The UBC Department of Medicine is proud to celebrate the exceptional achievements of our members who have been awarded the prestigious 2024 Michael Smith Health Research BC Convening & Collaborating (C2) and Reach Awards. These awards recognize innovative projects aimed at addressing pressing health challenges through collaboration and knowledge dissemination.
Convening & Collaborating (C2) Award Recipient
Dr. Anurag Singh
Project Title: Co-Creating a Research Roadmap for an Innovative Virtual Health Delivery Model to Recruit and Retain Health Workforce in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Communities
Dr. Singh’s project addresses healthcare workforce shortages in rural, remote, and Indigenous (RRI) communities, where chronic disease burdens are high, but access to care is limited. The project focuses on hybrid virtual health programs that blend in-person and virtual care to provide culturally safe and empathetic services. By gathering data from healthcare providers and community members, the initiative will inform future policies and interventions tailored to RRI areas.
Dr. Denise Jaworsky
Project Title: Engaging Rural Community Members in Building a Rural Clinical Trials Program
Dr. Jaworsky’s project focuses on creating equitable access to clinical trials for rural communities, starting in Cranbrook, B.C. Rural communities often face challenges in participating in clinical trials, leading to gaps in evidence applicable to their settings. This initiative aims to develop tools, resources, and a rural clinical trials program while engaging community members, Indigenous Peoples, and healthcare providers to identify research priorities and guide implementation. The program will serve as a model for other rural communities across British Columbia.
Dr. Jerilynn Prior (Co-Lead)
Project Title: Healthy Aging Among Trans People Using Hormone Therapy: Setting the Research Agenda
Dr. Prior’s project addresses a critical gap in health research: the well-being of midlife trans individuals who use gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). While trans people are living longer due to improved clinical care, little is known about optimizing their health as they age. This 1-year initiative aims to establish a collaborative research agenda by convening researchers, trainees, and knowledge users.
The project includes six structured steps to develop and refine research priorities, incorporating input from both expert advisory committees and the broader community. By better understanding the health experiences of midlife trans individuals, the findings could also provide insights for improving well-being in cisgender populations experiencing midlife hormonal changes.
Reach Award Recipients and Projects
Dr. Liam Brunham
Project Title: Genetic Lipid Disorders and Premature Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Raising Awareness to Save Lives
Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) and elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are two of the most common genetic lipid disorders, yet they remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. Dr. Brunham’s project focuses on organizing an Educational Patient Engagement Forum to raise awareness about these conditions, particularly in underserved populations, including Indigenous communities and children. Through lectures, testimonials, and interactive sessions, this initiative aims to empower patients, increase disease awareness, and improve early identification and treatment to reduce heart disease.
Dr. Rachel Carter
Project Title: Supporting the Effective Provincial Implementation of the Serious Illness Conversation Program (SICP) Through a Quality Improvement Toolkit
Dr. Carter’s project seeks to integrate the Serious Illness Conversation Program (SICP) into clinical practice. By addressing barriers and facilitators identified in prior research, her team will develop and pilot a practical toolkit for improving quality in implementing SICs. The toolkit will include recommendations for best practices, workflows, and evaluation strategies, with pilot testing in Interior Health Authority. This initiative aims to improve patient care and facilitate the broader adoption of the SICP across BC.
Dr. Femke Hoekstra
Project Title: Disseminating Best Practices for Spinal Cord Injury Physical Activity Counselling in Rural and Remote Areas in BC
In collaboration with the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Dr. Hoekstra’s project focuses on improving physical activity counselling for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) in rural and remote areas. The initiative involves co-developing and delivering training events to disseminate best practices among health professionals in these regions. The goal is to enhance counselling services, improve health outcomes, and increase the quality of life for people with SCI.
Dr. Melanie Murray
Project Title: What Healthy Aging Means to Me: A Community-Collaborative Knowledge Mobilization Initiative With, By, and For Women Living With HIV
Dr. Murray’s project brings together researchers, community organizations, and women living with HIV (WLWH) to host five women-centered knowledge mobilization events. These full-day retreats will take place in natural settings and focus on interactive activities surrounding healthy aging, particularly women’s sexual and reproductive health. Participants will receive accessible summaries of research findings and health-promoting items, fostering empowerment and community engagement.
Dr. Steven Reynolds (Co-Lead)
Project Title: Enhancing Public Understanding of Interventional Brain Medicine Through Lay Abstracts and Social Media Education
Dr. Reynolds’ project aims to make complex research on Interventional Brain Medicine technologies accessible to the public. The initiative involves creating lay summaries of approximately 80 academic papers to bridge the knowledge gap between researchers and the general public. These summaries will be shared on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), ResearchGate, and the lab’s website, empowering public engagement and improving perceptions of novel brain medicine methods.
Recognizing Innovation and Impact
These awards reflect the Department of Medicine’s ongoing commitment to fostering research that directly benefits patients, communities, and the broader health system. Congratulations to all recipients for their dedication and innovation in advancing healthcare across British Columbia and beyond.