WE-SPARK Health Institute is an innovative partnership between Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure from across the Windsor-Essex region of Ontario, Canada. We are establishing research pipelines to address pressing health issues, advancing discovery, innovation and technology, training and promoting excellence among our health professionals, and engaging our community.
Learn about our Strategic Priorities, and how we’re making an impact.
In March 2009, stakeholders from the Windsor-Essex region formed a steering committee to begin exploring opportunities for enhancing regional health research capacity. A formal study concluded that there was a significant appetite for a collaborative and integrative health research enterprise. Following a series of regional visioning days and consultations spanning a decade, in the Fall of 2018 an Executive Committee was established and tasked with putting plans into action, including a proposal for a new health institute.
WE-SPARK Health Institute received senate approval in May 2019 and chartered as an official institute under the University of Windsor. After 11 years of planning, WE-SPARK celebrated our official launch in March 2020 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between our four partners.
"This is a very exciting time for our region. We are in a unique position to come together and raise the bar for innovation, training and healthcare delivery that direclty impacts the health of our community."
Dr. Lisa Porter, Executive Director
Our Board of Trustees also share their excitement about the new partnership:
Learn about our Governance Structure and our Mission, Vision and Values.
