has played a key role in the development of medical information systems and telemedicine initiatives, making significant contributions to the field of healthcare technology. 🔬📊
Experience 👨🏫
Dr. Haleh Ayatollahi has held multiple leadership and academic roles in medical informatics and health information management. She is currently the Director of Deputy of Research and Technology at the School of Health Management and Information Sciences and the Health Management and Economics Research Centre at Iran University of Medical Sciences (2023-present) 🏥📊. She also serves as a member of the Medical Informatics Evaluation and Examination Board. Previously, she was the Postgraduate and Education Office Administrator (2014-2016) and a Teaching Assistant at the University of Sheffield (2009) 🎓. Her experience includes lecturing at Kashan University of Medical Sciences (2003-2005). She has played a key role in developing health informatics education, IT adoption strategies, and evaluating health information systems. With extensive contributions to academia and research, Dr. Ayatollahi continues to shape the future of digital healthcare through her leadership and innovative research. 💻📡
Research Interests 🔬
Dr. Haleh Ayatollahi’s research focuses on health data science, telemedicine, telehealth, mHealth, and eHealth 📊📡. She specializes in designing and evaluating health information systems, emphasizing user-centered approaches to improve digital healthcare solutions. Her work explores IT adoption and change management in healthcare, aiming to enhance system usability and efficiency. She is actively involved in systematic reviews and research on the integration of digital health technologies into clinical practice. Her studies contribute to improving electronic health records, decision support systems, and remote healthcare solutions. Through her expertise, she has advanced telehealth applications, ensuring seamless integration into medical practices. Her research has been widely published and presented at international conferences, making her a leading voice in health informatics. By combining technology and healthcare, she continues to shape the future of digital health and improve patient outcomes. 💡📚
Dr. Haleh Ayatollahi has received numerous prestigious awards for her contributions to health informatics. In 2025, she was honored with the Best Researcher Award at the International AI Data Scientist Awards 🏅. She has also won multiple thesis awards, including Best Thesis in Education and Research at the Vosough Festival (2023) 📖. She has been recognized with the Best Paper Presentation Award at various conferences, including the 9th National Burn Congress (2020) and the 5th IT Managers National Conference (2017) 🏆. Her research excellence was acknowledged with the Khayam Award (2019) and the Future Day Festival Award for a selected PhD thesis (2017). She received a full-time PhD scholarship from the Iranian Ministry of Health (2005) and a Research Excellence Grant from the University of Sheffield (2008) 🎓. Her accolades highlight her dedication to advancing digital health and medical informatics. 🔬📡
Publications 📚
- Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease …
M Brauer, GA Roth, AY Aravkin, P Zheng, KH Abate, YH Abate, C Abbafati, …
The Lancet 403 (10440), 2162-2203
- Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the …
M Naghavi, KL Ong, A Aali, HS Ababneh, YH Abate, C Abbafati, …
The Lancet 403 (10440), 2100-2132
- Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
JD Steinmetz, KM Seeher, N Schiess, E Nichols, B Cao, C Servili, …
The Lancet Neurology 23 (4), 344-381
- Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
SE Vollset, HS Ababneh, YH Abate, C Abbafati, R Abbasgholizadeh, …
The Lancet 403 (10440), 2204-2256
- Clinicians’ knowledge and perception of telemedicine technology
H Ayatollahi, FZ Pourfard Sarabi, M Langarizadeh
Perspectives in health information management 12 (Fall)
- Factors influencing the success of knowledge management process in healthcare organizations: a literature review
Ayatollahi H, Zeraatkar K
- Predicting Coronary Artery Disease: A Comparison between Two Data Mining Algorithms
Ayatollahi H, Gholamhosseini L, Salehi M
BMC Public Health
- Electronic health records: what are the most important barriers?
H Ayatollahi, N Mirani, H Haghani
Perspectives in health information management 11 (Fall), 1c
- A systematic review of the effectiveness of telerehabilitation interventions for therapeutic purposes in the elderly
F Velayati, H Ayatollahi, M Hemmat
- Paper-based versus computer-based records in the emergency department: Staff preferences, expectations, and concerns
H Ayatollahi, PA Bath, S Goodacre
Health Informatics Journal 15 (3), 199-211
- Future Research in Health Information Technology: A Review.
Morteza Hemmat, Haleh Ayatollahi, Mohammad Reza Maleki
Perspect Health Inf Manag 1 (14), 1b