Year 4 - Reaching New Heights - Q2 Report

Year 4 – Reaching New Heights

Q2 Highlights

August 1, 2022 – October 31, 2022

Quarter 2 Highlights A thriving and engaged research community, driving advancements in health

Executive Committee Nicole Sbrocca (Chair)

Windsor Regional Hospital

Caroline Hamm

Windsor Regional Hospital

Alison Murray

Hôtel Dieu Grace Healthcare

Heather Pratt

Year 4 – Reaching New Heights Igniting Discovery, Living Better In our first three years we established a strong common vision, united our strengths and accelerated our research activities. We continued to expand and build efficiencies within our health research ecosystem, made diversity and inclusion a priority and supported researchers at all stages of their career.

We ended our year by hosting a celebratory event that focused on the impact of health research and what can be accomplished when we focus on succeeding together. The details can be found in our Year 3 Impact Report.

University of Windsor

Chad Sutherland

University of Windsor

Jennifer Voth

Hôtel Dieu Grace Healthcare

Peter Wawrow

St. Clair College

Lisa Porter

WE-SPARK Health Institute

Karen Metcalfe

WE-SPARK Health Institute

In Year 4, we are focused on continuing to support the people that drive health research in our community and accelerate research to become successful funded projects. We are focused on growing health innovation and critical infrastructure, creating an environment that is attractive to the brightest minds and demonstrating the importance of health research for the economic development of our region. We aim to ignite discovery, reach new heights and live better.

Lisa A. Porter, PhD, Executive Director Distinguished Professor, University of Windsor

The WE-SPARK Team Lisa Porter, Executive Director Karen Metcalfe, Assistant Director Emily Espinoza-Lewis, Social Media & Communications Devinder Moudgil, Medical Student Research Associate Ryan Palazzolo, Student Network Coordinator Adriana Grande, Knowledge Translation (on maternity leave) Year 4 – Q2

Kyle Lago, Translational Research Associate Christopher Ng Fletcher, Innovation Research Associate Linda Hudson-Chapman, Administrative Assistant Cathy Mombourquette, Special Projects-Media Relations Page 2

Year 4 2022-2023

SNAPSHOT quarter two highlights

17,805

920

VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENTS (SOCIAL MEDIA & WEB)

MEMBERS

6

EVENTS/WORKSHOPS HOSTED

85

Q2

MEDIA STORIES

27 PUBLICATIONS REPORTED

160 EVENT ATTENDEES

5 ADJUNCT APPTS

40

2785

FRESH TISSUE SAMPLES AQUIRED FOR RESEARCH

10

COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS HOURS LOGGED

NEWSLETTER ENGAGEMENTS

Q2

Organizational Effectiveness Build the effective organizational structures and systems we need to achieve our mission

Reporting

Year 4 Milestones a) Continue quarterly reporting and tracking that leads to the yearly impact report b) Monitor and adapt budget reporting c) Implement a fundraising plan d) Develop MOUs between WE-SPARK institutions, as needed e) Review current terms, policies and reporting mechanisms to identify and respond to changing needs f) Implement the next strategic planning cycle

HIGHLIGHTS a) Continue quarterly reporting and tracking that leads to yearly impact report On October 19th, over 40 members joined our virtual Town Hall. They rated our progress and provided input on where we need to focus our efforts in the coming year.

Comparing responses since 2019, people rate the overall state of health research in Windsor-Essex as improving.

f) Implement the next strategic planning cycle An external consulting company is moving forward with a regional health research strategic planning process, including the completion of an asset map.

Driving Organizational Effectiveness – Governance Committee Next Meeting: January 12, 2023 (committee meets quarterly) Lisa Porter (Chair), WE-SPARK Alison Murray, HDGH Heather Pratt, UW

Year 4 – Q2

Nicole Sbrocca, WRH Monica Staley Liang, SCC Karen Metcalfe, WE-SPARK

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Research Excellence Create a dynamic research environment that enables, supports and promotes excellence

Year 4 Milestones a) Host events that build collaboration, grow teams and support professional development that moves local research excellence forward b) Continue to host the WE-SPARK Grant competitions to support local researchers to elevate grant success at the national level c) Profile and track successes of Core Members to elevate the academic profile of Windsor-Essex d) Provide opportunities for research mentorship e) Consult and grow WE-SPARK programs f) Provide a central hub for research processes and system navigation g) Monitor the progress toward a regional Research Ethics Board (REB) h) Provide support for external peer review i) Initiate and continue to evolve the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) action plan j) Bring together local experts to develop position papers that advocate for change

HIGHLIGHTS a) Host events that build collaboration, grow teams and support professional development that moves local research excellence forward Hosted 4 Events, Planning a Conference and Coordinated Grand Rounds In Q2 we moved forward the plans for the 2022 Health Research Conference to be held on November 11 & 12.

