It has been an exciting year for CHRIM!
CHRIM has had another incredible year, with many researchers and their labs making incredible advances in their research.
We’re proud to share a brief collection of achievements that have been accomplished by our members and trainees, which include notable awards, events, and achievements within our community and throughout CHRIM.
Research Funding:
- CHRIM member Dr. Peter Thompson received funding in a partnership with JDRF and CIHR. Launched in 2017, the JDRF-CIHR Partnership to Defeat Diabetes is a landmark collaboration between the Government of Canada, through CIHR and JDRF Canada for a total combined investment of $30 million to support transformative type 1 diabetes research. Dr. Peter Thompson has received $318,000 from the investment to put towards his project.
- Clinical trials are essential to developing safe and effective therapies in pregnancy and childhood. CHRIM investigator Dr. Lauren Kelly has received $4.9 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR) Clinical Trials Fund to create educational and mentoring opportunities for doctoral, postdoctoral and early career researchers and clinicians. Read more.
- Dr. Meghan Azad received a prestigious $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for innovative breast milk research! The 5-year project involves multi-omic lab analyses and AI to better understand human milk. Read more.
- CHRIM researcher Dr. Alicia Berard and co-investigators, along with research partners at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, received a prestigious five-year grant of nearly US$2.9 million from the National Institutes of Health, the national medical research agency in the United States. Read more.
Awards & Achievements:
- Dr. Meghan Azad received 2022 The Steacie Prize, which is awarded annually to a young scientist or engineer. Learn more here.
- Dr. Jean-Eric Ghia on being elevated to Chevalier dans l’ordre des Palmes académiques! French Ambassador Miraillet, on behalf of the French minister of education, bestowed the order for work in research, academia, science communication & consular activities.
- Dr. Mandy Archibald was named the 2022 recipient of the Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Institute Foundation Emerging Researcher Award in the Health Sciences category, in recognition of her research to improve the care of youth and families with chronic illness and disabilities.
- Francis Diaz recently won the inaugural Visual Research Gallery at the 1st ENRICH Annual Symposium in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His presentation was entitled, A Spotlight on Transition for Children with medical complexity.
Events & Updates:
- Each year, CHRIM welcomes undergraduate students who are conducting research in Manitoba to participate in our Summer Studentship competition. THIS YEAR WE HAD A RECORD 80 STUDENTS! The Summer Studentship Awards are designed to provide exposure to career opportunities in the areas of health research for pregnant people, children, youth, and families early in post-secondary education. Meet our students.
- Earlier this year, CIHR profiled CHRIM investigator Dr. Jon McGavock‘s research focused on making Indigenous health research a priority. Indigenous people working with Diabetes Action Canada have created a model for Indigenous co-research and collaboration. Rooted in Indigenous theory and practice, the programs help address higher rates of Type 2 diabetes in Indigenous communities. Read more here.
Featured publications:
- Dr. Alex Aregbesola and co-investigators, conducted a survey to understand pediatric readiness of the general emergency departments (EDs) across Manitoba to care for acutely ill and injured children. It has been published in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine.
To assess pediatric readiness, Aregbesol’s team utilized a survey tool that is used worldwide to assess how ready general E.D.’s The survey focused on patient care coordination, ED staffing and training, quality improvement, patient safety, policies and procedures, and availability of pediatric equipment and supplies. They had the opportunity to be interviewed by CTV! - Dr. Cedric Tremblay published his work in the American Society of Hematology (ASH) publication. The study examined mutations of a protein called STAT5, frequently found in Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which is the most common type of childhood cancer. Dr. Tremblay led an international research team that found mutant STAT5 renders ALL more aggressive and less responsive to chemotherapy.
- A new paper has been published by Dr. Lisa Knisley, TREKK Executive Director, that maps out Indigenous families’ experiences when seeking child health information and identifying barriers and facilitators to information access.
- Dr. Roberta Woodgate recently published a paper looking at the perspectives and experiences of families of children and youth with special healthcare needs residing in Manitoba. Respite for families of children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN) is essential for sustaining a family care environment. There is a current gap in understanding Canadian families’ respite experiences. Dr. Woodgate and her co-authors sought to understand experiences of the use of respite services by families with CYSHCN with the aim to help improve respite services
Through our collective efforts, we’re committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. Our goals as an institute are based on the impact that we can have on the lives of children. We look forward to continuing our mission in the years to come and strive to make a lasting influence!
Stay in the loop with CHRIM events and announcements through our events calendar and social media platforms.