A research position investigating prominent heart-related illnesses within the Aboriginal communities of British Columbia is being created by a co-operative partnership between Simon Fraser University (SFU), the First Nations Health Authority, and St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation in Vancouver.
This position, the First Nations Health Authority Chair in Heart Health and Wellness, will be providing $1.9 million for research into the causal factors of heart illness within B.C.’s Aboriginal communities, as well as appropriate preventative and remedial approaches. However, the position is not currently filled.
“We are looking at candidates for the position, but there has been no one who has been identified at this moment,” said Brice Dare, manager of communications at St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation. “We are going to be looking at a number of prospects who don’t necessarily have to be within the organizations to participate.”
Dare said he has an optimistic view on this new position to further strengthen the hospital’s relations with Vancouver’s post-secondary institutions, such as SFU.
In a press release March 24, SFU president and vice-chancellor Andrew Petter said, “this Chair represents an historic partnership to advance knowledge and prevention of chronic diseases in First Nations communities.”
Dare said the partnership will allow for innovations in heart health research.
“We have a health authority, we have a hospital, and we have a university collaborating, and it is because for us to truly see growth and new innovations develop, we really do need to have that partnership and integration of research, academics, and critical care all together,” he said.
Dare said each of the organizations is contributing to the funding. The First Nations Health Authority is contributing $600,000, SFU is contributing $500,000, and St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation is contributing $800,000 via its donors, according to Dare.
Dare said this funding will allow SFU students to participate among the research teams, promoting mentorship.
“We have actually had a number of these partnerships with universities, like UBC and SFU,” Dare said. “We have worked with Simon Fraser quite a few times with these partnerships, and this will actually be the fourth research chair that we have partnered to this point.”
Various cardiac ailments prevalent among B.C.’s Aboriginal communities will be investigated, such as diabetes, strokes, and heart attacks, while gaining an understanding of their contextual factors for more accordant care.
“One of the responsibilities of this chair is to identify new solutions for better health outcomes, for Native and Aboriginal peoples’ cardiac health,” Dare said. “That is because there are some differences in how those diseases present themselves within First Nations populations, and this is an area of research that has not really been explored to this point. So there is fantastic opportunity here to learn and to create new discoveries.”
