Where Healthy Futures Begin: From Research to Impact – A SPARK Conversations Mini-Series

How can research and scientific innovation improve healthcare for children, youth and their families?

In a three-part mini-series of SPARK Conversations, titled Where Healthy Futures Begin: From Research to Impact, moderator Dr. Christine Chambers brings together healthcare professionals and researchers to explore the role of research in advancing children’s health. Through conversations with leaders from across the field, the series examines the value of child health research, the importance of meaningful engagement and how collaboration can help translate scientific discoveries into better care and outcomes.

The mini-series is sponsored by the Gairdner Foundation, with support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (CIHR-IHDCYH). The SPARK Conversations podcast is sponsored by IWK Health Centre.

Episode 1: Science as a Societal Good: Why Research Matters for Children’s Health

What does society gain when we invest in research and innovation?

Dr. Meghan Azad (University of Manitoba, 2024 Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Award laureate) and Dr. Morag Park (President and Scientific Director, Gairdner Foundation) explore the benefits of engaging with and celebrating science. Drawing on examples of scientific discovery in child health, they discuss how research findings can shape the lives of children, youth and their families, and the role of the Gairdner Foundation in advancing scientific excellence in Canada.

Listen to Episode 1: 

Episode 2: Meaningful Engagement: Putting People at the Heart of Research

What does authentic engagement look like in children’s health research?

Dr. Jennifer Stinson (The Hospital for Sick Children, 2025 Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Award laureate) and Dr. Christopher Mushquash (Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, 2023 Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Award laureate) discuss the importance of meaningful engagement and partnership in research. Bringing different perspectives to the conversation, they explore how researchers can centre patients, communities and lived experiences, and the role of healthcare organizations and institutions in ensuring people remain at the heart of research.

Listen to Episode 2:

Episode 3: Many Voices, One Goal: Closing the Distance Between Diagnosis and Discovery through Research

How can health research translate into better care and outcomes for children, youth and their families?

Dr. Nada Jabado (McGill University and Montreal Children’s Hospital; Co-Chair, Medical Review Panel, Gairdner Foundation) and Jessica Head (parent partner with RareKidsCAN) explore how advances in understanding disease can lead to improved diagnoses and treatments. They also discuss the importance of patient and family partnerships in moving research from discovery to meaningful impact in the lives of children and their families.

Listen to Episode 3:

Listen to all three episodes of Where Healthy Futures Begin: From Research to Impact to hear how scientific discovery, meaningful partnerships and collaboration can help shape the future of children's healthcare.