This past year the University of Ottawa’s LIFE Research Institute has continued to promote healthy living and aging, and to take a critical look at life trajectories in all of its complexities. Their membership has grown to 156 members across all ten Faculties of the University. One of the highlights has been the production of the compelling, award-winning, short narrative documentary “Dementia: You can make a difference”, featuring people living with dementia and their caregivers and funded by the Public Health Agency Canada. The documentary shines a light on the growing prevalence of dementia, the stigma associated with dementia, and the advances in research related to dementia. The video offers hope in a plea to get involved in research related to dementia.

The Centre for Research on Health and Nursing (CRHN) aims to foster new ways of understanding and addressing health inequities and social injustices in Canada and the world. The CRHN has 3 research hubs for scholarly activities: the Palliative Care and Nursing Ethics Research Hub; the Francophonie et santé Research Hub; and the Postcolonial Research Hub. This is the second year the CRHN is sponsoring Zahra Hakimi from Afghanistan through the Scholars at Risk (SAR) program. Ms. Hakimi has presented her journey to the international SAR board of directors, is featured in the SAR Free to Think podcast (Episode 31), and has attended a workshop at the University of British Columbia in May 2024 to support her in navigating the academic landscape in Canada. The CRHN has renewed its five year partnership with the Canadian Nurses Association and entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian Palliative Care Nursing Association. The Centre continues to hold monthly events for students, trainees, researchers, and clinicians including research rounds, work in progress meetings, communities of practice, and critical discussion and reading groups.

The Music and Health Research Institute (MHRI) explores the links between music and health to identify and develop solutions to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. This Institute brings together about 100 members and 50 students from universities across Canada and around the world. Through its core principles of interdisciplinarity, action-oriented research, collaboration, equity, diversity and inclusiveness, the MHRI aims to make music accessible to all. The Institute has been active over the past year, organizing Speakers and Partnership Spotlight Series, as well as many student events, to support the dissemination of research outcomes to a variety of audiences. Its inaugural conference in May 2023 brought together 245 people and presenters from diverse backgrounds over three days in a rich synergy of reflection on both musician’s health and the benefits of music for health for a variety of populations.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Black Health (ICBH) continues to improve the health of black communities through innovative and interdisciplinary initiatives. Over the past two years, they have worked to improve the ability to recruit black people into scientific research by creating a diverse sample of over 4,000 participants in collaboration with the firm Léger. Furthermore, ICBH continues to host numerous conferences, workshops and seminars for a variety of audiences. On March 7, 2024, the “My Mental Health, My Country and Me” conference welcomed the Right Honourable Senator Bernadette Clément for an enriching and inspiring discussion with black high school students in Ottawa. They were also able to take part in a job fair and a celebration focused on mental health. On March 28, 2024, the second “COVID-19 Vaccination in Racialized and Aboriginal Communities in Canada: Building Trust - Towards Health Equity” conference brought together 11 experts from Canada and the U.S. to review their research on COVID-19 vaccination. With Director Jude Mary Cénat soon taking a sabbatical, ICBH welcomes professor Idrissa Beogo (School of Nursing) as interim Director of the Centre.

Since its establishment in 2012, the University of Ottawa’s Brain and Mind Research Institute (uOBMRI) has been committed to advancing interdisciplinary research excellence on the brain and mind for greater impact. In April 2023, it was officially announced that the University, in collaboration with the uOBMRI and the Heart Institute, was awarded $109 million from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund to establish the Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI). The BHI initiative aims to improve prevention, detection, treatment and patient engagement of linked cardiovascular, neurological, and psychiatric conditions. Furthermore, the uOBMRI continues to connect researchers, clinicians, trainees, partners institutions and community through a variety of events. In May 2023, the Institute, together with the Parkinson Research Consortium and Parkinson Canada, hosted the “Parkinson’s Update 2023: Moving Forward Together”. This interactive forum welcomed over 200 participants attending keynote lectures and training sessions, and hearing from people living with Parkinson’s Disease.