Last week, the CHRIM community came together (virtually) to celebrate a year full of accomplishments, challenges, and exciting research at our Annual General Meeting.
We are proud to share our Annual Report, where you will find details about scientific discoveries and special moments from 2021, as well as a statistical year in review.
Some Highlights from 2021
Elevating the Brand
Throughout 2021, many of our researchers were featured in news stories and online articles. Both Drs. Terry Klassen and Melanie Morris were recipients of the 2021 Pediatric Chairs of Canada Leadership Annual Awards, and we were thrilled to have four CHRIM investigators listed within Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. These accomplishments and many others helped showcase CHRIM in a positive light throughout the media and emphasized the incredible group of scientists we have at our Institute.
Help Kids
We welcomed 17 new members in 2021, who will be studying a variety of child health topics including youth mental health, immune system responses to vaccines and child maltreatment prevention.
CHRIM Investigator Dr. Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg launched the Canadian Prairie Metabolic Network (CPNM) that will help find answers for those with rare diseases by taking an “Omics First” approach.
In partnership with DREAM and the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, we hosted a series of public webinars to share diabetes research to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of Insulin.
Support Research
The Research Support Unit at CHRIM continued to thrive throughout 2021, conducting more 75 studies and seeing 30% growth in new clinical projects. Patient engagement activities expanded at CHRIM, with increased presentations to a large number of research teams, as well as multiple consultation requests for the Research Advisory Council and the Research Advisory Council for Youth.
Increase Funding
Increased funding helps CHRIM scientists move forward with their research and discover new information about childhood conditions and diseases. Operating with a reduced budget again in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CHRIM managed a total of $22,758,067 active research dollars. This is comprised of partner funding, salaries, infrastructure funding, and research grants from Investigators. Many of our researchers were able to receive landmark funding in 2021, including nearly 2 million dollars for diabetes research.
Scientific Achievements
Each year, CHRIM researchers make groundbreaking discoveries and advances in science, and 2021 was no exception, as they led studies on topics such as COVID-19, mental health, diabetes, and more.
As vaccines for COVID-19 became readily available for teens and adults across the province and country, Dr. Sergio Fanella led the KidCove study in Manitoba, exploring the safety and effectiveness of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months to under 12 years of age.
Looking back, 2021 was an exciting year of dedication and adaptability from everyone at CHRIM, with countless scientific triumphs and remarkable teamwork. We can’t wait to see what 2022 holds!