Our Leadership
A Message from the Scientific Director
The last year has been a pivotal one for The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton (RSJH). Despite the difficulties of the past two years as we dealt with the trials and tribulations of the pandemic, we have persevered. I am so proud of the resilience that our community has shown. As we begin to fully re-open our clinical research, our basic discovery research, and our wet labs, I am excited for us to continue building and expanding on the impactful research and innovation we are known for at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH).
While I have been a part of the RSJH community for more than 20 years, the past year as Vice-President, Research and Scientific Director has truly been one of my most rewarding experiences. To hear from so many of you on your hopes for the future of research and innovation at St. Joe’s and where our priorities and objectives should lie, I am inspired to help shape the future of this organization. I look forward to the coming year, when we will finalize and begin to implement our inaugural strategic research plan, integrating with and supporting the growth of the key strategic directions set forth in the SJHH Strategic Plan. Central to the development and implementation of this plan will be you, the RSJH community. Whether you are a researcher, staff member, or learner, we cannot shape our future without hearing from and working with all of you.
As we look to the future years, I am excited to see the growth of research and innovation not just at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, but in partnership with all the organizations across St. Joseph’s Health System, as well as with our external partners in the Ontario research and innovation ecosystem. I truly believe that the sky is the limit for our organization and I’m proud to have the opportunity to work with all of you to achieve our collective vision.
Dr. Lehana Thabane
Scientific Director, RSJH
Vice-President, Research, SJHH
“As Chair of the Boards of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton, I have the privilege of being a part of two organizations that are unwaveringly dedicated to research and innovation in healthcare, and to the translation of this work to positively impact patient care, experience, and outcomes as well as the healthcare system overall. Embedded in our Mission, within the Leading and Learning directions of our strategic plan, the growth of research at St. Joe’s and across the System is an increasing priority as we work together to build an integrated health system. The researchers and staff of the Institute have and continue to perform world class research that is internationally recognized. We are truly grateful to have such a talented and committed team as within The Research Institute of St. Joe’s.”
Lynn McNeil
Chair of the Board, RSJH
“I’m tremendously proud of how St. Joe’s research teams have responded nimbly to the unpredictable tides of the pandemic over the past year. It’s clear that the resilience of St. Joe’s researchers demonstrates a keen ability to adapt to these dynamic situations, and a commitment to our mission of living the legacy through discovery. In fact, The Research Institute saw a funding increase of more than $3-million during the 2021-2022 fiscal year – a 10 per cent boost over the previous year. This is evidence that despite the ebb and flow of onsite research during the COVID-19 pandemic (particularly in the fourth quarter as Omicron became dominant), the productivity of our researchers continues to surge. As an academic health sciences centre within an integrated health system, St. Joe’s has and will continue to grow internationally-recognized research that changes lives in the heart of Hamilton and beyond.”
Melissa Farrell
President, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
A Message from the Executive Director
The 2021-2022 fiscal year was an exciting year for me personally, as I embarked on a new journey and joined The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton. As I said in my initial message in the Fall Innovator, my career change from academia back into healthcare was an exciting one, but never could I have imagined receiving such a warm welcome from this community. I am inspired, not only by the supportive and collaborative nature of this community, but also by the quality research and innovation you carry out. Your dedication to the future growth of research and innovation at RSJH is inspiring.
Throughout this report you will see examples of the excellent research and innovation that goes on in our organization. From 108 COVID-19 focused research studies, to more than 1700 publications, 285 new clinical studies, and overall research funding exceeding $33.3 million, it is no wonder that we moved up one spot from 27 to 26 in the Research InfoSource Top 40 Research Hospitals in Canada. It is this type of success that we want to continue to build upon, continuing to increase the national and international recognition of our organization.
Building on Dr. Thabane’s comment about our inaugural strategic research plan, I am looking to the coming year as an opportunity to shape our priorities and objectives, as well as create a collective voice and brand through which we can amplify our successes. As we look to implement new digital systems, stream-line processes, and develop new services to provide meaningful support to our research community, I am excited about the future and what we can collectively achieve.
Sarah Howe
Executive Director, RSJH
