B.C.'s health research month is designed to educate, inform, inspire, stimulate, and transform.
Every year, Island Health collaborates with partner organizations to bring together researchers and students, patients and healthcare providers, decision-makers and members of the public to learn, share ideas and spark innovation. Our events are open to all.
Five Days in May 2024
This year's events will take place from 12 - 2:30 p.m. every Thursday in May. Register below!
- May 2: Keeping the Golden Years Bright: Enhancing Quality of Life for Seniors
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Thursday, May 2 (12 - 2:30 p.m.)
Hear how three research teams are improving quality of life for seniors and their families by using AI in long-term care, and developing day programs for people living with dementia.
Presentations:
- Opportunities and Challenges for Technology to Support Care of Older Adults in British Columbia (Shannon Freeman, University of Northern British Columbia)
- Evaluating the effects of adult day programs on persons living with dementia and their family/friend caregivers: The Helen Carswell Chair in Dementia Care program of research (Matthias Hoben, Hung Nguyen, & Atiqur Rahman, York University & Andrea Ubell, Alzheimer Society York Region)
- Technology and Innovations in Aging from the IDEA Lab (Mario Gregorio, Patient Partner & Bubli Chakraborty Family Partner)
- May 9: Artificial Intelligence: Navigating the Future in Health and Research
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Thursday, May 9 (12 - 2:30 p.m.)
From smartwatches to algorithms, AI is changing the health research landscape. Join this session to explore the ethics of AI in personal health and in health research, and learn how AI is being used to predict cancer survival rates and to schedule health services to meet demand.
Presentations:
- Ethical Research and Development in Health AI (Anita Ho, Centre for Applied Ethics, University of British Columbia)
- Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict Survival and Mental Illness in Patients with Cancer from their Initial Oncology Consultation Document (John-Jose Nunez, BC Cancer)
- Charting New Frontiers: Fraser Health’s Journey with AI Advancements and Innovation (Sheazin Premji and Dr. Casper Shyr, Fraser Health)
Moderator: Richard McAloney, University of Northern British Columbia and Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN)
- May 16: Advancing Medicine and Care in Mental Health
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Thursday, May 16 (12 - 2:30 p.m.)
What role does trauma play in mental health, and how can we better support people living with mental health challenges and unmet needs? Learn about new clinical treatments for complex trauma, how microdosing affects mood, and Indigenous community services to prevent suicide.
Presentations:
- Trauma is More Complex Than You Think (Colette Smart, University of Victoria and Island Health Scholar in Residence)
- Opening up new treatment frontiers for PTSD management (W Francois Louw, University of British Columbia)
- Microdosing, Mood, and Mental Health (Zach Walsh, University of British Columbia – Okanagan)
- Developing an Indigenous community-focused substance use and addictions strategy (Travis Holyk, Carrier Sekani Family Services)
Moderator: Cindy Trytten, Island Health Research
- May 23: Bright Futures: Engaging Youth in Health Research
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Thursday, May 23 (12 - 2:30 p.m.)
Hear how youth leaders and research collaborators are building resilience and community, enhancing mental health supports, examining trust in the health system, and encouraging physical activity.
Presentations:
- The CLARITY Project: Cultivating Sustainable Youth Communities (Joshua Raphael, Logan Burd, & Sana Shahram, University of British Columbia – Okanagan)
- Learning from the experts: Youth working groups and research (Andrea Mellor, Brett Koenig, and Cecilia Benoit, University of Victoria; Sam Bottrill, Threshold Housing Society)
- A physical activity engagement strategy with and for Northern BC youth (Gloria Fox, Northern Health)
Moderator: Maya Gislason, Simon Fraser University
- May 30: Indigenous-Led Health Research: Fostering Wellness, Strengthening Knowledge
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Thursday, May 30 (12 - 2:30 p.m.)
This event showcases Indigenous student research to foster wellness and strengthen knowledge in and for Indigenous communities.
View recordings from previous years:
- 2023 Events
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2023 marked the eleventh year of Five Days in May, and was a collaboration between Fraser Health, Interior Health, Island Health and Northern Health, in partnership with the B.C. Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (BC NEIHR).
It featured 30 presenters speaking to over 1500 participants across five themes.
