Health Research for Solutions: Over $2 Million Invested in Healthier Futures

Research leads to better health care, healthier communities and brighter futures.

Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation (JPCHF), Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan (ASOS), Lung Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) are proud to share that we're investing $2.1 million in peer-reviewed, home-grown research solutions addressing Saskatchewan’s most urgent health challenges.

SHRF's Solutions Program aims to mobilize Saskatchewan's research ecosystem by focusing and coordinating diverse skills and perspectives to address timely health challenges. In this program, SHRF works closely with our partners to provide competitive, peer-reviewed research funding to interdisciplinary teams, including knowledge users and people with lived experience, who are developing and implementing innovations to address real needs identified by stakeholders and fuel efforts to find ways to utilize research knowledge for the benefit of Saskatchewan people.

Two types of grants are offered in the Solutions Program, ranging from $50k to $150k per team, designed to support teams at various stages of their research - from catalyzing creative problem solving with innovative ideas to advancing promising research into practical, real-world applications.

This round of recipients features 20 projects from interdisciplinary research teams working with a variety of community organizations, healthcare providers and patients in the focus areas of:

Child & Youth Health >

Rural & Remote Health >

Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias >

Lung Health >

$1.4 Million Invested in Child & Youth Health

In partnership with Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Foundation, the Child and Youth Focus Area was introduced to support collaborative research with researchers and those working directly with Saskatchewan's youth as they identify and implement meaningful solutions to improve health and well-being for Saskatchewan children and youth.

The following grants have been funded in partnership with Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Foundation and cover a range of topics and challenges, from prenatal supplements to immunization services to pediatric oncology.

The SHRF-JPCHF Funded Projects:

Artificial Intelligence for Obstetrical Imaging from Blind Ultrasound Sweeps

Led by Scott Adams (University of Saskatchewan) and Ivar Mendez (University of Saskatchewan)

Impact Grant: $150,000

Assessing the Incidence and Prevalence of Birth Defects in Saskatchewan Based on Existing Datasets

Led by Timothy Bradley (University of Saskatchewan) and Darryl Adamko (University of Saskatchewan)

Impact Grant: $149,840

Developing New Therapies for Pediatric T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Led by Andrew Freywald (University of Saskatchewan) and Franco Vizeacoumar (University of Saskatchewan)

Impact Grant: $150,000

Enhancing ADHD and Autism Diagnosis in Rural and Remote Communities Using Eye Tracking Technology

Led by Ivar Mendez (University of Saskatchewan) and Corinne Berger (University of Saskatchewan)

Impact Grant: $150,000

Improving Immunization Services for Children 0-6 Years of Age in Southwest Saskatchewan

Led by Charlene Thompson (University of Saskatchewan) and Jacob Alhassan (University of Saskatchewan)

Innovation Grant: $49,998

Improving Mother-Child Care in Saskatchewan through Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiatives

Led by Shela Hirani (University of Regina)

Innovation Grant: $50,000

Key Features of Neighborhoods that Support Youth Mental Health

Led by Akram Mahani (University of Regina), Nathalie Reid (University of Regina), Tristan Hopper (University of Regina), Charity Marsh (University of Regina), Gordon Asmundson (University of Regina), Sara Zahid (University of Regina), Rylan Graham (University of Northern British Columbia), Tania Diener (Saskatchewan Health Authority), Zoe Teed McKay (Saskatchewan Health Authority), Kim Sare (City of Regina), William Neher (City of Regina), Rebecca Rackow (Canadian Mental Health Association), Wendy Miller (Heritage Community Association), Pat Faulconbridge (North Central Community Association), Haizhen Mou (University of Saskatchewan), Nazeem Muhajarine (University of Saskatchewan), Adrian Buttazzoni (University of Waterloo), Jocelyn LeBlond (Ministry of Health), Amber Phelps (Community Artist), Geanna Dunbar (Indigenous Artist), Jason Knudsen (Regina Street Team), Robert Kraushaar (Regina Street Team), Elder Joseph Naytowhow (Growing Young Movers), Brian Lewis (Growing Young Movers), Amie To (Youth Co-Investigator), and Neala McGee (Youth Co-Investigator)

Impact Grant: $150,000

Funded in partnership with SCPOR

Planning and Evaluation of kisahpapamik, a Mobile Health Services Pod, for Pediatric Rehabilitation

Led by Stacey Lovo (University of Saskatchewan), Scott Adams (University of Saskatchewan), Ivar Mendez (University of Saskatchewan), and Joey Deason (Virtual Health Hub)

Impact Grant: $150,000

Funded in partnership with SCPOR

Prenatal Folic Acid Supplements and Musculoskeletal Health in Pregnant Women and Babies

Led by Angela Baerwald (University of Saskatchewan)

Innovation Grant: $50,000

Safer Pregnancy Saskatchewan: Working Together to Measure and Improve Maternal and Newborn Health

Led by Brandy Winquist (Saskatchewan Health Authority & University of Saskatchewan) and Daniel Adeyinka (Saskatchewan Health Authority)

Impact Grant: $150,000

Supporting Parents Supporting Consent: Evaluation of Support Groups to Empower Parenting of Consent, Body Agency, and Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

Led by Jorden Cummings (University of Saskatchewan)

Innovation Grant: $49,091

Virtual Interventions and Community Connections for Indigenous Youth (VICCIY): Enhancing Indigenous Youth Wellness through Interactive Virtual Reality

Led by Lindsey Boechler (Saskatchewan Polytechnic)

Impact Grant: $150,000

$250k Invested in Rural & Remote Health

Rural and Remote Health is a unique challenge in Saskatchewan, with the roles that geography, accessibility and service provision play in access to care in communities outside of Saskatchewan's larger centers.

