Bringing together world-class researchers to share knowledge and move research into action.

Dr. Barbara Triggs-Raine is Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics at the University of Manitoba (UM), and an Investigator in the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM). As a graduate student studying bacterial genetics, she took a Human Genetics course at UM that changed everything. Following her newfound passion for Human Genetics she took up postdoctoral training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and then at Montreal Childrens’ Hospital Research Institute where she ventured into the genetics of unique populations with studies of the molecular basis of Tay-Sachs Disease.

When Barb returned to UM in 1991 she continued her work on Tay-Sachs and began collaborating with several local geneticists to uncover the molecular basis of rare genetic diseases in Manitoba’s unique populations. Despite efforts to move on, her studies kept linking back to Tay-Sachs disease and now, 35 years later, she is collaborating with Dr. Brian Mark (Dean of Science, University of Manitoba) and M6P Therapeutics to develop a gene therapy for Tay-Sachs Disease.

Barb has a long-standing relationship with CHRIM, having once had a lab on the 5 ^th floor JBRC and served as a member of the CHRIM Board as well as the sixth floor development committee. Eventually Barb served as Interim Director of Space/Facilities of CHRIM where she worked in close partnership with Nichola Wigle, CEO, to develop space on JBRC 5/6. She has many strong connections and memories of CHRIM established during that time.

Unique populations in Manitoba and around the world have frequencies of disease (both increased and decreased) that differ from the general population. Studies of the genetic variants and/or diseases that are specific to these populations are critical to allow access to a diagnosis, the potential for screening, and the basis for development of therapies.

This session will explore how dramatic advances in technology have fueled the discovery of genes, gene variants and gene therapies in unique populations.  It will include a description of how PCR advanced molecular testing for Tay-Sachs disease in the Ashkenazi Jewish population and the impact of rapid screening.  This will be followed by a discussion of how sequencing advances led to the discovery of rare disease genes in Manitoba’s unique populations and some of the impacts of these discoveries. Finally, returning to Tay-Sachs Disease, the outcomes of work toward a potential gene therapy for Tay-Sachs and related disorders will be presented.

At the end of this session, listeners will

1. Recognize how advances in gene technologies allowed for identification of rare disease genes and variants.
2. Describe the challenges to developing therapies for Tay-Sachs Disease and related disorders.

Dr. Allison Dart is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Manitoba. She is a Pediatric Nephrologist, and Clinician Researcher at the Children’s Hospital Research institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), and co-lead of the DREAM (Diabetes Research Envisioned and Accomplished in Manitoba) research team. Her research focuses on determinants of chronic kidney disease in children, with a special interest in improving outcomes in high-risk groups, including children living with type 2 diabetes and Indigenous populations. 

She also has a special interest in Patient Engagement and is co-lead of the Pediatrics committee of the CanSOLVE CKD SPOR network. 

Psychosocial Determinants of Kidney Disease; Considerations for Improving CARE for Youth Living with Type 2 Diabetes

Primary Learning Objectives:

1. Review the epidemiology of kidney disease in youth living with type 2 diabetes and findings from the iCARE study.  
2. Discuss the importance of social factors and psychological wellbeing in the care of youth living with type 2 diabetes.
3. Present potential treatment strategies to improve outcomes for youth living with type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Becker is recognized internationally as a leader in pediatric allergy and asthma research, care and education. He was a founding member of the Canadian Network for Asthma Care and led development of national Certification for Asthma Educators – the 1 ^st such national certification in the world.

Dr. Becker led development of an Asthma Educator Education Program, AsthmaTrec, which is now used across Canada. He was lead author of the first Canadian Pediatric Asthma Guidelines. From 2005-2019 he was a member of the Scientific Committee of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA).

Dr. Becker’s primary research interest is the origins of allergy and asthma in early life. He has led two birth cohorts (The Canadian Asthma Primary Prevention Study: CAPPS and the 1995 Manitoba birth cohort Study of Asthma Genes and the Environment: SAGE) focused on that area and was co-PI of the CIHR and AllerGen NCE supported Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study. He continues to serve on NIH Data Safety and Monitoring Boards for pediatric asthma studies. Dr. Becker is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Dr. Allan Becker will provide personal insight and share an overview of his vast experience over his extensive career in the area of asthma and allergy, including his role as founding Manitoba Site Leader of the CHILD Cohort Study. Dr. Becker will be joined (virtually) by Dr. Meghan Azad, who will share insights from her research on maternal nutrition, breast milk and the microbiome in CHILD. Current Manitoba Site Leader, Dr. Elinor Simons, will provide updates on the CHILD cohort study – where it is and where it may be going.

