WE-SPARK Health Institute Marks Sixth Year of Collaboration and Innovation

WE-SPARK Health Institute is celebrating a year of groundbreaking research, strengthened partnerships, and expanded community outreach with the release of its Year 6 Impact Report. The report highlights major achievements in research funding, innovative health projects, and continued progress in advancing health outcomes for Windsor-Essex and beyond.

From May 2024 to April 2025, WE-SPARK core members secured $15.9 million in new funding, bringing active project funding to $31.5 million. Researchers launched 73 new projects, published 180 peer-reviewed articles, and engaged more than 6,200 community members through 49 events and outreach initiatives. The WE-SPARK Grants Program awarded over $412,000 to local research teams.

Key achievements include:

• Renewal of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding between partner institutions: Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, the University of Windsor, and Windsor Regional Hospital.

• Ontario’s first Assertive Community Treatment for Childrent (ACT-C) program, led by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.

• Expanded rural cancer care through satellite chemotherapy services in Leamington (Erie Shores HealthCare).

• A pilot universal school lunch program to inform national food policy (St. Clair College).

• Breakthrough breast cancer research aimed at overcoming treatment resistance (Windsor Regional Hospital & University of Windsor).

• Development of a smart implantable sensor to detect and treat brain cancer (University of Windsor).

“Our success is rooted in the strength of our partnerships,” said Dr. Dora Cavallo-Medved, Interim Director of WE-SPARK. “This past year has shown how academic researchers, healthcare professionals, students, and community organizations continue to come together to drive meaningful change in people’s lives.”

The full Year 6 Impact Report is available online.