Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute marks 10 years

Parents want to see their children happy and healthy every day. But children can get sick. Research can help children overcome or live healthier lives with these illnesses through the integration of innovation and discovery.

This year marks the 10th anniversary for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) at the Cumming School of Medicine. The milestone provides an occasion to acknowledge the advances achieved in child health research and an opportunity to commit to tackling some of the existing challenges to improving child health. Canada lags in the lower third among industrialized nations on measures of child health and wellness, according to UNICEF.

“We recognize that child health research is vital to the health of a community. Children are unique and their health needs are different than adults,” says the director of ACHRI, Dr. Susanne (Susa) Benseler, MD, PhD. “As we mark this anniversary, we will continue our collective efforts to develop research which meets the specific challenges facing children both here in our community and beyond.”

ACHRI child health symposium 2019

ACHRI will be celebrating its 10th anniversary through a variety of lectures, symposia and workshops. The institute announces that Dr. Janet Rossant, PhD, will be the distinguished keynote speaker for ACHRI’s capstone symposium to be held May 29 at the Foothills campus. Rossant is the president and scientific director of the Gairdner Foundation, senior scientist in the development and stem cell biology program at The Hospital for Sick Children and chief of research emerita of The Hospital for Sick Children.  

“I am absolutely thrilled that we are being given this opportunity to hear and learn from Dr. Rossant. It is a privilege for all of us and I encourage everyone to take part in what will be a brilliant keynote talk on the future of precision medicine and child health,” says Benseler.

The academic community is invited to attend the lecture and symposium. In addition to the keynote talk, the event will showcase presentations from a cross-discipline of child health researchers at the University of Calgary.  

Innovation and discovery through collaboration

Over the past 10 years, the institute has put its efforts into producing world-class science of fundamental importance and leading clinical research. Innovation happens, not alone, but through collaborations. ACHRI is grateful for the partnerships with Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Children’s Hospital, the Department of Paediatrics, and the health institutes at the Cumming School of Medicine.

Child health research would not be possible without the generous support of the community through the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, a pillar of support helping to create opportunities and partnerships in our community. “We are so grateful for this continued support which reflects our shared respect for research and its impact on child health," says Benseler. “As we mark this 10th anniversary, we reflect on our past and look forward to the next decade of discovery.”