Heidi Tworek

Professor Heidi Tworek is a Canada Research Chair (Tier II) at the University of British Columbia, affiliated with both the Department of History and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. She serves as Director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions. Her research bridges historical analysis and contemporary policy, focusing on communications, media technologies, and their impacts on democracy and public health.

Tworek's work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, addressing intersections between:

• Health communications and online abuse
• Platform governance and historical infrastructure
• Disinformation policy and democratic integrity
• Global history methodology and periodization
• Political campaigns and digital incivility
• Emerging technologies and electoral processes

Her recent publications examine generative AI's risks to elections, historical parallels in pandemic communication, and the complexities of global content moderation. Tworek collaborates with international institutions like the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the German Marshall Fund, and has contributed to policy debates on digital governance and health communication strategies.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Election to the Royal Society of Canada
• Non-resident fellowship at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
• Senior fellowship at the Centre for International Governance Innovation