Ellen Balka

Director

Ellen Balka, Ph.D. is a professor in the School of Communication (Simon Fraser University), and a Senior Research Scientist at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation Studies at Vancouver General Hospital. She also holds positions at the School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University; Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia; and School of Health Information Sciences, University of Victoria.

She began the ATIC Lab in 1997 in order to support multi-disciplinary research concerned with socio-technical aspects of technology.  ATIC Lab projects focus on (1) the assessment of technology in actual use contexts from users' perspectives, and (2) the links between the policy environment and user environment.

Dr. Balka's interests include the design and implementation of health sector information technology, technology assessment, end user studies of technology, field research methodology, end user participation in system design, women and technological change, and science, technology and society perspectives on artistic production.