Catherine Burns, PEng (She/Her)

Catherine M. Burns is a Professor in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada. A recognized leader in interdisciplinary research and academic administration, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the university’s health research strategy and infrastructure.

Catherine holds a prestigious Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Human Factors and Healthcare Systems. She has authored more than 300 academic publications, co-authored seven books, and led an NSERC CREATE training program in biomedical technology and entrepreneurship that has supported the interdisciplinary training of over 40 graduate students from across the university.

In her senior administrative roles, Catherine has contributed significantly to institutional and tri-agency research funding programs, equity initiatives, research computing, and strategic research partnerships. She was the founding Director of the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, successfully guiding its evolution from a faculty-level initiative to a pan-university research centre over eight years. In 2020, she chaired the university’s Health Initiatives Task Force, leading the development of a health strategy in alignment with the Waterloo 2025 Strategic Plan.

As Associate Vice President, Health Initiatives, Catherine was instrumental in advancing Waterloo’s research strengths in health and health technologies. Her leadership contributed to the successful award of a new hospital to be located on campus, the creation of the CareNext Coalition, the development of new core facilities for health research, and the expansion of strategic partnerships with major healthcare organizations across Ontario, including the Waterloo Regional Health Network.

Internationally recognized for her expertise in Cognitive Work Analysis, Ecological Interface Design, and decision support system development, Catherine is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Her recent research includes the design of early warning systems for sepsis, predictive diagnostic tools for glaucoma, and investigations into innovation processes within healthcare systems.

• Human factors engineering, Human AI Interaction Safety, Cognitive engineering, Human AI Teaming, Human error, Decision making, Interface Design and Integration, Usability Testing and Interactive Technology, Ecological Interface Design, Cognitive Work Analysis

• 1998, Doctorate Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada

• 1994, Master's Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada

• 1992, Bachelor's Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2025/26 Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

• 2025 Faculty of Engineering Service Excellence Award

• 2017 Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo

• 2016 Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision, Faculty of Engineering

• 2015 Fellow, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

• 2014 Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo

• 2013 Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo

• 2010 Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo

• 2009 Research Excellence Award, Faculty of Engineering

• 2008 NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement

• 2007 Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo

• 2006 Teaching Excellence Award, Faculty of Engineering

• 2022-2025 Associate Vice President, Health Initiatives

• 2019-2021 Executive Director, Sponsored Research and Health Initiatives

• 2017-2019 Executive Director, Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology

• 2012-2017 Director, Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology

• P.Eng.

• Fellow, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

• Saiko S., and Burns C., Bridging Research and Practice: Barriers to Social Robotics in Autism Therapy Stakeholders’ Point of View, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Volume 127, 393-407, Canada, 2026.

• Baby B., Elba G., Kim M., Park S., Hudani I., Sharma R., Patel H., Bajaj S., Patterson P.K., McKinnon A., Guilcher S.J.T., Chang F., Lee L., Burns C., Griffin R., Goh J., and Patel T., Personalized Predictive Model to Predict Subtask Success of Medication Adherence Technologies for Older Adults With Diverse Capa, Jmir Aging, Volume 9, Canada, 2026.

• Ghaffar F., Furtado N.M., Ali I., and Burns C., Diagnostic Decision-Making Variability Between Novice and Expert Optometrists for Glaucoma: Comparative Analysis to Inform AI Sy, Jmir Medical Informatics, Volume 13, Canada, 2025.

• dos Santos L., Arcuri R., Cancado R., Burns C.M., de Carvalho P.V.R., and Vidal M.C., A Context-Sensitive Approach for Integrating Fuzzy Set Theory and the FRAM, Springer Series in Design and Innovation, Volume 41, 275-280, Canada, 2025.

• Umpaipant W., Singh A., Burns C.M., and Samuel S., Improving Takeover Requests in Automated Vehicles: The Role of Dynamic Alerts and Cognitive State, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, Volume 10, 4992-5007, Canada, 2025.

• He F., Elhammady K., Fischmeister S., and Burns C.M., Preliminary Cognitive Modeling: Comparing Distraction-Based Cyber-Attacks and Alcohol-Related Impairments on Human Drivers, 2024 IEEE 4th International Conference on Human Machine Systems Ichms 2024, Canada, 2024.

• Salmon P.M., Burns C., Broadbent S., Chari S., Clay-Williams R., Hancock P.A., Jenkins D.P., Mills A., Parnell K., Plant K.L., Read G.J.M., Sharples S., Shorrock S., Stanton N.A., Walker G.H., Williams C., Waterson P., and Young M.S., The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors at 75: perspectives on contemporary challenges and future directions for, Ergonomics, Volume 68, 759-775, Australia, 2025.

• Tennant R., Allana S., Mercer K., and Burns C.M., Capturing Home Care Information Management and Communication Processes Among Caregivers of Older Adults: Qualitative Study to In, Jmir Formative Research, Volume 8, Canada, 2024.

• Francisco K.M., and Burns C.M., An Approach to Potentially Increasing Adoption of an Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Electronic Medical Record Encounter in Ca, Jmir Research Protocols, Volume 13, Canada, 2024.

• He F., Kern J., Fischmeister S., and Burns C.M., Awareness and Assistance: General Drivers' Cyber Threat Identification and the Role of an In-Vehicle Console Display, IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems Proceedings ITSC, 3607-3612, Canada, 2024.