Ninety-one health research teams have received funding through Michael Smith Health Research BC's 2024 Convening & Collaborating and Reach competitions to bridge the gap between evidence and impact.
The funded teams represent all regions of BC and are working on solutions to pressing health challenges. Sixty-seven per cent of the funding went to proposals that fall into one of MSHRBC's priority areas: population aging; climate change and health; the health human resources challenge; and public health emergencies.
Twenty-six teams led by UBC researchers received funding through the Convening & Collaborating (C2) program and 17 teams led by UBC researchers received funding through the Reach program.
The C2 program promotes knowledge exchange and meaningful collaboration by supporting researchers, trainees and research users in co-developing research that can have direct impacts on people, including patients, health practitioners and policy makers. The Reach program supports teams of researchers and research users to disseminate research evidence with those who can directly benefit from it in order to impact health and care in BC.
2024 Convening and Collaborating Program
UBC-led Teams
Climate Readiness in British Columbia's Long-term Care Home Sector
Recipient: Jennifer Baumbusch (School of Nursing, UBCV)
Co-Lead: Lara Croll (BC Care Providers Association)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Hungry Stories: Nourishing food insecurity research that connects dietitians, artists, public health practitioners and communities to co-develop research towards food insecurity solutions
Recipient: Jennifer Black (Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Co-Lead: Amanda White (Emily Carr University of Art + Design)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Enhancing Well-Being in the North: Co-Developing a Community-Based Participatory Action Research Strategy to support mental health & redress health inequities with precariously housed people in BC
Recipient: Victoria Bungay (School of Nursing, UBCV)
Co-Lead: Denise Gagnon (Skeena Heartbeat Society)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Partner(s): Pacific Public Health Foundation
XR Technology to Support Students with Mood Disorders: Co-Developing a Research Agenda
Recipient: Trisha Chakrabarty (Department of Psychiatry)
Co-Lead: Tracy Windsor (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
Seizing the Window of Opportunity: Co-creating an Enhanced Prenatal Care Program to Build Resilience among Socially Vulnerable Populations
Recipient: Astrid Christoffersen-Deb (Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
Co-Lead: Stefi Orta (South Community Birth Program)
Research Location: Women's Health Research Institute
Early Intervention for Eating Disorders in British Columbia: Co-Development of a Research Strategy
Recipient: Jennifer Coelho (Department of Psychiatry)
Co-Lead: Kim Williams (BC Children's Hospital)
Research Location: BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
Working Together: Co-development of a person-centred approach to medical-dental integration in a Community Health Center serving structurally vulnerable women and children
Recipient: Leeann Donnelly (Faculty of Dentistry)
Co-Lead: Kathy Marchal (EFry Health Services Society)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Co-developing research priorities to address digital determinants of health among historically marginalized populations disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections
Recipient: Mark Gilbert (School of Population and Public Health)
Co-Lead: Sarah Chown (Ribbon Community)
Research Location: BC Centre for Disease Control
Partner(s): Pacific Public Health Foundation
Co-developing a needs-derived research strategy toward forming a Digital Health Research Centre at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals
Recipient: Matthias Görges (Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics)
Co-Lead: Lori Brotto (BC Women's Health Research Institute)
Research Location: BC Children's Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children
Healthy Aging Among Trans People Using Hormone Therapy: Setting the Research Agenda
Recipient: Devon Greyson (School of Population and Public Health)
Co-Lead: Jerilynn Prior (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Estimating the economic impacts of extreme weather events on healthcare systems: A qualitative inquiry to inform the development of an evaluation framework
Recipient: Mark Harrison (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Co-Lead: Craig Mitton (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Convening and Collaborating to Assess Mental Health Needs in the Filipino Community
Recipient: Carla Hilario (School of Nursing, UBCO)