Dr. Robert Schroth is Professor in the Departments of Preventive Dental Science and Pediatrics and Child Health, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba and research scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health. Dr. Schroth is a dental clinician-scientist, practicing out of two inner-city community-based clinics in Winnipeg. He is a leading expert on early childhood caries (ECC). There are four sub-themes to his research: 1) the relationship between early childhood oral health and well-being; 2) the epidemiology of ECC; 3) the promotion of early childhood oral health, and prevention and management of ECC; and 4) access to care. In 2024, he was awarded a five year CIHR Applied Public Health Chair in Public Health Approaches to Improve Access to Oral Health Care and Oral Health Status for Young Children in Canada.

This session will highlight the contributions of our lab to:

•  Advancing knowledge on the prevalence and risk factors for early childhood caries (ECC) in Canada

•  Documenting associations between ECC and childhood nutritional status and well-being

•  Early childhood oral health promotion

•  Addressing and evaluating access to care initiatives such as caries risk assessment and the Canadian Dental Care Plan

Dr. Jared Bullard is a Professor and Section Head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases in the Departments of Paediatrics & Child Health and Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. He has been involved in the local and national response to the resurgence of syphilis including as the co-principal investigator of the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) study of congenital syphilis (CS), co-chair of the committee that revised the national case definition of CS, member of the National Advisory Committee on Sexually Transmitted and Blood-borne Infections (NAC-STBBI) providing syphilis testing guidance and working on revision of the national syphilis prenatal testing guidelines and on the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network (CPHLN) working group revising prenatal and congenital syphilis testing guidelines.

Dr. Bullard provided his leadership and expertise during the COVID-19 pandemic in the clinical, microbiological, and public health responses. He was the former Associate Medical Director of Cadham Provincial Laboratory and the current Director General of Medical & Scientific Affairs at the NML.

 The current syphilis epidemic, and the initial HIV epidemic a few decades ago, have many parallels in guiding research questions to optimize the prevention and care of STBBIs in infants and children. This talk will discuss how the past directly influences the present in STBBI research.

Tannis Erickson recently retired from the position of Executive Director of the Research Support Unit at CHRIM. She continues to support the work of the National Coordinating Centre of the Innovation in Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. During the past several years Tannis has been involved in strategic and operational planning and management of pediatric clinical research in Manitoba.

Tannis’ career in health care has included the areas of health care administration, research, strategic planning, and project management. In her recent roles she has participated in the expansion of services provided to Manitoba’s clinician scientists.

We will trace the history of the Research Support Unit from its beginnings as a Clinical Research Unit in 2001 to its current state by outlining the growth in staff, physical space, study volume and type and research services offered.  Examples of impactful studies will showcase how the investments made in the RSU have made a significant difference in the health of Manitoba’s children and families.

Dr. Cheryl Rockman- Greenberg obtained her MD, CM degree from McGill University in 1974. She became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Pediatrics) in 1979 and in Medical Genetics in 1996. Dr. Greenberg served as Medical Director of the Child Health program, WRHA, and Head of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, from 2004-2014. Dr. Rockman-Greenberg has practiced as a clinical and metabolic geneticist in Winnipeg since 1979. She is currently a clinician scientist at CHRIM and holds the academic rank of Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. Her research focusses on inherited genetic disorders, establishing relationships with patients, their families and translating discoveries into clinical programmes.

With an introduction by Dr. Cheryl Rockman Greenberg, this panel is composed of young research advisors who hold unique roles at CHRIM. Together, members of the panel will discuss the importance of centering patient and family voices in child health research. Speakers will offer their unique perspectives on the changing expectations surrounding patient engagement, in both clinical and basic science settings. Speakers will share their own perspectives on the shift toward inclusion of people with lived experience as a best practice toward impactful research and meaningful, person-centered clinical care.  

Al Gilbert is a queer multidisciplinary artist from Treaty 1 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has been working with CHRIM on the RACY Team since 2020, using his voice to advocate for himself and others who may not have the resources to speak up for themselves. Along with being on the RACY team, he has also been in close contact with Klinic, utilizing their medical and social resources in order to transition, in addition to speaking on CHRIM’s Klinic 2022 Panel. He is currently a student attending Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario for Music Theatre performance, and plans on continuing to connect his art and creation with his activism and advocacy.

Al is dedicated to making this world a better place, by understanding that he has a responsibility to research, minimize harms and protect those who have been mistreated by systemic oppression and abuse, especially those who identify as BIPOC. He is committed to creating safe spaces for all people, in any way he can. 

With an introduction by Dr. Cheryl Rockman Greenberg, this panel is composed of young research advisors who hold unique roles at CHRIM. Together, members of the panel will discuss the importance of centering patient and family voices in child health research. Speakers will offer their unique perspectives on the changing expectations surrounding patient engagement, in both clinical and basic science settings. Speakers will share their own perspectives on the shift toward inclusion of people with lived experience as a best practice toward impactful research and meaningful, person-centered clinical care.   

