The results of the CIHR Fall Project Competition have just been announced and Advancing Health researchers are leading five of the projects funded in this round. An additional eight projects are being supported by Advancing Health scientists as co-investigators, totaling over $8 million in new research funding.
What are our scientists researching? Let’s take a look.
Substance Use and Overdose Prevention
Over 47,000 deaths annually in Canada are linked to substance use. The ongoing opioid crisis makes it crucial to prevent overdoses and manage a toxic drug supply in order to improve health outcomes. A new study led by Advancing Health scientists, Drs. Skye Barbic and Naveed Janjua, supported by Drs. Angela Russolillo, Frank Schuermeyer, and Jason Sutherland seeks to identify service pathways to reduce overdose risk among youth.
A toxic drug supply also leads to unregulated drug poisoning, significantly contributing to the drug overdose mortality rate. Advancing Health scientists Drs. John Staples, Brian Grunau, and Andrew Kestler are co-investigators on a study that will address gaps in toxicology profiles by linking testing data with clinical information from 3,000 individuals who experienced suspected drug poisoning and were treated at six BC hospitals. Dr. Schuermeyer is also a co-investigator on a study that will examine the adoption and the health and economic impacts of evidence-based pharmacotherapy practices for alcohol use disorder.
Senior, Rural and Indigenous Health
Over 17.8 per cent of Canadians live in rural areas and often face significant disparities in healthcare access and health outcomes. Inequity in access is higher among Indigenous communities, with over 19.2 per cent reporting no access to a primary healthcare physician. A study led by Advancing Health scientist Dr. Wei Zhang, with Drs. Nick Bansback, Adam Easterbrook, and Larry Lynd, as co-investigators, will develop a simulation model assessing the feasibility and costs of pharmacy models supporting rural and remote communities.
Dr. Larry Lynd is also a co-investigator on a study that aims to understand the implementation and evaluation of virtual pharmacist care and drone delivery model, and how it could be key to transforming access to medications in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
Advancing Health scientists Dr. Wei Zhang and Nick Bansback, are co-leading a cross-provincial longitudinal cohort study on how home care service use impacts downstream healthcare utilization and system costs for Canada’s aging population.
Further examining how Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by our current healthcare system, Drs. John Gill and Jagbir Gill are leading a five-year Indigenous-driven, patient-oriented research project that aims to create a First Nations and Métis lived experience database focused on end-stage organ failure and organ donation and transplantation in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.
Engaging with Community to Improve Care
People who have experienced incarceration face significant health inequities, including higher rates of mental illness, substance use, infectious diseases, and shorter life expectancy. But programs created to improve outcomes for this population are often made for them, without their involvement. Advancing Health scientist Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite is leading a project to develop best practice guidance for ethical and inclusive engagement of people with lived experience in health research to improve correctional health care in BC.
Clinical Trials for New Medications
Chronic kidney disease currently affects approximately 4 to 4.5 million people in Canada, and the number is projected to rise significantly by 2050 due to a growing aging population and comorbidities like diabetes. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) refer to a new class of medications that reduce the risk of heart disease and death, and are now being used to treat patients with diabetes, heart failure or advanced kidney disease. Advancing Health scientist Dr. Christopher Fordyce is a co-investigator for a trial studying the benefits and risks of SGLT2is in the large, but unstudied, group of patients without diabetes, heart failure, or kidney disease.
Stroke Prevention
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common heart rhythm problem that affects over one million Canadians. People with AFib are at an exceptionally high risk of stroke, which can lead to permanent disability or death. But medications in the class of oral anticoagulants can lower the risk if they’re taken regularly, also known as medication adherence. A study with Advancing Health scientists Drs. Annalijn Conklin and Mary de Vera aims to find out how much non-adherence truly causes strokes and deaths, how the timing of missed doses matters, and which patients are harmed the most.
Obesity and Its Impact on Health
Obesity significantly impacts people’s health and quality of life. In Canada, 21 per cent of women of reproductive age (20 to 44 years) were reported to be living with obesity, which can reduce fertility in young women and increase the risks of many complications of pregnancy for the mother and newborn. Advancing Health scientist Dr. Sabrina Gill is a co-investigator on a study that will conduct a multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluating a lifestyle intervention for women with obesity and infertility, which continues through fertility treatments and pregnancy.
Obesity can also be a serious concern for people with severe kidney disease. Advancing Health scientist Dr. Adeera Levin has been working on a project that has developed a special program to help people with advanced kidney disease lose weight and is now a co-investigator on a large Canadian trial called STRIDES Kidney, which will examine whether personalized coaching, diet, safe physical activity and a medication called Ozempic could help people with advanced kidney disease lose weight.
Mapping Global Health Guidelines
Last but not the least, Advancing Health scientist Dr. Srinivas Murthy is a co-investigator on a tool known as the PLANETary Health Recommendation Map (PLANET-RecMap). The intention behind this tool is to help nurses, doctors, policymakers, and others make health decisions that are also good for the planet.
Watch this space to keep up with our cutting-edge research and more updates about how Advancing Health scientists are changing the research landscape into 2026 and beyond.
