Queen's Health Sciences researchers secure major federal funding

News & Announcements | 21 Jul 2025

With support from major federal grants, Queen’s Health Sciences researchers are advancing critical work in health, equity, and social change. From how machine learning could help children get better care to uncovering the long-term impacts of fentanyl use, their projects expand our understanding of health care, science and illness, while working towards a healthier tomorrow.

This funding is a part of the Government of Canada’s record-breaking $1.3 billion investment in research across the sciences and humanities. In total, Queen’s researchers will receive more than $25 million to advance research across the university

“These researchers aren’t just imagining the future—they’re building it. Their work covers topics such as pandemic readiness and cutting-edge technology, and it reflects the Government of Canada’s commitment to driving innovation, strengthening the economy and tackling the challenges that matter most to Canadians. With this support, we’re empowering the talent that will shape a more resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive Canada."
—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Stage 2 Partnership Grants:

Susan Bartels (Emergency Medicine; Public Health Sciences): RespondEr-Perpetrated Sexual ExPlOitation aND AbusE in Humanitarian CRises – A Partnership for Accountability and Change (RESPONDER Partnership) – $2,499,595

Partnership Development Grants:

Colleen Grady (Family Medicine): Reclaiming Connectedness and a Sense of Belonging in Family Medicine: Investigation and Action Plan – $173,346

Insight Grants:

Kate Harkness (Psychology; Psychiatry): Theory of Mind-linked Behaviours: Predicting Success in Social Interaction – $279,690

Colleen Davison (Public Health Sciences; Global Development Studies): Exploring Consequences of Polycrisis: Understanding the Context and Experiences of Unaccompanied Migrant Children in Northern Thailand – $94,849

Insight Development Grants:

Heather Aldersey (Rehabilitation Therapy): Indigenous Experiences of Formal and Natural Disability Supports – $75,000

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

Discovery Grants:

Gunnar Blohm (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Distributed Motor Planning and Control – $96,000

John Allingham (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Molecular Mechanisms of Proteins and Small Molecules That Control Microtubule and Actin Polymerization Dynamics – $49,000

Eva Kaufmann (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Exploration of a Distinct Hematopoietic Stem Cell Population in the Lungs – $44,000

Bingshu Chen (Public Health Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics): Statistical Models and Inferences for Biomarker Effects in Clinical Trials: Deep Learning and Bayesian Methods – $40,000

New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)

Zihang Lu (Public Health Sciences): Leveraging Interpretable Machine Learning Approaches to Improve Child Health for All: From Single Diseases to Multi-morbidity – $250,000

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

CIHR: Marco Buttigieg (Pathology and Molecular Medicine): Characterizing Clonal Hematopoiesis-Induced Changes in the Tumour Microenvironment to Improve Immunotherapy Efficacy

NSERC: Trinity Tooley-Macarandang (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Modulation of Cellular Endoplasmic Stress Responses by Hepatitis C Virus and Dengue Virus: A Comparative Study

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship

CIHR: Peter Norris (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): How Neutrophil Clearance in the Bone Marrow Shapes Tissue Injury Repair with Paul Kubes (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences)

CIHR: Myanca Rodrigues (Psychiatry): Beyond Overdose: Exploring the Predictors and Long-term Health Impacts of Fentanyl Use in People with Opioid Use Disorder with Zainab Samaan (Psychiatry)

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