Message from the Vice-President, Research and Innovation

Canada has a diverse range of communities with different physical and mental health needs. There are busy urban centres and remote towns, each with underserved populations, such as Indigenous and racialized communities, as well as those new to our communities. Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) approach to health research recognizes the unique needs of individuals and communities, working to advance person-centred care within health systems.

This intersectional work is exemplified by our Canada First Research Excellence Fund program, Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides, with its theme of immigrant health and well-being, addressing disparities and systemic barriers to equitable care. TMU is continuing to grow its roster of community health researchers, including professor Karen Soldatic, who joined TMU earlier this year as the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing. The addition of these important research programs and the innovative work of our researchers is part of an ongoing effort to further intensify and broaden our health research focus, advancing solutions to address the physical and mental health of Canadians and improve community well-being. 

As we prepare to open our new community-first, intentionally inclusive School of Medicine, we are pleased to feature the work of faculty from a range of research disciplines contributing to the health research ecosystem at TMU. You will find throughout this edition of Innovation that our researchers are identifying and addressing the gaps in health-care access, practice and delivery. They are developing digital tools, assessing interventions, crafting policies and delivering accessible, culturally safe care. Our faculty and student researchers, along with their collaborators, are breaking down barriers and helping to transform how we nurture community health.

I hope you enjoy Innovation in good health.

Steven N. Liss, PhD

Vice-President, Research and Innovation