OTTAWA, September 26, 2024 – Research Canada is pleased to announce the 2024 Leadership in Advocacy Awardees.
2024 Leadership in Advocacy Awardee: Dr. Leena Augimeri, a Children/Youth Mental Wellness and Crime Prevention Specialist & Innovator, the Chair of the Ontario Youth Justice Task Force, Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto and the Co-Founder of SNAP and EARL Programs.Her work encompasses nearly 40 years of excellence in research and development for child and youth mental health and crime-prevention.
2024 Organization Leadership in Advocacy Awardee: JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Their advocacy efforts support research priorities at every stage of the pipeline, whether by securing funds for discovery or clinical trials, improving the regulatory landscape by creating new expedited approval pathways or securing public and private reimbursement for the drugs and devices Canadians living with T1D rely on.
NEW Category! 2024 Emerging Leader in Advocacy Awardee: Kaitlin Kharas, previous Co-President of the Toronto Science Policy Network and current Executive Director of Support Our Science (SOS). Kaitlin’s advocacy journey is not only profoundly inspiring, but has also gained widespread recognition across Canada and internationally. As an exceptional PhD candidate and natural leader, her steadfast
commitment to the welfare of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers across Canada catalyzed a monumental shift in Canadian policy – one that has not been seen for several decades and a decision that was unanimously praised by the Canadian scientific and academic community.
The Research Canada Leadership in Advocacy Award recognizes outstanding champions of health research and health innovation. Recognition of Canadian health research—the kind that attracts the necessary public and political support—often comes from the dedicated and tireless efforts of health research advocates who educate policymakers, the media and the public about the social and economic benefits of health research and its promise of future cures and, importantly, a better quality of life for all Canadians. This year’s winners exemplify this.
“This year’s Awardees have gone above and beyond what is expected of health research advocates. Dr. Leena Augimeri is a fierce advocate and dedicated scientist who has been instrumental nationally and internationally in her tireless commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children, youth, and families through integrated advocacy, research, and practice,” says Dr. Tarik Möröy, Chair of Research Canada, Director of the Hematopoiesis and Cancer Research Unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute and Professor at the Université de Montréal.
“JDRF Canada’s commitment to supporting T1D research is matched by their advocacy efforts which have earned them their reputation as a credible and trusted voice for Canada’s T1D community,” continues Dr. Möröy. “It engages in awareness-raising activities, stakeholder engagement and knowledge mobilization to show the value of T1D research and encourage its use to create evidence-based practice and policy. JDRF’s commitment and contributions to health research and health innovation advocacy are transformative for Canadians.”
“We are so pleased to present, for the very first time, the Emerging Leader in Advocacy Award to Kaitlin Kharas this year,” says Dr. Stephanie Michaud, Chair of the Leadership in Advocacy Award Selection Committee, Research Canada Board Director, and President/CEO of BioCanRx. “This new award was created to honour and recognize early-career researchers and young advocates who are making an impact on the political and economic landscape in Canada,” continues Dr. Michaud. “Kaitlin’s advocacy through Support Our Science contributed to Budget 2024’s $2.63B investment into academic research, the first significant federal funding for graduate students and postdocs in over 20 years, and we are so delighted that she is the inaugural winner of this exciting new award.”
“Our sector is fortunate to have many highly-skilled and dedicated individuals and organizations working tirelessly to ensure that health research and innovation are supported by Canadians and their leaders,” adds Alison Evans, President and CEO of Research Canada. “It is the life-changing nature of our work that makes this activity so special, and our champions so cherished.
The 2024 Leadership in Advocacy Award will be presented to the winners during a formal reception in Ottawa, Ontario on November 19. Further event details will be available in the coming months.
We wish to thank those who submitted nominations, all of which were outstanding, for the 2024 Leadership in Advocacy Award. Research Canada will continue to recognize the achievements of our best and brightest advocates in the coming years with this annual award.
About Research Canada
Research Canada is a national alliance dedicated to increasing investments in health research through collaborative advocacy and engaging government, academia, industry and non-profit sectors to build support for long-term health research funding. For more information, visit rc-rc.ca.
For inquiries:
Rebecca Heath
519-277-9719
