$1.5M Investment Advances Life‑Changing Maternal and Pediatric Research at the U of R

Across Canada and around the world, child and maternal health and well-being are a crucial indicator of healthy societies. Today, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation (JPCHF) announced a $1.5 million investment in pediatric and maternal research at the University of Regina through JPCHF’s newly developed Provincial Maternal and Pediatric Research Fund. The University is pleased to be recognized as the first recipient of this fund.

“The University of Regina is deeply committed to research that strengthens well-being and belonging in our communities,” says Dr. Chris Yost, Vice-President (Research) at the University of Regina. “We are grateful to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation for their significant investment, which will advance our research programs in maternal and child health, including supporting the work of the Child Trauma Research Centre and their collaborative work in advancing the well-being of mothers, children, and caregivers.”

Over the past several decades, the University of Regina has been building national and international recognition for research and innovation in child and maternal health across multiple disciplines such as nursing, education, psychology, and social work. As well as through the collaborative efforts of its research units such as the Child Trauma Research Centre (CTRC), the Reproductive Mental Health Research Unit, Roots to Wellness Research Collaboratory, the Online Therapy Unit, and the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU), which it operates in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan.

“The Child Trauma Research Centre team, along with the many University of Regina researchers conducting leading maternal and pediatric research, extends our deepest gratitude to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation for awarding the University of Regina funding from the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation Provincial Maternal and Pediatric Research Fund,” says Dr. Nathalie Reid, Assistant Professor of Trauma-informed Education and Director of the CTRC at the University of Regina. “This fund will empower us to engage with, and respond to, the urgent, emerging, and long‑term social, familial, economic, educational, health, and well-being impacts of childhood trauma and resilience.”  

Strong partnerships between communities, post-secondary institutions, foundations, and governments weave together the elements needed to ensure that research and innovative approaches to strengthening child and maternal health can generate the greatest positive impact on society. 

Read about U of R’s leading researchers in maternal and child health – Dr. JoLee Sasakamoose, Dr. Jennifer Gordon, Dr. Sheila Hirani, Dr. Lise Milne, Dr. Nathalie Reid

“Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, together with our Board of Directors, is excited to advance priorities that go beyond today’s needs and look to the future,” says Troy Davies, CEO of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. “This significant investment opens a new chapter for our Foundation, elevating care for children and moms-to-be for generations to come. Thank you to our incredibly generous donors across the province who believe in life-saving and life-changing research right here in Saskatchewan.”

JPCHF funding will provide crucial support for community-engaged initiatives focused on maternal and childhood wellbeing, Indigenous perspectives on intergenerational adversity and resilience, and the advancement and mobilization of knowledge.

Banner photo: The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation announced a $1.5 million investment in child and maternal health and at the University of Regina. Credit: University Communications and Marketing