Andrew Riley is a BIPOC actor from Winnipeg, Manitoba who has been working with CHRIM on the Research Advisory Council for Youth (RACY) Team since 2020. He is currently a student attending Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario for Music Theatre performance. Andrew has been honoured to participate in RACY, offering his input on how best to meet the health care needs of young people in Manitoba. 

With an introduction by Dr. Cheryl Rockman Greenberg, this panel is composed of young research advisors who hold unique roles at CHRIM. Together, members of the panel will discuss the importance of centering patient and family voices in child health research. Speakers will offer their unique perspectives on the changing expectations surrounding patient engagement, in both clinical and basic science settings. Speakers will share their own perspectives on the shift toward inclusion of people with lived experience as a best practice toward impactful research and meaningful, person-centered clinical care.  

Antonina is Kischewaskahikan Ininiwak (York Factory Cree), Métis, and Russian. She carries two names, White Tundra Wolf Woman & Dancing Star Thunderbird Woman. Antonina was raised in Churchill, Manitoba from 6 days old & is a proud member of York Factory First Nation. She is a recent alumni from the University of Manitoba as she graduated with a Bachelor of Kinesiology in Athletic Therapy in the spring of 2023.

Her life experiences and family history have shaped her aspirations and dreams of fighting the injustices, and discrepancies in health care for Indigenous peoples. Antonina works at the Churchill Health Centre as the program leader for the Medicine Water Women’s Program, where she helps provide holistic wellness programming for her community.

Living with type 2 diabetes and navigating the health care system for herself and her family members, she is a strong advocate for Indigenous peoples living with diabetes and mental health issues. This fall, Antonina will be attending the Doctor of Medicine program at the Max Rady College of Medicine (University of Manitoba), where she will pursue her dream of working as a family physician in isolated northern communities.”

With an introduction by Dr. Cheryl Rockman Greenberg, this panel is composed of young research advisors who hold unique roles at CHRIM. Together, members of the panel will discuss the importance of centering patient and family voices in child health research. Speakers will offer their unique perspectives on the changing expectations surrounding patient engagement, in both clinical and basic science settings. Speakers will share their own perspectives on the shift toward inclusion of people with lived experience as a best practice toward impactful research and meaningful, person-centered clinical care.  

Quinn Quatember is a second-year university student at Ted Roger’s School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University. She is working toward her Bachelor of Commerce Degree, studying Hospitality and Tourism Management, and is also pursuing a minor in Disability Studies with a specialty in American Sign Language (ASL).

Outside of academics, Quinn is a passionate advocate for improving care experiences throughout a patient’s healthcare journey. She does this through her role as an active member on both the TREKK Procedural Anxiety Committee (joined 2023) and the Children’s Hospital of Manitoba Emergency Advisory (joined 2022). Her passion for helping others all began back in 2015 when at the age of ten, Quinn experienced excellence in care at HSC Children’s Hospital after a vehicle collision left her in a coma fighting for survival. Later that year she was named Champion Child of Children’s Hospital of Manitoba for the 2016-2017 year, acting as a major spokesperson for the hospital. However, when Quinn was at her most vulnerable in the early stages of her journey as a transgender woman, she went to the hospital for guidance and support, but was left feeling alone and did not receive the comprehensive care she was expecting. Now, as a proud Metis Transgender Woman, she leaps at the opportunity to ensure that everyone receives care that is hospitable, accessible, and inclusive.

With an introduction by Dr. Cheryl Rockman Greenberg, this panel is composed of young research advisors who hold unique roles at CHRIM. Together, members of the panel will discuss the importance of centering patient and family voices in child health research. Speakers will offer their unique perspectives on the changing expectations surrounding patient engagement, in both clinical and basic science settings. Speakers will share their own perspectives on the shift toward inclusion of people with lived experience as a best practice toward impactful research and meaningful, person-centered clinical care.  

Dr. Dakshinamurti is a neonatologist and biomedical researcher. She holds MD from University of Manitoba, trained in Pediatrics at University of Chicago and Neonatology at University of Manitoba. She joined faculty in 2001, completed graduate training in smooth muscle physiology, and since 2003 has directed the Neonatal Pulmonary Biology lab in the Biology of Breathing theme, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM). Since 2020, Dr. Dakshinamurti has been a full Professor in both the departments of Pediatrics and Physiology. Her research is on the physiology of the newborn pulmonary circulation.

Dr. Dakshinamurti is the Scholarly Oversight director for the University of Manitoba’s Neonatology Fellowship program, and has received multiple nominations for medical and science teaching awards. She served three terms on the board of directors of CHRIM, and is currently a board member of Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation, and Vice Chair of Manitoba Medical Services Foundation; she also serves on the board of the Prairie Theatre Exchange. She is a CIHR panel chair, a member of the Manitoba Chemosensory Biology research group, on organizing committees for scientific conferences including the Canadian National Perinatal Research Meeting and Winnipeg’s annual Bowman Symposium on Neonatal Research, and has an interest in science communication.

