Child Health and Wellness

For better health and wellbeing of children, families and communities around the world.

Research Strategy

Launched in November 2020, the Child Health and Wellness research strategy provides a collaborative direction for research at the University of Calgary and in partnership with community. This transformative strategy puts children and their families at the centre of research and innovation.

Read the strategy

Research in child health and wellbeing has the power to transform the future for children, families and communities. When we effectively treat illnesses and prevent stressors in babies and children, the benefits to children and their families are monumental.

Paediatric surgeon advances anti-racism in health care and medical education

Dr. Tito Daodu believes anti-racism work is an essential duty for all physicians

Passionate voices and lived experience shape mental health research and care

Youth Advisory Council guides mental health research program at Calgary’s first centre dedicated to child and adolescent mental health

Local excellence leads to national guidelines for paediatric pain management

Dr. Katie Birnie chaired the Health Standards Working Group along with 14 experts in paediatric pain management

Everly Tram sitting outside Alberta Children's Hospital

One Child Every Child

A Canada-first research initiative with a vision for all children to be healthy, empowered and thriving.

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Latest news

Dr. Stephanie Borgland named new associate vice-president (research)

Cumming School of Medicine professor joins Office of the Vice-President (Research) effective Jan. 1, 2025

Six UCalgary faculty among Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women

List includes scientific director of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health

Can earthworms bring relief to a global blood donor shortage? Enterprising UCalgary students are working on it

Multidisciplinary team wins iGEM competition for research into developing a surprising substitute for human-sourced hemoglobin

Family involvement in research leads to powerful outcomes

The Family Engagement in Research Course invites researchers and people with lived experience to help shape the future of neurodevelopmental research

Grand Challenge Catalyst Awards

These awards are designed to catalyze diverse multidisciplinary research teams to work on new research projects that address one or more of the grand challenge areas and/or overarching approaches.

View Round 2 awardees View Round 1 awardees

The Child Health and Wellness research strategy is led by the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) in partnership with Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, and our visionary community to create a better future for children through research. This collaborative community includes investigators from: Arts, Cumming School of Medicine, Kinesiology, Nursing, Owerko Centre, Schulich School of Engineering, Science, Social Work, Veterinary Medicine and Werklund School of Education.

Collaborations with Cumming School of Medicine Research Institutes; Infections, Inflammation and Chronic Diseases; Human Dynamics in a Changing World; Engineering Solutions for Health; Brain and Mental Health; UCalgary Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; the Azrieli Accelorator as well as ii' taa'poh'to'p are critical to accelerating outcomes.

Child health has long been the focus of this diverse group of researchers at the University. Four decades of generous support from the community has fueled research excellence. Today, this group includes over 370 investigators and more than 700 trainees and research staff.

Child Health and Wellness researchers from across campus engaged with child and youth-facing agencies, community members and leaders to develop this strategy. This dynamic journey, involving 640 participants from 40 organizations, illuminated the intersection between the University of Calgary’s research strengths, strategic opportunities and the needs of the community.