Co-Lead: William Canero (Mabuhay House Society)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Empowering Integrated Care for Healthy Aging: Co-developing a Collaborative Plan with South Asian and Chinese Communities for Inclusion and Equity
Recipient: Lillian Hung (School of Nursing, UBCV)
Co-Lead: Grace Park (Fraser Health Authority)
Research Location: Fraser Health Authority
Help BC Hear Better: Identifying gaps in knowledge and setting our research agenda
Recipient: Lorienne Jenstad (School of Audiology & Speech Sciences)
Co-Lead: Grace Shyng (Network Hearing)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Partner(s): Tai Hung Fai Charitable Foundation and Edwin S.H. Leong Healthy Aging Program
A path to success: Convening service providers and patients to understand diabetes prevention care referral pathways and co-develop a research agenda for the interior of BC
Recipient: Mary Jung (School of Health and Exercise Sciences, UBCO)
Co-Lead: Renee Young (Interior Health Authority)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
Promoting sleep health for families in British Columbia foster and kinship care
Recipient: Elizabeth Keys (School of Nursing, UBCO)
Co-Lead: Jelena Komanchuk (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
Indigenous, community and research partnership to collaboratively explore environmental justice, unconventional gas development (UGD), wildfires, and health in Northeast British Columbia
Recipient: Margaret McGregor (Department of Family Practice)
Co-Lead: Ulrike Meyer (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
Engaging ethnocultural communities in health-promoting programs: the role of trust
Recipient: Heather McKay (Department of Orthopaedics)
Co-Lead: Diya Chowdhury (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
Partner(s): Tai Hung Fai Charitable Foundation and Edwin S.H. Leong Healthy Aging Program
Building a practice-based research learning community in British Columbia to strengthen learning health systems and health human resources
Recipient: Kimberly Miller (Department of Physical Therapy)
Co-Lead: Miranda Amundsen (BC Children's Hospital)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Partner(s): BC Nurses’ Union
Reproductive Aging and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: Establishing A Research Advisory Board
Recipient: Mohamed Mohamed (Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, UBCO)
Co-Lead: Emma Gardner (Butterfly Run Vancouver)
Research Location: BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Women's Health Research Institute
Beyond Pills: Exploring Pharmacists' Role in Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Services
Recipient: Wendy Norman (Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
Co-Lead: Cheryl Davies (BC's Women's Hospital & Health Centre)
Research Location: BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre
Partner(s): Pacific Public Health Foundation
Identifying research priorities relating to stimulant use in the context of the unregulated drug poisoning emergency in British Columbia
Recipient: Heather Palis (School of Population and Public Health)
Co-Lead: Beth Haywood (Island Health)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Modernizing brain injury services in British Columbia: Developing research priorities for children, youth, and young adults
Recipient: Scott Ramsay (School of Nursing, UBCV)
Co-Lead: Whitney MacRae (BC Centre for Ability)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Co-creating a Community of Practice around Substance Use and Employment to Address the Social Determinants of Drug Toxicity and Overdose in British Columbia
Recipient: Lindsey Richardson (Department of Sociology)
Co-Lead: Michelle Lackie (Exchange Inner City)
Research Location: BC Centre on Substance Use
Setting Direction for Advancing Digital Health Literacy Training Support to Optimize Older Adults’ Technology Use in Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Self-Care
Recipient: Kathy Rush (School of Nursing, UBCO)
Co-Lead: Linda Fawcus (Gluu Society)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
Making moves towards active living after hip and knee replacement surgery: A consensus meeting of healthcare providers, fitness leaders and people with lived experience
Recipient: Marie Westby (Department of Physical Therapy)
Co-Lead: Cheryl Koehn (Arthritis Consumer Experts)
Research Location: Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM)
2024 Reach Program
UBC-led Teams
Reaching youth, caregivers, service providers, decision-makers, and researchers in diverse communities in BC to co-develop and implement youth-centered models of care for unregulated opioid use
Recipient: Skye Barbic (Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy)
