Canadian Institute of Health Research Grants over $1.7 Million to Carleton Researchers
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is now supporting three more Carleton University research projects—awarding more than $1.7 million total in grants for three researchers advancing critical public health investigations.
Researcher Alexander McClelland will fund a new community-based public health observatory focused on HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections with a Team Grant valued at $982,541 over five years. Team Grants support larger research teams conducting health-related research.
Kristin Connor and Alex Wong have been awarded funding through the Project Grants competition, totalling $804,351, to support their projects to address iron deficiency in women in Benin and antimicrobial resistance in hospitals, respectively. Project Grants fund a diverse portfolio of health-related research and research collaborations contributing to the creation and use of health-related knowledge.
Learn more about their projects:
A Community Based HIV/STBBI Public Health Observatory
- Recipient: Alexander McClelland, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Co-Principal Investigator: Sandra Ka Hon Chu, Co-Executive Director of the HIV Legal Network
- Funding: CIHR Team Grant valued at $982,541 over five years
As a program led by the HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative, the Community Based HIV/STBBI Public Health Observatory aims to strengthen Canada’s public health response by working with communities affected by HIV and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs): sex workers, migrants and people who use drugs. These groups often face stigma, discrimination and surveillance, yet their lived experiences are rarely centred in shaping public health responses. The Observatory offers a collaborative platform where communities, researchers and public health practitioners will examine how public health operates and will recommend community-led proposals for change.
“The goal is to make public health more equitable, transparent and trustworthy,” said McClelland. “By ensuring that the voices of those most impacted are central to decision-making, the Observatory can help identify concerns around consent, privacy and data governance, while co-developing practical solutions with public health partners.”
Over five years, the project will use community-led mapping, interviews, training and dialogues to explore how health data is collected and used by public health, and to develop new models for consent and transparency.
Read about key outcomes for the project and McClelland’s Team Grant.
Bridging knowledge to action: Co-designing gender-responsive implementation strategies for iron deficiency prevention and treatment for women in Benin
- Recipient: Kristin Connor, Department of Health Sciences
- Co-Principal Investigator: Alastair Summerlee, Adjunct Research Professor, Sprott School of Business
- Funding: Project Grant – Priority Announcements totalling $200,000: 1. Patient-Oriented Research and 2. Sex and gender science for health equity in priority communities
Iron deficiency (ID) and anaemia (IDA) are the most common nutrient deficiencies globally, especially for women and girls. A recent study in Djidja, Benin, using the Lucky Iron Fish (a fish-shaped cast iron cooking tool) and nutrition education led to a 25 per cent decrease in anaemia rates and improved iron levels. However, not all women benefited, largely due to gender-related barriers affecting communication, understanding of clinical evidence and trust. Kristin’s team is aiming to enhance the success of this intervention by working with youth, women, men and community leaders to deliver it in a way that fits local needs.
“Involving communities in design, testing and decision-making will create a sustainable approach to delivering the intervention and help guide policies and programmes to reduce ID/IDA in Benin and beyond,” said Connor.
Learn more about the project and Connor’s lab.
Environmental Surveillance in Hospitals of Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns
- Recipient: Alex Wong, Department of Biology
- Co-Principal Investigators: Michael Fralick, University of Toronto (in memoriam); Laura Hug, University of Waterloo; Rees Kassen, McGill University; Derek MacFadden, University of Ottawa; and Caroline Nott, The Ottawa Hospital
- Funding: Project Grant of $604,351 over three years
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when antibiotics are no longer effective against an infection. Resistance poses a serious threat to public health, especially in hospitals where vulnerable patients face higher risks. Traditional methods for monitoring resistance have limitations in identifying resistance to specific parts of the hospital. To address these issues, Wong’s team will survey genes that cause resistance in the built environment (for example, on floors).
“Our team will use genomic technologies that can detect many resistance genes at once, enabling the identification of resistance patterns in parts of the hospital where patients are at higher risk,” said Wong, “potentially leading to more effective treatment efforts.”
Learn more about Wong’s project.
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