Outcomes will be reported in Q3. WE-SPARK After Dark continued each month, an in-person event that provides an opportunity for our research community to casually connect.

Devinder Moudgil, our Medical Student Research Associate organized the first WRH Grand Rounds that featured SWORP project progress and we continued our Think Tank series, allowing people to make connections, present research ideas and mobilize next steps. A summary of outcomes can be found on the Think Tank landing page.

Driving Research Excellence – Research Development Committee Next Meeting: November 18, 2022 (committee meets every 6 weeks) Caroline Hamm (co-chair), WRH Chris Abeare, UW Jessica Bennett, WRH Kyle Jackson, SCC

Year 4 – Q2

Balraj Jhawar, WRH Jody Ralph, UW Simon Rondeau-Gagne, UW Ingrid Qemo, UW

Jennifer Voth (co-chair), HDGH Peter Wawrow, SCC Lisa Porter, WE-SPARK Karen Metcalfe, WE-SPARK

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Research Excellence Think Tank Successes

Q2

Think Tanks now include a spotlight on past presenters and how their projects have progressed. This latest project was presented by Dr. Caroline Hamm at the December 2021 Think Tank and focused on solutions to challenges of managing life threatening illnesses for patient that have only limited health insurance. Since then, she has brought together a new team that successfully secured seed grant funding. The project will be presented at the upcoming conference and they have applied for additional funding.

b) Continue to host the WE-SPARK grant competitions to support local researchers to elevate grant success at the national level A summary report of the 2022 grant competition was prepared by Dr. Ingrid Qemo, Health Research Coordinator, Office of Research and Innovation, University of Windsor to ensure transparency of the decision-making process. Distribution of grant funds aligned well with the distribution of membership by institution. There was a 100% success rate for applicants from HDGH and WRH. St. Clair College did not submit a grant for the Igniting Discovery Grants competition but was successful in obtaining funds through the Incentive Grant program.

Success Rate

f) Provide a central hub for research processes and system navigation Fresh tissue trials have been successfully relaunched, with patient tissue collected at WRH transported to research labs at UWindsor. WESPARK’s Translational Research Associate, Kyle Lago is coordinating study processes and recruitment.

Year 4 – Q2

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Research Excellence c) Profile and track successes of Core Members to elevate the academic profile of Windsor-Essex We continue to add new members to our research ecosystem with a total of 920 members (+160 Q2).

Highlighting Member Profiles, Projects and Successes Our research activities are driven by our Principal and Core Associate Members who are actively engaged in the research field on a daily basis. Members profiles, projects and successes continue to be shared on social media, newsletters and added to the WE-SPARK website. In Q2, a number of Members were successful in receiving grant funding, one, Dr. Charlene Senn received one of the highest funded CIHR ever awarded.

Members are asked to submit research activities and successes for the bi-monthly newsletter. They are distributed to our research community and archived on our website. The newsletters for Q2 highlighted:

• • •

$6.9 Million in new funding 27 publications 4 awards

Local physicians and healthcare providers need academic appointments to build their research programs.

In Q2, WE-SPARK facilitated 5 Adjunct Appointments in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor for the following members: Clinical Assistant Professor Appointments: Dr. Anne Marie Beaudet, Dr. Robert McKay, Dr. Abdullah Nasser and Dr. Junaid Yousuf. Professor of Practice Appointment: Sarah Mushtaq, MBA. Publishing Dates June, 2022 December, 2022 August, 2022 February, 2023 October, 2022 April, 2023 Year 4– Q2

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Community Engagement Enhance understanding and build trust with the community

Q2

Year 4 Milestones a) b) c) d)

Create workshops, series and/or events that engage the community and build the profile of WE-SPARK Showcase research facilities and projects happening in the community Maintain social media engagement while continuing to refine messaging to target audiences Broaden community understanding of WE-SPARK through media relations, our community newsletter and speaking engagements, locally, regionally and provincially e) Continue to evolve our website capabilities and reach f) Implement the WE-SPARK Engage program to invite the community to join our research efforts

HIGHLIGHTS a) Create workshops, series and/or events that engage the community and build the profile of WE-SPARK Our student network participated in 5 community outreach events showcasing to the public: the value of health research, member’s latest research successes and the importance of critical infrast ructure.

e) Continue to evolve our website capabilities and reach WESPARKHEALTH . COM

Total Q2 Unique Visits

Most Visited Pages in Q2

Driving Community Understanding - Community Engagement Committee Next Meeting: February 8, 2023 (committee meets quarterly) Dora Cavallo-Medved, UW Erica Colovic, HDGH Allison Johnson, WRH

