UBC funding supports health partnerships in BC Interior

The Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention (IHLCDP) at UBC has provided $30,000 in funding divided equally among three initiatives that support research collaborations between UBC faculty and community-based researchers.

The projects are aimed at improving the health and well-being of Okanagan residents. They will address community issues such as improving cardiac care for rural populations, identifying barriers to accessing medical cannabis among individuals with chronic illness, and developing best-practice options for mental health and substance use services integration with Aboriginal services.

"Under the leadership of the principal investigators, these teams will develop the foundations that are needed to build research programs on these topics," says Joan Bottorff, IHLCDP director. "And with community members involved in the project from the beginning, they can contribute directly to refining research plans so that the projects will produce the kind of knowledge that is needed most by people in our region to improve their health."

The funds are part of IHLCDP's Research Interest Group Grant Initiative. The three projects were chosen for their ability to build community-based health promotion research, foster the use of knowledge in ways that benefit Okanagan residents and ultimately reduce the burden of chronic disease.