Catch all the recordings on Vimeo, including:
- May 2: Opening & Welcome
- May 2: Indigenous-Led Research: Fostering Wellness, Strengthening Knowledge
- May 2: Determinants of Indigenous Health in Canada: Ongoing Work and Research Opportunities
- May 9: Advancing Care and Technology to Improve Quality of Life for Seniors
- May 16: Climate Change Adaptability: Meeting Risks and Building Resilience
- May 23: Mitigating Burnout and Promoting Psychological Health & Safety for Healthcare Providers
- May 30: Harm Reduction for Hardly-Reached People and Places
- May 30: Closing Forum: Reflections & Connections
- 2022 Events
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In 2022, Five Days in May celebrated its 10th anniversary. We collaborated with First Nations Health Authority, Fraser Health, Interior Health, Northern Health and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute for a provincial edition of Five Days in May. Themes include Mental Health and Substance Use, Community Health, COVID-19, Indigenous Health, Seniors Health, and Rural Health, as well as Practical Skills sessions.
Day 1: May 3, 2022
- Opening Remarks from Elder Darlene McIntosh, Lheidli T’enneh Nation, First Nations Health Authority, and Regional Health Authority research leaders. View recording
- Seniors Health | Strategies to Enhance Quality of Life Amongst Seniors. View recording
- Seniors Health | Quality of Life of Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes: How can we Measure it and Improve it? View recording
- Mental Health and Substance Use | Research and Innovations During a Drug Poisoning Emergency: Where are we now? View recording
- COVID-19 | COVID-19 Research at Fraser Health. View recording
- COVID-19 | Latest developments in COVID-19 vaccine research: An update. View recording
- Indigenous Health | Highlights from the Indigenous Summer Student Program at ICORD. View recording
Day 2: May 10, 2022
- COVID-19 | Now What? How Evidence Is Being Used in Post-Pandemic Health Service Planning. View recording
- COVID-19 | Post COVID-19 Recovery Clinic: Research Update on Patient-Reported Outcomes. View recording
- Indigenous Health | Indigenous Health Research in Fraser Health. View recording
- Indigenous Health | Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility and Anti-Racism: A Journey to a Shared Practice Standard. View recording
Day 3: May 17, 2022
- Seniors Health | Seniors Health Research at Fraser Health. View recording
- Community Health | Nurse Practitioner Integration into Primary Care in Island Health. View recording
- Community Health | Health and Health Care Equity in the Cancer Care Sector. View recording
- Mental Health and Substance Use | Substance: Drug Checking Research as Service Innovations on Vancouver Island. View recording
Day 4: May 24, 2022
- Seniors Health | The Neil and Susan Manning Cognitive Health Initiative at 5 Years: Creating a Learning Health System for Cognitive Disorders. View recording
- COVID-19 | Research Innovations Shaping our Response to COVID-19. View recording
- COVID-19 | BC’s Research Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Good, the Bad and the Future. View recording
- Mental Health and Substance Use | Mental Health and Substance Use Research at Fraser Health. View recording
- Practical Skills | How Data Infrastructure is Driving Improved Quality of Care across Island Health. View recording
Day 5: May 31, 2022
- Indigenous Health | Paddling Together Toward Culturally Safe Emergency Care for Nuu-Chah-Nulth Elders: Are We on a Good Path? View recording
- Mental Health and Substance Use | Evidence-based approaches to substance use. View recording
- Practical Skills | Recruiting Made Easy: Learn How to Find Study Participants using REACH BC. View recording
- 2021 Events
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Five Days in May returned in 2021 in a virtual format focused on key COVID-19 research initiatives. The year prior was profoundly shaped by COVID-19 with rapid mobilization of research studies and supports, new collaborations and partnerships and tremendous learning in a complex, dynamic environment.
WHERE TO GO NEXT: HOW THE CURRENT PANDEMIC HAS INFORMED FUTURE PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Presented by Dr. Réka Gustafson MD FRCPC (Vice President, Public Health and Wellness, PHSA and Deputy Provincial Health Officer)
RELATIONAL ROOTS OF INDIGENOUS COVID RESEARCH
Presented by Dr. Danièle Behn Smith MD CCFP IFMCP (Deputy Provincial Health Officer, Indigenous Health) and Dr. Charlotte Loppie PhD (Professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy and Associate Dean-Research for the Faculty of Human and Social Development, University of Victoria)
IN A PANDEMIC AND BEYOND: ENGAGING PATIENTS AS PARTNERS FOR HOSPITAL AT HOME
Presented by Dr. Sean Spina BSc(Pharm) ACPR PharmD FCSHP (Principal Investigator of ATHOME and Co-Lead of Hospital at Home Evaluation; Clinical Coordinator, Department of Pharmacy, Island Health) and Beth Bourke RN (Patient Partner, Hospital at Home)
BUILDING A KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISE FOR LONG TERM CARE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Presented by Dr. Kelli Stajduhar RN PhD FCAHS FCAN (Professor in the School of Nursing and Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health, University of Victoria)
CAN ASKING JUST ONE QUESTION INFORM BETTER RESPONSES TO THE CURRENT DRUG-POISONING EMERGENCY?