Year 4 – Q2

Chad Sutherland (Chair), UW TBD, SCC Karen Metcalfe, WE-SPARK

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Community Engagement c) Maintain social media presence and engagements, while continuing to refine messaging to target audiences

@wesparkhealth continued to engage the community on all social media platforms during Q2. A shift from standard to tailored content according to the platform and type of audience, and including storytelling and personal narratives to our communications has had positive results. We have added 125 new followers since last quarter.

d) Broaden community understanding of WE-SPARK through media relations and community engagements locally, provincially and nationally Select Featured Media Stories In Q2, WE-SPARK was part of 7 local mainstream news stories, 66 stories in partner newsletters/communications and 12 in national/other media. Sample stories: Windsor Star: WE-SPARK Health Institute announces $310,000 in grants for local health research Education News Canada: Kindergarten transitions can be eased by supporting kids' social and emotional needs CTV News: Art installation by post-secondary students aims to boost COVID vaccine confidence St. Clair College News: Data Analytics for Business Graduate Earns Integral Role at Erie Shores HealthCare WRH The Pulse: Health Research Conference Coming Up! CTV News: Windsor researchers develop new nursing program to help prevent burnout UWindsor Daily News: Report highlights accomplishments of health institute

Community Newsletter In Q2, we continued with our community newsletters providing a quarterly highlight in August, 2022 (engagements: 1,050)

Community Connections and Outreach WE-SPARK supports the efforts of others by speaking at events, providing sponsorship and collaborating on initiatives locally, regionally, provincially and nationally. Some connections made in Q2:

Year 4 – Q2

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Knowledge Translation Translate research information to inspire and drive change

Q2

Year 4 Milestones a) Expand the student research network and integrate with existing student programs and services at St. Clair College and UWindsor b) Expand, promote, and streamline management of our Health Research Resource Hub c) Expand and promote the Knowledge Translation Toolkit, including tools for commercialization, and increase awareness to our research community d) Support student experiential learning, novel training opportunities and professional development e) Develop and implement a plan for increasing engagement with industry and community partners

HIGHLIGHTS a) Expand the student research network and integrate with existing student programs and services at St. Clair College and UWindsor In Q2, 12 new students were onboarded to our network and they attended over 10 outreach events at the University, College and in our community. Our Student Network Coordinator implemented quarterly office hours where students can meet each other, ask questions, and interact with WE-SPARK staff.

Three volunteers have moved to paid positions through Ignite and will receive course credit through service learning.

Driving Knowledge Translation – Knowledge Translation Committee Next Meeting: November 3, 2023 (committee meets every 6 weeks) Pete Wawrow (Co-Chair), SCC Dave Andrews, UW Becky Berlasty, SCC Martin Crozier, UW Linda DiRosa, HDGH

Year 4 – Q2

Dora Cavallo-Medved (Co-Chair), UW Noeman Mirza, UW Indryas Woldie, WRH Lisa Porter, WE-SPARK Karen Metcalfe, WE-SPARK Page 10

Knowledge Translation b) Expand, promote and streamline management of our Health Research Resource Hub In Q2, WE-SPARK completed audits on 5 of the resource hubs. This is part of our continuous improvement process.

d) Support student experiential learning, novel training opportunities and professional development in health research WE-SPARK staff are now being asked to share their expertise with students. In Q2, staff provided over 80 hours in student engagement, including guest lectures, consultations and novel training opportunities.

e) Develop and implement a plan for increasing engagement with industry and community partners Chris Ng-Fletcher, Innovation Research Associate, has officially launched the WE-SPARK Innovation Hub and will host the first virtual event on November 24th. Critical to this hub are the Innovation Ambassadors - researchers and healthcare workers involved in innovation projects that translate their research and/or clinical experience into products, services, programs, and/or processes that are successfully implemented and impactful. Innovation ambassadors are committed to fostering increased multidisciplinary collaboration, finding solutions to problems in healthcare, and growing an ecosystem of innovators. We have kicked off with 7 Ambassadors – anyone interested in joining should contact Chris.

Year 4 – Q2

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Build Capacity Secure the resources needed to achieve our mission

Q2

Year 4 Milestones a) Support and expand use of data sharing platforms for our researchers b) Create research ecosystem maps to facilitate clear reporting and communication pathways for WESPARK members, staff and committees c) Facilitate joint funding plan for large infrastructure grants by creating multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary teams in preparation for large infrastructure grant competitions d) Explore and evolve infrastructure planning and a capital plan, including a research infrastructure map of Southwestern Ontario e) Implement the NUCLEUS plan, including collecting key core facility metrics and developing promotional content to inform our members and the community about research infrastructure

HIGHLIGHTS a) Support and expand use of data sharing platforms for our researchers With the new installation of REDCap, additional metrics are being collected and 2 factor authentication has been implemented for improved security.

