Aligning Research with Saskatchewan Needs: New Align Grant Results

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects many youth, causing difficulties with mood, memory, learning, and daily functioning. Current treatments are often lengthy, costly, and emotionally challenging. We will evaluate Accelerated Resolution Therapy, a brief, trauma-informed therapy for 11–17-year-old adolescents in Saskatchewan. Accelerated Resolution Therapy avoids repeated trauma retelling and reduces emotional burden.

The study will assess whether Accelerated Resolution Therapy reduces PTSD symptoms, is cost-effective compared to standard care, and maintains its benefits up to three months. Participants will be recruited from three outpatient psychiatric services by twelve psychiatrists and monitored using standardized questionnaires, sleep and family functioning measures, medication use, and emergency department visits. This research aims to provide evidence for Accelerated Resolution Therapy as a safe, effective, and accessible treatment for youth, informing clinical practice and mental health services across Saskatchewan.

People with heart disease can improve their health by participating in cardiac rehabilitation - a program that includes supervised exercise and support to manage risk factors like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress. However, many people in small towns and rural areas of Saskatchewan struggle to access cardiac rehabilitation because they live too far from a program, lack transportation, or have limited local healthcare options.

A virtual cardiac rehabilitation program - where patients receive support online or over the phone - could help overcome these barriers, but no such option currently exists in Saskatchewan. This study is an important first-step in understanding what would be required to offer a virtual cardiac rehabilitation option in Saskatchewan. Researchers will interview cardiac rehabilitation managers and healthcare providers to understand barriers and facilitators to offering a virtual option for patients. The results will be used to develop an intervention to support the implementation of virtual cardiac rehabilitation in pilot sites across the province.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of respiratory tract infection among young children, particularly in those younger than 1 year of age. The majority of patients hospitalized with RSV are healthy term infants. Nirsevimab is a long-acting monoclonal antibody against RSV infection in infants. Clinical trials and real world data in other countries have shown significant reduction in admissions and outpatient visits for RSV-related infections. It was approved by Health Canada in April 2023 and will replace palivizumab for the prevention of infection due to RSV in the 2025-2026 season for eligible groups in Saskatchewan.

An evaluation of the nirsevimab program in Saskatchewan is needed to reassure internal and external stakeholders of the value of the program. Data will also be of use as improvements to the program are sought for future years.

Cancer remains a leading cause of death in Saskatchewan, with thousands of new cases each year costing ~$1B for treatment. Tumors are complex environments where cancer cells interact with surrounding tissue, nutrients, and oxygen. These interactions influence how tumors grow, spread, and resist treatment. Current laboratory models fail to fully mimic these conditions, limiting progress toward personalized cancer care.

Our team has developed a new three-dimensional microtissue system that better replicates real tumor behavior, including cell migration and oxygen gradients. We will combine this system with advanced computer modeling to predict how changes in the tumor environment affect cancer cell movement and treatment resistance. This research will help identify key factors driving tumor spread and inform new strategies to stop it. By building these tools in Saskatchewan, we aim to improve cancer research capacity and lay the foundation for future precision oncology approaches.

Substance use during the perinatal period is an urgent public health issue in Saskatchewan, contributing to rising rates of substance-related harms, including overdose and drug-related infections such as HIV and hepatitis C, both of which are significantly higher in the province than the national average. Despite these risks, perinatal people face longstanding barriers to care including stigma, limited access, and fragmented services. There is a need for a coordinated, community-informed approach to better support this population.

This project aims to identify existing community-based programs that support perinatal people who use substances across Saskatchewan and to build relationships with the organizations delivering these services. The findings will inform future research and funding proposals grounded in community-identified priorities. By developing partnerships and producing a summary report and detailed inventory to inform service coordination, this work will support improving health outcomes and reducing harm for perinatal people who use substances in Saskatchewan.

Oral cancer is a serious disease that affects thousands of people yearly. One promising treatment is photodynamic therapy, which uses a special light-activated compound to kill cancer cells. However, while photodynamic therapy is effective, it can also damage nearby healthy tissues, leading to unwanted side effects such as inflammation, pain, and delayed healing. This research focuses on using antioxidants (natural compounds that protect cells from damage) to reduce these side effects.

Our goal is to develop a protective barrier made from a specialized gel that is loaded with antioxidants. This barrier acts as a shield, preventing healthy tissues from being harmed while still allowing photodynamic therapy to effectively destroy cancer cells. By combining cutting-edge biomaterials with cancer therapy, we aim to improve safety and effectiveness of photodynamic therapy for oral cancer patients. If successful, our findings could lead to treatment strategies that enhance healing, reduce discomfort, and improve overall patient outcomes.

Recreation therapy uses activity-based interventions to improve psychological, physical, and social well-being. Evidence indicates that approaches such as leisure education, physical activity, mindfulness, practices, creative arts, and culturally relevant programming can enhance substance use treatment outcomes. This research project will evaluate if recreation therapy services implemented as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team at a substance use family treatment and recovery program will significantly improve the recovery process of participants.

This research project will use a mixed methods design to evaluate the integration and effectiveness of recreation therapy services within The Carter House’s treatment model. The project will involve the development, implementation, and assessment of a structured recreation therapy framework, including assessments and client-centered and goal-directed treatment plans and outcomes, tailored to address the complex needs of families affected by substance use.

Autistic women and gender-diverse individuals are frequently underdiagnosed in childhood, leading to delayed support. There are a growing number of undiagnosed adults seeking diagnosis across North America; Saskatchewan is experiencing a heavy burden similar to other geographic areas across the continent. This project will focus on a community needs assessment to understand the gaps and needs of individuals and systems within the province of Saskatchewan, in an effort to understand late diagnosis and support earlier diagnosis.

This project prioritizes the lived experiences of Autistic individuals and other stakeholders (organizations and practitioners) who seek to meet the needs of this clinical group. Through qualitative interviews with recently diagnosed Autistic individuals, non-profit stakeholders, healthcare providers, and diagnosticians, this project will map the landscape of late-diagnosis in Saskatchewan, building relationships and planning for future collaborative projects between researchers, service providers, and individuals with lived experience.

Life expectancy in Canada has reached record highs, but emerging challenges, such as climate change, population aging, and public health crises, are reshaping mortality patterns. Saskatchewan consistently ranks among the provinces with the lowest life expectancy in Canada. This province faces unique risks from opioid use, alcohol-related deaths, and temperature extremes, yet current forecasting models often overlook these determinants.

This project addresses this gap by developing a hybrid mortality forecasting model that integrates traditional time series and machine learning models, using Saskatchewan-specific data on environmental exposures and policy interventions. Leveraging secondary data sources like the Canadian Socio-economic Information Management System and National Air Pollution Surveillance, we will create an interactive Shiny dashboard, enabling health professionals and policymakers to visualize trends and generate forecasts without programming expertise. This project will empower Saskatchewan’s health system with a forecasting tool that integrates environmental and demographic factors, enabling timely, evidence-based decisions to reduce preventable mortality and improve population health.