Canada Research Chair appointments renewed for six UCalgary researchers

Canada Research Chair appointments renewed for six UCalgary researchers

Six University of Calgary researchers will be able to continue their groundbreaking work in fields ranging from medicine and law to kinesiology and Indigenous wellness thanks to the renewal of their Canada Research Chair (CRC) appointments.

The renewals, announced May 13, are part of $9.7 million in funding from the federal government to UCalgary that also saw six new CRC appointments as part of a larger $140-million national investment in the CRC program.

In a media release, Sylvie Lamoureux, chair of the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat Steering Committee, operating officer and vice-president, Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, emphasized the value of the program.

“By investing in researchers and research teams across Canada, we are strengthening our research capacity, nurturing world-class talent, and enabling innovative, interdisciplinary work that will translate into real-world impact,” Lamoureux said.

This investment is a clear indicator of UCalgary’s research trajectory, says Dr. William Ghali, UCalgary vice-president (research).

“Tri-Council funding in our renewed Canada Research Chairs is proof of our sustained research excellence,” says Ghali. “I’m thrilled to see these scholars continue their work and transform their insight into tangible benefits for our communities.”

Committed to driving social impact, these renewed Canada Research Chairs are creating pathways for meaningful change. To understand their ongoing work, we asked them: “What are you most excited about in your second term as a CRC?”

Canadian Institutes of Health Research Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Molecular Physiology of Addiction

“I am most excited that the CRC chair will offer me an opportunity to expand my preclinical findings on the neuroplasticity of circuits by addictive drugs to test the viability of potential treatments in model systems; and to collaborate with others to advance these ideas into clinical trials to test new treatments for addiction. I am also looking forward to the opportunity for knowledge mobilization to key stakeholders in the addiction research community as well as people with lived experience.”

Canadian Institutes of Health Research Tier 2 in Cellular Reprogramming

“What excites me most is working with pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives to study conditions that arise in the first few weeks of life — a developmental window that is otherwise completely inaccessible. While my first CRC term was focused on building the research program and equipping ourselves with new tools, the second term is where we get to use everything we've established to start answering key questions about developmental timing and how its misregulation may lead to disease conditions in humans. We are also excited to extend our toolbox beyond human cells to include pluripotent stem cells and organoids from large animals, opening new opportunities for comparative and translational work. We're exploring how genetic and environmental factors interact across the developmental pathways that govern spine formation. The second term is where foundational investment becomes discovery, and discovery becomes a path toward intervention.”

Canadian Institutes of Health Research Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Developmental Genetics and Epigenetics

"I am excited to drive our research program on the molecular mechanisms of placental development towards its next major goals. Defects in placental development are a critical driver of pregnancy complications, with lasting consequences for both maternal and fetal health. During the tenure of this chair, we will address two vitally important knowledge gaps in reproductive and developmental biology, (1) how placental dysfunction contributes to congenital heart defects (CHDs), and (2) how an aging uterine environment exacerbates these risks in older females due to placental deficiencies. We will leverage state-of-the-art technologies to identify mechanistic pathways that are critical for normal placentation, including those that are driven by uterine function. Leading on from this, we aim to uncover how placental deficiencies functionally connect to influence the development of fetal organs, thus fundamentally expanding our knowledge of the impact of the placenta beyond that of mere nutrient provision.”

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Tier 2 in Cybersecurity Law

“Cybersecurity legal challenges have become all the more complex and consequential since my first term as a Canada Research Chair, and I am excited to tackle some of the most persistent challenges in the field in my second term, particularly the regulation of artificial intelligence and digital platforms. These platforms wield tremendous power. They are central forces in the innovation economy, design technical and governance systems that mimic the traditional role of governments, and they are conduits for harm. The harms have touched us all, whether it is addictive social media design, immersive chatbots, monetization of our personal data, lax data-security safeguards, creation of intimate and abusive deepfakes, or threat actors otherwise manipulating the information environment. How platforms mitigate risk lays the foundation for our collective and individual security. My research will focus on three key challenges that must be resolved to advance legislative progress: (1) the emerging risk-management approach to digital platform regulation; (2) cyber threats that interfere with freedom of thought, and (3) freedom of expression doctrine foundational to cybersecurity.”

Canadian Institutes of Health Research Tier 2 in Indigenous Maternal-Child Wellness

“What excites me most about my second term as a Canada Research Chair is the opportunity to move from building the foundation to seeing tangible transformation take shape. Over the past several years, we have developed strong relationships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, health leaders, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, students, and policy partners across Canada. In this next term, I am excited to turn those relationships and ideas into lasting impact through new curriculum, textbooks, community resources, and research that directly informs policy and systems change. From advancing Indigenous maternal and child wellness, strengthening Indigenous health and data sovereignty, and supporting communities to reclaim birth and language, to rematriating bison as a pathway for food sovereignty, matriarchal governance, and ecological restoration, this work is about restoring what has always sustained us. What energizes me most is witnessing knowledge move into action: seeing students become leaders, communities shape their own futures, and evidence drive meaningful change. This second term is a time of growth, creativity, and celebration, where research becomes a living force for healing, resurgence, and the flourishing of generations to come.”

Canadian Institutes of Health Research Tier 2 in Disability Policy for Children and Youth

“In my second term as a CRC, I am most excited about the opportunity to continue working with an incredible team and with partners, providers, and persons with lived experience to co-design policy solutions that can make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and youth with disabilities and mental health concerns. This work is grounded in the belief that effective disability policy must be shaped by those who experience, deliver, and navigate systems of support. By centring functional needs and real-life experiences, we can help design policies that improve timely and appropriate access to supports and services, reduce barriers, and better reflect what youth and families need to thrive. I am excited to see this research continue to move into action through collaborative partnerships and evidence-informed policy design. My hope is that, together, we can contribute to more responsive, inclusive, and co-ordinated systems that enable youth with disabilities and mental health concerns to thrive in their homes, schools, and communities.”