CIHR invests in future research leaders in maternal, reproductive, child and youth health and highlights innovative and impactful knowledge translation initiative

March 11, 2019 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The foundation for good health begins at the earliest stages of life. It starts with the reproductive health of parents and then continues throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and into the early years of life. This period is associated with numerous health challenges for both mother and baby. Solid evidence is needed to provide the highest quality care to pregnant women, newborns and infants and to promote the health of children and youth.

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor today announced nearly $1.7 million from the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, to support the work of 17 outstanding early career investigators who will conduct research projects that may have a significant impact on maternal, reproductive, child and youth health. This funding has been matched by each of the recipients through partnerships with their host institutions, charitable foundations and other partners. The projects include a wide range of topics from addressing insomnia during pregnancy, through supporting children with motor difficulties, to identifying risk and resilience factors influencing mental health and wellness among First Nations children and youth.

The funding recipients include researchers working at the University of British Columbia and its affiliated research hospitals:

• Dr. Manish Sadarangani will develop tests to assess the immune response of the pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap) for HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected pregnant women and their newborns.
• Dr. Michael Anglesio will study the effect of cancer-mutations on immune-reactions to endometriosis (in a non-cancer setting).
• Dr. Ryan Flannigan will investigate the keys to spermatogenic niches among men with non-obstructive azoospermia.

At the funding announcement, Dr. Shoo K. Lee, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (CIHR-IHDCYH) also highlighted the Institute’s IHDCYH Talks video competition, which has been running annually since 2014. The competition profiles videos that highlight key findings from across CIHR-IHDCYH’s mandate with the aim of sharing these messages with the wider community to enhance the impact of research evidence on the health of Canadians. The winner and runner-up for the 2018 IHDCYH Talks competition are both from the University of British Columbia:

• Dr. Matthew Wiens won the competition with his video “Smart discharges to improve outcomes among pediatric sepsis survivors in low & middle income countries”. His video was produced with support from BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and production assistance from DESIGNED4.
• Ms. Negin Riazi was the runner-up with her animated video “24-hour movement guidelines for the early years (0-4 years): Disseminating the guidelines through an animated video”, created in collaboration with her supervisor Dr. Guy Faulkner, colleague Dr. Erica Lau, and UBC studios.