MIRA | Collaborative for Health and Aging

The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging | Collaborative for Health and Aging was established in 2019 by Parminder Raina (MIRA) and Maureen Markle-Reid (ACHRU) to build capacity in patient-oriented research on aging. The Collaborative provides consultation and support to researchers and knowledge users and facilitates important and meaningful connections between diverse stakeholders to enhance research and improve the health and well-being of older adults. Its focus areas support Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) core functions (e.g., data platforms, methods, knowledge translation).

Since its inception, the Collaborative has successfully built capacity in research on aging and patient-oriented research on aging by:

1. developing and disseminating resources,

2. invited presentations at conferences/symposia and offering webinars and

3. hosting its second Annual Knowledge Transfer and Exchange Meeting.

When initially funded (2019-to 2021), the Collaborative was situated within the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA), as a partnership with the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU). Thanks to the leadership of both Drs. Raina and Markle-Reid as co-leads, and with the support of the MIRA and ACHRU teams, the Collaborative has been established as part of the OSSU network of health research centres across the province that provide scientific knowledge and support high quality patient-partnered research with the goal of improving health and the health system.

Funding was received for the next five years (2021-2026) and the Collaborative will be focussed on providing consultations and access to resources, demonstration projects, development and dissemination or resources and tools to build Ontario’s patient-oriented research capacity and capacity of stakeholder and bring new patient-oriented research discoveries and interventions to the health-care system to improve health outcomes, experiences, health policies and health-care delivery. Now that The Collaborative has been established, Maureen Markle-Reid will assume the role of Principal Investigator for the Collaborative for Health & Aging at McMaster for the next five years. The Collaborative will now be known as the McMaster Collaborative for Health & Aging and will be solely housed in the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit.