Alex Morton

Dr. Alex Morton, PhD, MSHS, RN is the Associate Director of the Center of Excellence in Healthcare Simulation Research at MGH Institute of Health Professions. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Professions Education with expertise in healthcare simulation and distance education.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Health Professions Education (2022) from MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA
• MS in Healthcare Simulation (2020) from University of Alabama At Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
• BSN in Nursing (2014) from University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL

Dr. Morton is an educator, simulationist, and curriculum strategist with a clinical foundation in pediatric emergency, intensive care, and neonatal care. Her time at the bedside highlighted gaps in communication skills training and inspired her passion for advancing simulation to address these issues. She brings a systems-thinking approach to simulation-based education and health professions training, with particular expertise in virtual learning environments.

Her research trajectory shows a clear evolution from foundational work on engagement frameworks in distance debriefing to more complex applications involving artificial intelligence in healthcare education. The publications demonstrate increasing methodological sophistication from conceptual frameworks to randomized controlled trials, with recent work focusing on AI integration representing the cutting edge of her field. Her scholarship addresses critical challenges in maintaining educational quality while expanding accessibility through technological solutions.

Dr. Morton has received recognition for her contributions to the field:

• Co-Chair of the Annual Healthcare Distance Simulation Summit
• Co-founder of the AI Healthcare Simulation Collaborative

As Associate Director of the Center of Excellence in Healthcare Simulation Research, Dr. Morton leads initiatives to advance simulation-based education across healthcare disciplines. She has secured research funding to develop distance simulation educator guidelines and frameworks for engagement in virtual debriefing. Her work has established evidence-based practices that have been adopted by healthcare educators worldwide, particularly during the increased demand for remote training solutions.

Dr. Morton is actively involved with the REBEL Lab and the Center of Excellence in Healthcare Simulation Research, where she collaborates with interdisciplinary teams including physicians, nurses, and technologists. Her current work focuses on integrating artificial intelligence into simulation-based learning to enhance educational outcomes and address persistent challenges in clinical training, positioning her at the forefront of innovation in healthcare education.