Two Decades of Discovery, Generations of Impact 2025-2026 Impact Report
Since 2006, WCHRI’s roots have anchored a vibrant research ecosystem dedicated to women and children. Our commitment ensures every discovery blossoms into better health outcomes for generations to come.
Directors’ Welcome
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, a historic $93.5‑million investment and renewed commitment from our partners has secured a third decade of life-changing research. Our report theme this year — Two decades of discovery, generations of impact — reflects how the roots of our work are grounded in a proud history and the branches stretch upward to a healthier future.
Sandra Davidge & Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
Research Stories
This section features seven research initiatives — the latest trunk rings of our growth — and a profile of our executive director, celebrating the deep roots she helped cultivate. These eight stories illuminate the scientific passion and rigour with which WCHRI researchers are pushing the boundaries of discovery, from the lab bench to the community.
Rewriting the rules on children’s pain
Grounded in WCHRI infrastructure, Dr. Samina Ali’s cross-Canada No OUCH trial updates national guidelines for pediatric pain management through family-centred research.
The reluctant visionary
From dairy cows to preeclampsia, Dr. Sandra Davidge’s unlikely path led to a career defined by discovery, mentorship and quiet determination.
Tiny models, big impact
In the WCHRI Stem Cell Core, human cell models help researchers study diseases and create personalized treatments to improve patient outcomes.
The science of listening
Urogynecologist Dr. Erin Kelly is dismantling the stigma around pelvic health by incorporating women’s lived experiences into clinical research.
Centring collectivity: The future of health research
Dr. Keatton Tiernan’s work champions an Indigenous view rooted in community and relationality.
Staying in the game
Dr. Margie Davenport’s research challenges outdated myths about exercise in pregnancy and offers critical insights for athletes who refuse to be sidelined.
Supporting the next generation of heart patients
Dr. Andrew Mackie’s research aims to smooth the risky transition from children’s hospital to adult clinic for Canada’s youth.
Warming up the hunt for a cancer cure
By optimizing how cancer-fighting viruses are tested in the lab, Dr. Maya Shmulevitz is turning a century-old medical mystery into a precise, life-saving reality.
Bill Flanagan President and Vice-Chancellor University of Alberta
For two decades, WCHRI has been a catalyst for change. By combining the University of Alberta’s research strengths with a commitment to addressing health disparities, we are driving transformational innovation that improves outcomes for children, women and their families so they can thrive today and for generations to come.
Christine Westerlund Senior Operating Officer, Stollery Children’s Hospital Tracee Pratt Executive Director, Women’s Health, Lois Hole Hospital for Women Alberta Health Services
Weaving discovery into the fabric of our health-care system ensures better outcomes and healthier futures for the families we serve. WCHRI-supported research is a cornerstone of care at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, and community-based sites across the province. It’s a vital partnership we will continue to count on to drive progress and transform care.
Two Decades of Discovery
Continue scrolling down and watch the seasons change as the branches of WCHRI grow through 12 key moments in our history.
June 2006
The Women and Children’s Health Research Institute is founded as a partnership between the University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation (SCHF) and the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation (AWHF), with its first offices in the Research Transition Facility, a former nurses’ residence.
2007
WCHRI drives the creation of the Maternal Infant Child and Youth Research Network (MICYRN), a national pediatric clinical trial alliance. Building on this collaborative model, WCHRI became a founding member of the national Partnership for Women’s Health Research (PWHR) in 2022.
2008
WCHRI launches its clinical research platforms and data coordination centre. This expertise eventually enables the Stollery Children’s Hospital to become one of only two Canadian sites capable of conducting Phase 1 pediatric trials, beginning in 2020.
2008
WCHRI hosts its first annual Research Day. Seventeen more follow, with virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2025 conference draws more than 550 guests. Save the date for Research Day 2026 on Nov. 4!
2009
WCHRI issues its first trainee awards, for summer students, later adding programs for graduate and postdoctoral scholars. Funding for awards and grants for operating and recruitment grows to almost $3 million a year by 2026.
2016
Under the leadership of pregnancy researcher Dr. Sandra Davidge, who became executive director in 2012, the institute and its partners sign a memorandum of understanding for another decade.
2018
A dedicated space for women’s health research — later named the Dale Sheard Centre for Solutions in Women’s Health — opens at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women in May. Hundreds of women are recruited to participate in research through the centre in the years that follow.
2018
Supported by a $5 million SCHF donation, seven Stollery Science Lab Distinguished Researchers are named. Over the next five years, this cohort advanced pediatric research, ranging from developing school health standards to discovering new genes that cause pediatric kidney disease.
2020
WCHRI expands its REDCap platform to support Health Canada-regulated clinical trials. Since pioneering the use of this global gold-standard software in Canada in 2008, WCHRI has served as the hub for REDCap administration and technical support at the U of A.
2021
WCHRI names two academic leads to steward the Translational Genomics Hub, adding six more leads by 2025 for children’s and women’s health research, Indigenous children’s and women’s health, the Artificial Intelligence + Data Hub and the Stem Cell Core.
2025
The Stollery Innovation Labs is named in honour of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation’s more than $85.5 million in philanthropic support through WCHRI since 2006. The facility supports pediatric discovery research and houses the Translational Genomics Hub and Stem Cell Core.
May 2026
WCHRI and its partners sign a third memorandum of understanding, including a historic $93.5-million gift from SCHF ($70M) and AWHF ($23.5M), ensuring another decade of investment in research to transform the health of women and children.
Karen Faulkner President and CEO Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation
The Stollery Children’s Hospital is able to elevate kids’ health care through the power of research; it is where discovery, innovation and breakthroughs come from. By bringing children’s and perinatal health research together through WCHRI, we are making game-changing progress in prevention and treatment. This partnership is our future as we dream and build big to ensure the highest standard of patient care.
Sharlene Rutherford President and CEO Alberta Women’s Health Foundation
Research in women’s health is not just having a moment; it is a movement. For 20 years now, our partnership with WCHRI has been integral to closing the gaps that historically left women behind. When we solve for women — and prioritize the perinatal research that supports them — we solve for everyone, and that is why women’s health research is vital not just for half the population, but for all of us.
About WCHRI
Founded in 2006, the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute is the only research institute in Canada dedicated to advancing the health and lives of women and children across the entire lifespan, including perinatal health.
WCHRI creates a powerful link between research and patient care through a joint partnership between the University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation. This commitment was recently secured for a third decade with a historic $93.5-million investment from the foundations and significant in-kind support from the U of A and AHS.
Our ecosystem includes more than 400 leading researchers. We support their work through:
- Research funding: Awarding more than $2 million annually through competitive grants.
- Expert services: Providing specialized research support platforms and clinical study infrastructure.
- Future leaders: Investing in next-generation talent through studentships and fellowships.
Read more about WCHRI’s vision, leadership, governance and strategic plan.