Presented by Dr. Bernie Pauly RN PhD (Scholar in Residence, Island Health; Professor, School of Nursing; Scientist, Canadian Institute for Substance Use; Community Engaged Scholar, University of Victoria) and Fred Cameron (Community Researcher, Canadian institute for Substance Use Research; Operations Coordinator and Harm Reduction Manager, SOLID Outreach Society; Patient Council, BC Support Unit)
CLINICAL TRIALS AND A LEARNING HEALTH SYSTEM DURING A PANDEMIC
Presented by Dr. Srinivas Murthy MD CM MHSc (Clinical Associate Professor, University of British Columbia; Chair, Pandemic Preparedness Research, Health Research Foundation of Innovative Medicines Canada; Co-chair, Clinical Research Committee on COVID-19, World Health Organization)
CLINICAL TRIALS: STOPS, PIVOTS & STRIDES DURING A PANDEMIC
Presented by Fiona Auld RN BSN CCRP (Clinical Research Nurse, Island Health); Deborah Parfett BSN CCRP (Clinical Research Coordinator, Island Health); Andrea Cameron RN MSc CCRP (Clinical Research Nurse, Island Health); Gayle Carney RN BSN (Clinical Research Nurse, Island Health); Jenna Winder RN MHA (Clinical Research Nurse, Island Health)
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN COVID-19 VACCINE RESEARCH
Presented by Dr. Julie Bettinger PhD MPH (Professor, the Vaccine Evaluation Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia) and Dr. Manish Sadarangani BM BCh FRCPC DPhil (Director of the Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of British Columbia Department of Pediatrics)
ANTICIPATE 8: ICH E8(R1) GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CLINICAL STUDIES COMING IN 2021
Presented by Jean Smart (Regulatory Affairs and Quality Officer, Clinical Trials BC and Privacy Officer, BC Academic Health Science Network) and Tracy Wong ACRP-CP® (Research Compliance Facilitator, Island Health)
PATHWAYS TO MENTAL HEALTH: COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION DURING COVID AND BEYOND
Presented by Dr. Shannon Dames (Nursing Professor and Resilience Researcher, Vancouver Island University; Director, Roots to Thrive- Ketamine assisted Therapy Program)
REDCAP™ TO THE RESCUE: HOW A TOOL FOR RESEARCH SUPPORTED PANDEMIC RESPONSE AND RECOVERY
Presented by Cheryl Armstrong (Consultant for Medicine Quality, Island Health), Jo-Lee Bertrand (Project Director, Surgical Services & Ambulatory Care), Tammi Larkin (Process Improvement Consultant, Island Health), and Jennifer Wade (Manager, Health, Wellness & Safety, Island Health)
- 2019 Events
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Recordings and resources from this year’s events are available below.
DRIVING QUALITY AND INNOVATION: CLINICAL TRIALS SHOWCASE
Hear how clinical trials conducted at Island Health have changed practice and patients' lives, and learn about the supports available to investigators.
CANNABIS: REVELATIONS THROUGH RESEARCH
What do we know about cannabis and health, and where do we need more evidence? Learn how cannabis research is unfolding, and get informed about current regional, provincial and national initiatives. Join the conversation on how to move forward together.
HEALTH RESEARCH IS A TWO-WAY STREET: PUTTING CITIZEN SCIENTISTS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
The future of health research depends on the public voice. This session will focus on patient and community engagement in health research, including why it matters, how to find the right fit, and how to maximize impact.
INDIGENOUS HEALTH RESEARCH: GOOD WORK ACROSS COMMUNITIES
Learn from examples of indigenous research, and join the conversation about how research can contribute to the ongoing work of reconciliation.
View a recording or view a list of resources and references
EQUITY ACROSS THE SPECTRUM: GENDER AND SEXUAL HEALTH RESEARCH
How can health research contribute to equity regardless of identity or orientation, and what further research is needed? Join us for events on:
Supporting Vulnerable Women: A Focus on Stigma and Safety - View a recording Men’s Health: From the Prostate to the Brain - View slides from this event; View a recording LGBTQ2+ Communities: Mapping of Health and Social Services
CLINICAL RESEARCH EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
Join your clinical research colleagues for an afternoon of learning and resource-sharing!
- 2018 Events
- 2017 Events
- 2016 Events
- 2015 Events
- 2014 Events
- 2013 Events