Canadian Institutes of Health Research

09/04/2026

September is

This month, we recognize the thousands of people in Canada living with sickle cell disease, along with their families, caregivers, and communities.

Research is helping improve lives. Over the past decade, the Government of Canada has invested $15.5 million in sickle cell disease research and related areas, supporting Canadian researchers as they advance new discoveries—from identifying genes linked to the disease to developing digital tools that help people manage chronic pain.

These innovations are helping improve diagnosis, treatment. and care for those living with sickle cell disease.

Learn more: https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/54672.html?hsid=77d448c0-56af-4a04-a610-8a0d0a2ac44a&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=canadian%20institutes%20of%20health%20research

09/01/2026

McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences researchers have shown that a drug costing as little as 50 cents per dose could save hospitals thousands of dollars while improving outcomes for critically ill patients.

For decades, critically ill patients on a breathing machine have been given an acid-lowering drug to prevent gastrointestinal bleeding. Despite their widespread use, the evidence on the benefits and harms of these drugs has remained unclear.

As part of the international REVISE clinical trial, Dr. Deborah Cook, a critical care physician, and her collaborator health economist, Dr. Xie Feng, set out to determine if a medication called pantoprazole was both clinically effective and cost-effective. The study involved more than 4,800 ICU patients in eight countries.

The results were clear: patients who received pantoprazole had a significantly lower risk of gastrointestinal bleeding without increasing their risk of complications or death. These patients also spent less time in hospitals, saving the health care system thousands of dollars.

Read more about this concrete example of Canadian leadership in critical care research and its impact: https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/54810.html?hsid=f6f9bb01-2e11-475f-905b-13796245c23c&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=canadian%20institutes%20of%20health%20research

McMaster University

08/31/2026

60-80% of drug overdoses happen when people use alone.

This International Overdose Awareness Day, we are highlighting Canada’s National Overdose Response Service (NORS).

The hotline provides confidential, non-judgmental support to people who use drugs, helping ensure that those who use alone can get support when they need it most. Of the more than 47,000 calls received by NORS, 251 involved an overdose. None resulted in death.

This is an important example of how health research can make a difference and save lives.

Read more about NORS:

08/26/2026

Their needs were complex. The results were clear.

Young people entering ACCESS Open Minds had complex mental health needs, including more severe symptoms, greater challenges in their daily lives and higher use of intensive health services.

Yet compared with youth receiving traditional community care, they experienced greater improvement and used fewer hospital, emergency, physician and residential services.
A study published in The Lancet Psychiatry estimated that the model yielded $4,355 in net savings per young person each year, nearly $10 for every dollar invested.

Check out the infographic and learn more: https://accessopenminds.ca/aom-indigenous-network-resources/economicevaluationaomedmonton?hsid=35645ec9-3932-4a54-bd0d-e258df583a46&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=canadian%20institutes%20of%20health%20research

A new study published in The Lancet Psychiatry examined the impact and cost-effectiveness of ACCESS Open Minds Edmonton, an integrated community-based mental health service for young people aged 15 to 25.

08/25/2026

A CIHR-funded study at the University of British Columbia consulted youth on how best to provide information and resources for supportive s*x education.

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and ...

08/20/2026

By studying the immune response to sepsis, researchers are finding new ways to treat the deadly infection. Read more here: https://ucalgary.ca/news/sepsis-calgary-cellular-behavioromics-study

08/19/2026

McGill University research says health issues during pregnancy could indicate women's risk of heart disease far earlier. Read more here:

McGill University researchers have developed a new tool to identify heart disease risk in women earlier in life. Findings from a study published in JACC: Advances highlight gaps in existing approaches. “Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet existing risk tools were developed in...

08/18/2026

Earlier today in Whitehorse, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced a $2.4 million investment to establish a new Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) centre in Yukon. This centre will strengthen Yukon First Nations-led research capacity in the territory and expand a national network of Indigenous health research centres to all provinces and territories.

Led by Dr. Norma Ann Shorty at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research, the centre will provide long-term support for research that is grounded in Yukon First Nations governance, knowledge systems, culture and approaches to health and wellness.

Learn more: https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2026/08/new-research-centre-to-address-indigenous-health-priorities-in-yukon.html?hsid=f76d56e6-1354-4543-99bc-18976be6fb1c&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=canadian%20institutes%20of%20health%20research

08/18/2026

08/18/2026

As wildfire smoke becomes an increasingly common part of summer in Canada, research is helping us better understand its potential health impacts. We’re pleased to share this important research on wildfire smoke and lung cancer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLFlGhd43mw