Co-Lead: Steve Mathias (Foundry)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Art for connection and wellbeing: Integrated Knowledge Translation to support health literacy with and for men in prison in BC
Recipient: Helen Brown (School of Nursing, UBCV)
Co-Lead: Treyvonne Willis (Williamhead Institution)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Partner(s): Pacific Public Health Foundation
Genetic Lipid Disorders and Premature Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Raising Awareness to Save Lives
Recipient: Liam Brunham (Department of Medical Genetics)
Co-Lead: Darren Ali (Patient Partner)
Research Location: Providence Health Care; St. Paul's Hospital; St. Paul's Hospital Healthy Heart Centre (HHC)
Partner(s): Genome BC
Supporting the effective provincial implementation of the Serious Illness Conversation Program (SICP) through a quality improvement toolkit
Recipient: Rachel Carter (Department of Medicine)
Co-Lead: Vicki Kennedy (Interior Health Authority)
Research Location: BC Centre for Palliative Care
Developing Educational Tools for Neonatal Intensive Care Staff Regarding Rapid Genome-wide Sequencing
Recipient: Alison M. Elliott (Department of Medical Genetics)
Co-Lead: Horacio Osiovich (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
Partner(s): Genome BC
Improving new parents' mental health via an educational video about infant-related harm thoughts
Recipient: Nichole Fairbrother (Department of Family Practice)
Co-Lead: Katherine Moore (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Supporting Youth-Physician Networks in Response to the Health Effects Climate Change and Environmental Disruption
Recipient: Stefan Grzybowski (Department of Family Practice)
Co-Lead: Mark Neufeld (Claremont Secondary School)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Disseminating the Best Practices for Spinal Cord Injury Physical Activity Counselling in rural and remote areas in British Columbia
Recipient: Femke Hoekstra (Department of Medicine)
Co-Lead: Chris McBride (SCI BC)
Research Location: Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
Partner(s): Chiropractic Research Foundation
Women’s Insights Shared and Empowered (WISE): Amplifying the Voices of Asian Women with Endometriosis
Recipient: Amanda Fuchsia Howard (School of Nursing, UBCV)
Co-Lead: Jessica Sutherland (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
From policy to practice: Provincial outreach to optimize the Clinical Nurse Specialist workforce in British Columbia
Recipient: Sandra Lauck (School of Nursing, UBCV)
Co-Lead: Leah Lambert (BC Cancer)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Partner(s): BC Cancer
From Social Media Advertisement to Type 2 Diabetes Remission: Harnessing Innovative Social Media Strategies to Make Remission Possible in British Columbia
Recipient: Jonathan Little (School of Health and Exercise Sciences, UBCO)
Co-Lead: Damien Gillis (Slingshot Communications)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
Partner(s): Pacific Public Health Foundation
Lancet Commission on Sustainable Healthcare: Global, multidisciplinary mobilization toward low-carbon, sustainable, and resilient health systems transformation
Recipient: Andrea MacNeill (Department of Surgery)
Co-Lead: Jessica Yu (University of British Columbia)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
What healthy aging means to me: a community-collaborative knowledge mobilization initiative with, by, and for, women living with HIV
Recipient: Melanie Murray (Department of Medicine)
Co-Lead: Sarah Chown (Ribbon Community)
Research Location: BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre
Partner(s): Tai Hung Fai Charitable Foundation Edwin and S.H. Leong Healthy Aging Program
Collaborating with community organizations to mobilize knowledge on healthy(ier) aging to older adults across B.C.
Recipient: Eli Puterman (School of Kinesiology)
Co-Lead: Mark Blandford (Providence Health Care)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Evidence as a community ASSET – Establishing a circular data model to support integrated knowledge exchange in the Assessing Economic Transitions (ASSET) Study
Recipient: Lindsey Richardson (Department of Sociology)
Co-Lead: Brianne De Man (EMBERS Eastside Works)
Research Location: BC Centre on Substance Use
Creating Educational Materials to Teach the Sympto-Thermal Method to Newcomers
Recipient: Farah Shroff (Department of Family Practice)
Co-Lead: Joy Abasta (MOSAIC)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Enhancing Public Understanding of Interventional Brain Medicine through Lay Abstracts and Social Media Education
Recipient: Fidel Vila-Rodriguez (Department of Psychiatry)
Co-Lead: Vijay Seethapathy (Provincial Health Services Authority)
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus