Linda Anderson

Dr. Linda ANDERSON

PhD

Positions

Associate Professor

Faculty of Nursing, Faculty

Child Health & Wellness Researcher

Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute

Affiliations

Teaching Scholar

University of Calgary

Co-Lead Research (38617) BME Research Strategy (Health Monitoring and Management)

Faculty of Nursing, Faculty

Academic Lead (37533) Healthcare Innovation and Design Graduate Certificate

University of Calgary

Contact information

Phone number

Office: 403.220.4378

Location

Office: PF3248

For media enquiries, contact

Email: mediarequests@ucalgary.ca

 

Background

Educational Background

PhD Interdisciplinary Studies, University of New Brunswick, 2011

MN Nursing, University of New Brunswick, 2006

BN Nursing, University of New Brunswick, 1996

BA Psychology, University of New Brunswick, 1992

Biography

Dr. Linda Anderson, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Health Technology and Informatics in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary, where she has served as Lead of the Healthcare Innovation and Design Certificate Programme. A certified user-experience designer (Nielsen Norman Group), Dr. Anderson leads an interdisciplinary research program at the intersection of nursing, biomedical engineering, and human factors, with a focus on the co-design and implementation of AI-enabled digital health technologies to solve pressing healthcare challenges. Her research program centres on the occupational mental health and well-being of nurses, social workers, and frontline healthcare providers. She is the principal investigator of the SENSE (Supporting Emotional Wellness in Nurses and Social Workers E-Mental Health) program - a novel platform combining virtual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with an AI-enabled stress monitoring assistant and personalised e-coaching - designed to mitigate moral injury among frontline healthcare workers. SENSE is funded by Alberta Innovates (LevMax Health Programme, 2026-2029) and the Government of Alberta (SPHIFR, 2024-2027).  Dr. Anderson has led or co-led over $16M in competitive transdisciplinary research funding from CIHR, SSHRC, NSERC, the Government of Alberta, and Alberta Innovates. Her scholarly contributions include 70+ peer-reviewed publications in nursing and technology journals, 75+ presentations at national and international conferences, and 17 policy briefs. She is a co-investigator in the Health Everywhere Hub, funded by Government of Alberta Major Innovation Fund grant, building an ecosystem of eHealth and mHealth innovation in Alberta.  Recognised for her contributions to innovation, Dr. Anderson is the recipient of the 2022 ASTech Award in AI/ML Applications in Social Innovation, the 2021 UCalgary Peak Scholar in COVID-19 Innovation Excellence, and a 2023 decanal nomination for the UCalgary Excellence in Research Chair. Her patient-oriented, co-design approach ensures that digital health innovations are evidence-based, usable, and accessible - particularly for populations in rural, remote, and underserved communities.

Research

Areas of Research

Injury Prevention
Maternal Health
Mental Health
Musculoskeletal

Back pain

Population Health
Chronic Illness
Public Health
Wearable devices
Interdisciplinary research

Projects

SENSE: Supporting Emotional Wellness in Nurses and Social Workers E-Mental Health Program

The SENSE program is an AI-enabled digital mental health platform combining virtual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with a real-time stress monitoring assistant (SMA) and ACT-MI-informed personalised e-coaching strategies. Delivered through the Robin's Nest cloud-based platform, SENSE supports frontline healthcare workers in managing moral injury, burnout, and cumulative occupational stress. The programme integrates Apple Watch biometric data collection, machine learning-based stress classification, and an AI-enabled chatbot. Current phases include implementation and pilot testing with nurses and social workers in Alberta.  Funders: Alberta Innovates (LevMax Health, 2026-2029); Government of Alberta SPHIFR (2022-23; 2024-25). Role: Principal Investigator. Team: Beck, Bright, Dimitropoulos, Yanushkevich, and Ferber.

Awards

  • Innovation in Healthcare/Health Technology, ASTech Awards. 2022
  • Faculty of Nursing Pursuit of Excellence Award: Excellence in Research, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary. 2022
  • The Covenant Health Faculty of Nursing Team Award, University of Calgary. 2015
  • Peak Scholar in COVID-19 Innovation Excellence, Vice President Research, University of Calgary. 2021