The Rural and Remote Healthcare Focus Area acknowledges that a significant portion of the provincial population lives in rural, remote and northern communities wherein unique circumstances stand to impact residents' health and healthcare.

The SHRF Funded Projects:

Feasibility & Acceptability of Cancer Exercise Intervention: FIRST-Sask Study

Led by Schroder Sattar (University of Saskatchewan)

Innovation Grant: $50,000

Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural Saskatchewan: Evaluating the Implementation of Two Pilot Patient Medical Home Models

Led by Haizhen Mou (University of Saskatchewan)

Innovation Grant: $50,000

Mitigating Substance Abuse: Culture-Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program with Indigenous Clients in Rural Saskatchewan

Led by AG Ahmed (University of Saskatchewan) and Holly Graham (University of Saskatchewan)

Impact Grant: $149,551

$250k Invested in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

In partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan, the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Focus Area enables SHRF and Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan to co-fund local health research that supports prevention, disease management and quality of life among affected populations and their caregivers and loved ones.

The SHRF-ASOS Funded Projects:

Exploring Kefir's Potential to Treat Alzheimer's Disease

Led by Ana Mendes Silva (University of Saskatchewan), John Howland (University of Saskatchewan), and Carlos Ueira-Vieira (Federal University of Uberlândia)

Impact Grant: $149,940

Investigating the Use of Antibody Molecules Armed With Radiation for Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Led by Ekaterina Dadachova (University of Saskatchewan)

Innovation Grant: $50,000

Neuroprotective Role of a Novel Peptide in a Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Led by Changiz Taghibiglou (University of Saskatchewan), Franciso Cayabyab (University of Saskatchewan), and Darrell Mousseau (University of Saskatchewan)

Innovation Grant: $50,000

$200k Invested in Lung Health

SHRF's partnership with Lung Saskatchewan allows our organizations to align our objectives, investments and reach to co-fund cutting-edge lung health research in our province.

The Lung Health Focus Area aims to direct funding toward research that improves the understanding and management of diseases of the lungs, and the quality of life of those who experience them.

The SHRF-Lung Sask Funded Projects:

A Non-Invasive Methodology for Removal of Lung Cancer Tumors

Led by Wen Jun (Chris) Zhang (University of Saskatchewan)

Impact Grant: $148,800

Engineering Out-of-Body Lung Models for Fighting Lung Diseases

Led by Xiongbiao (Daniel) Chen (University of Saskatchewan)

Innovation Grant: $50,000

About SHRF - Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) is the provincial funding agency that funds, supports and promotes the impact of health research that matters to Saskatchewan. SHRF collaborates with stakeholders to contribute to the growth of a high-performing health system, culture of innovation and the improved health of citizens by strengthening research capacity and competitiveness, increasing the investment in health research in Saskatchewan and aligning research with the needs of our stakeholders.

For more information, please contact:

Karen Tilsley, SHRF Director of Programs and Partnerships

ktilsley@shrf.ca

About Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Foundation - Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation (JPCHF) is dedicated to raising funds for the enhancement of maternal and children’s healthcare in Saskatchewan and Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.

Each year, JPCHF disburses funding to our province's medical community to conduct vital research to discover, evaluate and incorporate new approaches to delivery of care, maintaining health and preventing disease.

To learn more, visit: pattisonchildrens.ca.

About Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan - The Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan (ASOS) is the province’s leading dementia and research charity with a mission to empower all people to live well with dementia through the delivery of programs, services, advocacy, awareness and research.

To learn more, visit: alzheimer.ca/sk.

About Lung Saskatchewan - Lung Saskatchewan supports, collaborates with, and serves an expansive lung health community in Saskatchewan. Lung Saskatchewan is a trusted partner in lung health, an educator on lung diseases and threats to lung health, an advocate for policies that protect lung health, a source of information and support for those on a lung health journey, and an investor and participant in lung health research. Through its mission to improve lung health, one breath at a time, Lung Saskatchewan plays a role in improving the overall quality of life for those living with, and caring for, those with lung disease, and for those facing threats to lung health.

To learn more visit lungsask.ca.

About SCPOR - The Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) is part of Canada’s Strategy for Patient Oriented Research implemented by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. SCPOR’s vision of working together for a healthier Saskatchewan through patient-oriented research is possible because of partnerships with Saskatchewan organizations working together to support and advance patient-oriented research in Saskatchewan.

To learn more, visit: scpor.ca.

For more information, please contact:

scpor@usask.ca