Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute

Every cure begins with research

Even with the exceptional care provided by the Alberta Children’s Hospital, every year, hundreds of kids in our community get sick with no known cure. Hundreds more face treatments that are so harsh, they leave serious, lasting side effects.

To change that reality, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) was established in 2009 — building on more than 40 years of community support.

Since that time, ACHRI has established the most productive concentration of child health researchers in the country, with hundreds of principal investigators and trainees based at the University of Calgary and Alberta Children’s Hospital. As such, the University of Calgary declared Child Health & Wellness an institutional priority and it now accounts for 20 percent of its entire research enterprise.

Thanks to generous donations, this team of scientists is providing national and international leadership on many fronts, including:

• Rapidomics: utilizing big data and DNA sequencing in hospital to rapidly pinpoint complex diagnoses and tailor care for children
• Neurocritical Care: seamless care and research for children whose injury or illness puts their brains at risk
• Blood and Marrow Transplantation: life-saving treatment and cure for cancers, blood and immune disorders

Additional community support will help them advance knowledge and care in many more areas crucial to families, including:

• Brain Computer Interface: enabling children to use the power of their minds to do things their bodies cannot
• Next Generation Immunotherapy: developing new therapies that harness a child’s own immune system to fight their specific cancer
• Innovation through imaging: using 3TMRI to obtain never before possible insights into child development, paving the way for new diagnostics, treatments and care delivery in brain and mental health

Investments in child health are a down payment on the future health of our community. Healthier children grow up to be healthier adults, reducing long term reliance on the health care system.

Fueling the Future of Child Health Research

An investment in training is an investment in inspiration for young leaders who will shape the future of child health care, research, and innovation here at home and around the world.

ACHRI has a strong track record of investing in research training across the full career pipeline — from undergraduates to postdoctoral and clinical fellows. Through competitive awards, skills development and national and international research opportunities, these initiatives have strengthened institutional research capacity while contributing to scientific discovery and improved health outcomes for children and families in Calgary and beyond.

A vibrant and supportive trainee program tied to the care and treatment offered at the Alberta Children’s Hospital ensures a strong pipeline of bright minds are being attracted into the field of child health. Giving them the opportunity to thrive in their work through both financial support and professional enrichment, the hope is that, ultimately, these exceptional clinicians/scientists will be retained at the University of Calgary or launched successfully into careers in industry, not for profit, or government — furthering the impact of their findings and discoveries.

For more information about how you can support child health research and opportunities for the next generation of discovery, please email us!