Newborn hypoxia and pulmonary hypertension were among the first set of research priorities in CHRIM’s Biology of Breathing theme. We will describe the building of a neonatal research program: from the difficult clinical problem in the NICU, to making disease models to understand the physiology, to finding defective molecules and designing drugs to fix them, and getting back to clinical application through the neonatal hemodynamics lab.

In an acclaimed career of truly transformative and translational work Natalie Rodriguez has implemented new systems, technologies, platforms, research initiatives and discovery worldwide. With over a decade of experience specializing in directing and operationalizing Team Science, interdisciplinary collaborations, and large-scale consortia. Her experience spans basic science, community health sciences, population, and Indigenous health.

A ”research rebel”, Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP), and San’Yas Indigenous Cultural Safety trained; having completed her Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Change Leadership training at Cornell University, along with Global Health and Operations Management training at Harvard University, Natalie holds a fierce commitment to research, learning and amplifying the voices of underrepresented individuals, defying boundaries to improve the lives of others. While proud of her credentials Natalie is guided by a higher purpose, propelled by professional philosophy and personal commitment to make a difference in the world by bringing people together, despite their differences. 

Leading many of the world’s most impactful initiatives, Natalie melds academia, clinical discovery, practical applications, and the human touch. Her work has been supported by a diverse portfolio of funders including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Open Trust, Health Data Research UK, Open Philanthropy, CFI, CIHR and Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

Viewing possibilities through a multi-disciplinary lens, blending business acumen with a keen understanding of the complexities of transdisciplinary research. Natalie comes to us as the previous Director of Operations, Diversity & Inclusion of THRiVE Discovery Lab, Operations Director of the Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC), and Co-Director of the International Milk Composition (IMiC) Consortium. She was a CBC Future 40 Award winner in 2020, nominated to WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2021 and awarded the Allergen NCE Michelle Harkness Mentorship Excellence Award in 2023.

Making a difference in the world requires contributions from individuals committed to change. In initiatives both large or small, collaborating, leading, and supporting discoveries with purpose, enabling doing what was once unimaginable. Natalie believes this is all possible with a network of people united in common purpose and defined by common values that unleash the vast synergies of disparate skill sets, expertise, and perspectives.

Never afraid to confront challenges without boundaries or limitations, Natalie’s core perspective takes an individualized approach to solving problems and inspires bold new solutions by co-designing with others. Leading with quiet confidence but listening compassionately with an open ear, mind, and heart; faithful to the limitless potential of research to make a real contribution and lasting impact to the lives of others worldwide. From figuring out how to overcome unreliable power in Burkina Faso, to developing home test-kits for the CHILD Cohort study during the pandemic or founding the Children’s Hospital Research Institute Trainee Career Development Program, Natalie finds a way amidst the complexities of the research world, blending innovation and best practices by embracing diverse perspectives.

It has been widely acknowledged that DEI in research is important, although beyond buzz words and broad concepts it’s not always apparent why. Even when grasping the importance of DEI many people are unsure of where or how to enact change. Throughout the course of this presentation listeners will be provided with real life examples of how DEI impacts research study design, implementation and outcomes. Participants will be asked to examine traditional research practices through the scope of systems of oppression and will be presented with practical steps to starting along the pathway to implementing DEI into their research.

Dr. Kelly Russell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health. She completed her MSc in Epidemiology at the University of Alberta, her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Calgary, and a post-doctoral fellowship in sport-related traumatic brain injuries at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. 

Since arriving at University of Manitoba in 2012, she has developed a research program in pediatric injury, with an interest in pediatric sport-related concussion. This includes understanding the risk factors for prolonged recovery, interventions and multi-disciplinary management to improve recovery, mental health consequences of concussion, and access to timely care through telemedicine to improve outcomes among those living in Northern communities. She is also studying the effects of growing up in households where intimate partner violence occurs and improving the management of traumatic brain injury among survivors of intimate partner violence. She co-leads the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba’s Excellence in Neurodevelopment and Rehabilitation Research in Child Health (ENRRICH) Theme.

She currently holds the Robert Wallace Cameron Chair in Evidence Based Medicine. Her research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Research Manitoba, and the National Football League Scientific Advisory Board.

Simon, an 11-year-old Cree boy from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, founded Simon the Scientist in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Obsessed with science, he has hosted 60+ live Facebook sessions for kids around the world to watch and participate in real time. Simon wants kids around the world to be able to learn Science and thinks that learning from another kid makes it easier to understand and more fun. Recognized for his achievements, he has won awards, been featured in newspapers, collaborated with schools for STEM opportunities, and received parliamentary recognition. Simon continues to collaborate with organizations like Let’s Talk Science to provide to create science content with an Indigenous perspective.