Our Impact

Working alongside children, families, and communities, our researchers are discovering ways to help them achieve optimal health and well-being.

Researchers hope to have the system in hospitals and rural settings, aiding rapid diagnosis of children with rare diseases.

Riley Brandt

Dr. Benedikt Hallgrímsson and team partnered with Rapid 3D, a Calgary company specializing in 3D imaging, to develop a computer program that uses 3D facial imaging to identify rare genetic diseases in children. The research suggests machine learning can be a rapid and cost-effective tool, allowing children and their families to obtain a more timely diagnosis and treatment plan.

"This is a company right here in Calgary with the unique expertise and technology to allow us to better help babies and children at Alberta Children's Hospital."

Dr. Hallgrímsson

Drs. Jiami Guo and Lizheng Wang say scientists are just beginning to appreciate the significance of cilia in the brain.

ACHRI

When Dr. Jiami Guo arrived at UCalgary six years ago, her lab was fueled by startup funding from ACHRI. She worked tenaciously to build her team and investigate a relatively unexplored type of brain cell – cilia. Their effort has just been published in Nature Neuroscience – her first research publication.

"We believe cilia play an essential role in brain communication, in the developing brain AND the adult brain."

Dr. Guo

Drs. Sarah McQuillan, Gregory Guilcher and team are giving children and adolescents whose fertility may be impacted by cancer, or treatments associated with cancer, new hope of having their own biological child, one day.

The ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) program involves removing a portion or the whole ovary through laparoscopy using a camera and small incisions before cancer treatment starts.

“OTC is the only option for fertility preservation for a young girl who is prepubertal and sometimes also the only option for girls who are post puberty, depending on the specific situation,” says Dr. Guilcher, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist and associate professor at CSM. “Having this expertise and leadership in Calgary is a wonderful option for our young patients and their families.”

Drs. Greg Guilcher and Sarah McQuillan at the Alberta Children's Hospital.

Riley Brandt

Dr. Gabrielle Wilcox is partnering with the Calgary Police Youth Foundation to evaluate the efficacy of their Integrated School Support Program (ISSP).

The goal of this child wellness initiative is to improve the academic performance and social, emotional, and physical well-being of children aged five to 12 by providing the essential services required in schools and communities.

“Being in the school allows mental health workers to support teachers in implementing schoolwide programs to help students gain skills to thrive, but it also helps them to identify students who need additional supports," says Dr. Wilcox.