Fueling the future of HHS research by Building Bridges

The third annual HHS Research Building Bridges Symposium attracted over 300 participants, from world-renowned Hamilton researchers to undergraduate, master’s and PhD students interested in research careers aimed at improving human health.

Over 300 members of Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) research community gathered to celebrate research, innovation and collaboration on June 12 at the 2025 HHS Research Building Bridges Symposium. This was the event’s third year, with a wide range of participants from world-renowned Hamilton researchers dedicated to improving human health, to university students pursuing careers in health research.

Health researchers gathered at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre in downtown Hamilton for the third annual HHS Research Building Bridges Symposium.

“As one of the leading academic health sciences centres, it’s a cornerstone of our work to not only provide care, but to also provide new and better ways of delivering health care for our local community and the world,” HHS President and CEO Tracey MacArthur said in her welcoming remarks.

The event included remarks by Dr. Susan Tighe, incoming president of McMaster University; Anissa Hilborn, chief executive officer of the HHS Foundation; and Drs. John Kelton and Gerard (Gerry) Wright who were keynote speakers.

Kelton spoke about health innovation in Hamilton. He’s the executive director of the Michael G. DeGroote Initiative for Innovation in Healthcare and the Marnix E. Heersink School of Biomedical Innovation & Entrepreneurship at McMaster, which focus on enhancing innovation and commercialization opportunities in health care. Wright is the Michael G. DeGroote chair in infection and anti-infective research and a professor in the department of biochemistry and biomedical science at McMaster. He spoke about finding solutions to the antibiotic resistance crisis in our own backyard.

Celebrating excellence

Two renowned researchers received Exemplary Achievement Awards:

• Salim Yusuf is a distinguished professor of medicine at McMaster University, senior scientist and emeritus, and founding executive director at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI), a joint institute of HHS and McMaster. His work has advanced the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases around the world.
• Harriet MacMillan is a psychiatrist, pediatrician and professor who has conducted family violence research over the past 30 years. MacMillian served as a member of the Offord Centre for Child Studies, a research institute affiliated with HHS and McMaster, and as a clinician with the child advocacy and assessment program at HHS McMaster Children’s Hospital, up until her retirement in 2024.

Conference participants took home a goodie bag that included a commemorative T-shirt and a copy of the just released 2024-25 HHS Research Impact Report.

Dr. Marc Jeschke, HHS vice president of research (VPR) and chief scientific officer, presented VPR Awards in recognition of exceptional contributions to HHS research by staff and researchers who foster a culture of excellence and innovation.

• The VPR Research Staff Award was won by Jodi Gallant, a dynamic leader within the orthopedic trauma research group, where she oversees multiple high-enrolling clinical studies. Her contributions include spearheading the creation of a groundbreaking patient partner program.
• The VPR Rising Star Award was won by Dr. Mathew Leonardi, an advanced gynecologic surgeon and sonologist at HHS McMaster University Medical Centre. Leonardi is internationally recognized for his expertise in endometriosis excision surgery and imaging. His research spans local and global collaborations focused on improving diagnosis, surgical outcomes, and clinical decision-making in gynecologic health.

Sharing their knowledge

Additional breakout session presentations included speakers from the joint HHS and McMaster institutes PHRI; Escarpment Cancer Research Institute (ECRI); and Thrombosis & Atherosclerosis Research Institute (TaARI); as well as the Offord Centre for Child Studies which is affiliated with HHS’ McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH) and McMaster University; and Geras Centre for Aging Research, a centre at HHS that’s affiliated with McMaster.

Session 1: Cohort and Clinical Studies

Session presenters included HHS medical oncologist and researcher Dr. Rosalyn Juergens.

• HHS cardiologist and researcher Dr. Emilie Belley-Coté presented on the LIMIT trial, exploring whether maintaining a lower international normalized ratio in patients with mechanical heart valves can reduce the risk of bleeding, a common side effect of anticoagulation therapy.
• HHS medical oncologist and researcher Dr. Rosalyn Juergens presented on transforming lung cancer through early phase drug development. One of Juergens’ patients, Ted Aylan-Parker, shared his experience with a lifesaving clinical trial led by Juergens as the national trial chair. The IND226 trial aimed to improve survival rates for Stage 4 lung cancer patients. Aylan-Parker joined the trial in March, 2016. Nine years later, he’s still doing well.
• HHS pediatric critical care physician Dr. Melissa Parker presented on the SQUEEZE trial, a major Canadian-based, multicentre randomized controlled study exploring fluid management strategies in pediatric septic shock.
• Dr. Colin Kretz, a researcher and McMaster professor, presented on advancing the therapeutic potential of emerging treatment to help prevent or break up blood clots.
• HHS researcher Dr. Melissa Kimber presented on the Cohort Network for Adolescents and Youth with Multiple Mental Health Conditions (CALM project), a longitudinal study investigating trajectories of mental health conditions experienced by young people.

SESSION 2: Top six research abstracts

The poster competition, open to learners, was a new activity this year with the top six winners receiving a cash prize and the opportunity to present at the symposium. Prizes were awarded by Dr. Marc Jeschke, VP of Research for HHS, and Anissa Hilborn, CEO of the HHS Foundation.

The poster competition was open to anyone currently enrolled in an academic program, such as undergrads, master’s and PhD students. The six winning finalists were:

• Elena Kum, for a randomized trial to determine if targeting a specific type of immune cells called eosinophils is an effective treatment for chronic cough.
• Kevin Zhang, on investigating how a newly-designed deep learning model for breast ultrasound can improve diagnosis of breast cancer.
• Zachary Ricciuti, on exploring a specific molecular pathway called Growth Differentiation Factor 15 and how it might serve as a therapeutic target for burn patients.
• Kelly Kan, for an exploratory study in mice examining whether treatment with a specific type of yeast can activate the aryl hydrocarbon pathway and could be an effective treatment for Celiac disease.
• Silvia Maiorano, for a nested cohort study from the HIP-ATTACK-1 trial looking into how anti-osteoporosis medication is prescribed after hip fracture to better inform practice guidelines.
• Kimberley Krasevich, on evaluating the accuracy and reliability of an emotional-behavioural scoring tool in a pediatric outpatient mental health population.

Session 3: Research translation, innovation and commercialization

• Dr. Justin Lee, an HHS geriatrician, presented on tackling the new ‘geriatric giants’ — social health, frailty and medication overload.
• Dr. Jonathan Bramson, a McMaster professor and vice dean of research for the faculty of health sciences, presented on his experiences in commercialization with Triumvira Immunologics Inc., the cell therapy company he co-founded in 2015.
• Dr. Deborah Sloboda presented on the maternal gut microbiome in pregnancy outcomes. Sloboda’s laboratory investigates how early life factors impact maternal, fetal and placental development in a way that leads to an increased risk of disease.
• Dr. Bram Rochwerg is an HHS intensive care physician, site lead, research lead and co-director of the new HHS Knowledge Centre. An expert in knowledge synthesis, he presented on going from evidence to clinical practice guidelines.

HHS Research looks forward to sharing more research news in the summer edition of the Research Spotlight newsletter, and in October for HHS Research Awareness Month.

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