REDCap USE

Training and Support

Driving Research Capacity – NUCLEUS Committee Next Meeting: January, 2023 Adriana Grande, WE-SPARK Renee Biss, UW Arezoo Emadi, UW Jackie Fong, UW Wendy Foote, SCC

Year 4 – Q2

Phil Karpowicz, UW Kyle Lago, WE-SPARK Krista Naccarato, WRH Michelle Nevett, UWindsor Ken Ng, UW

Ming Pan, WRH Lisa Porter, WE-SPARK Jody Ralph, UW Chad Sutherland, UW Pete Wawrow, SCC TBD, HDGH Page 12

Build Capacity d) Explore and evolve infrastructure planning and a capital plan Progress continues to be made on research infrastructure planning. We are expanding our network to support our researchers in preparation for the Health Innovation Park. In addition to attending the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) conference, 7 new connections were made including Boston Niagara Medical Campus, Michigan State Foundation and Vision Loss Rehab Canada.

e) Implement the NUCLEUS plan, including collecting key core facility metrics and developing promotional content to inform our members and the community about research infrastructure In Q2 we participated in the Life Sciences Ontario Cross Country Roadshow that showcases the life sciences and health care ecosystem in our region. The audience of over 110 attendees included academic institutions, accelerators, incubators, and community partners.

BUILDING CAPACITY - REGIONAL RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT A key strategic objective of WE-SPARK is to create efficiencies across the health research ecosystem, increase the critical mass of health researchers and create an environment that allows the health research environment to grow within organizations and as a collective. Every quarter, WE-SPARK’s Executive Committee meets to report on committee progress, ensure transparency and agree on metrics to be reported.

They also provide reports on institutional research progress. A few highlights are provided: All partners reported new positions being added to their research office teams and increased engagement/excitement around research initiatives New committees are being formed that support the advancement of research activities internally (WRH-Mentorship Committee, SCC-Research Committee) Research project activity growing: • WRH – 49 current projects with involvement from more departments; $50K QI project successfully funded by Bristol-Myer-Squibb (Dr. Hamm & Dr. Elfiki) • HDGH - 20 Research and Evaluation projects being supported; 7 completed; 3 accepted for publication (others pending) • SCC – NSERC Social Innovation grants are up and running, preparing for next round • UWIN - strong applications submitted in Fall CIHR round Conference participation provides opportunities and learnings • WE-SPARK Conference providing a new opportunity for SCC students • HDGH project presented at European Conference of Mental Health this past summer • Research Coordinator, ORIS, UWindsor, participated in the Society of Research Administrators International Conference. Will share learnings across membership All partners reported activity on student placements and involvement in new research projects Year 4 – Q2

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Looking Forward Igniting Discovery, Reaching New Heights, Living Better

Reporting Timeline

Q2

Below are a few action items you can expect to see in coming months.

Organizational Effectiveness • • •

Finalize a budget for the next 5 years that includes plans for sustainability and grants program support Work with external consultants to launch a regional health research strategic planning process Prepare outline for Year 4 Impact Report

Research Excellence • • • •

Report outcomes of the Health Research Conference Highlight outcomes and impacts of grants program to date Increase use and engagement of the WE-SPARK App Launch 2023 Think Tank series dates

Knowledge Translation • • •

Re-visit the model for the Student Network to align with existing partner programs and structures Host the first Innovation Ambassador Event Host a SWORP mixer event to connect medical students with UWindsor Supervisors

Community Engagement • • •

Continue to provide research presence at community events Expand the Engage Program Implement new content on social media

Build Capacity • •

Streamline metrics collection across partners to better report on the growth of health research capacity in our region Contribute to the Research Data Management strategies being developed across the partners

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS @wesparkhealth

Year 4 – Q2

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Appendix: Year 4 Budget May 1, 2022 – April 30, 2023 ADMINISTRATION Salaries • Research Director Stipend/Teaching Release • Assistant Director Salary • Translational Research Associate • Administrative Assistant • Nucleus Manager • Medical Student Research Associate • Social Media and Communications Coordinator • Student Network Research Associate • Innovation Research Associate • Conference Coordinator Discretionary, Supplies and Consumables (meetings, office equipment, printing, Professional Development, software licenses, etc.)

Marketing & Website (including dissemination) WE-Spark Grant Competitions TOTAL Operating Revenue (Partner Contributions) University of Windsor Windsor Regional Hospital Hotel-Dieu Grace St Clair TOTAL

Year 4– Q2

Proposed 2022-2023 BUDGET $380,000

$40,000 $30,000 $50,000 $500,000

$200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $500,000

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