What's new and what's next at the O'Brien Institute
Date: April 21, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Venue: Health Sciences Centre, University of Calgary
O'Brien Institute Spring Forum
Meet with your O'Brien Institute for Public Health colleagues for a spring forum focused on where the Institute is headed and how our work connects to policy, equity, and real-world impact.
The morning will feature Institute updates with new and current leadership and offer insight into emerging priorities, strategic directions, and how the Institute is responding to today’s most pressing public health challenges. Participants will have opportunities to share perspectives on where the Institute should focus and invest next.
In the afternoon, attendees can take part in hands-on workshops focused on policy and science communication, including a practical session on writing for The Conversation Canada and a policy-focused workshop designed to support researchers in understanding Canadian jurisdictions and the policy-making landscape.
This in-person forum is an opportunity to reconnect and build skills that strengthen the reach and impact of public health research.
Who should attend:
O’Brien Institute members, trainees, and collaborators interested in Institute priorities, knowledge mobilization, and policy-relevant research.
Event Schedule
9 - 9:30 a.m.
Light refreshments
9:30 - 10 a.m.
Featuring Dr. Kirsten Fiest
10 - 11 a.m.
Featuring Dr. Khara Sauro, Dr. Kathryn Birnie and Dr. Fiona Clement, moderated by Dr. Pamela Roach
Join an informal fireside chat with the Institute’s new directors to learn about their portfolios, priorities, and visions for the future. The discussion will explore how the Institute is responding to emerging public health challenges and opportunities, and how future-thinking is shaping strategic decisions and research directions.
11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Moderated by Dr. Kirsten Fiest
How do learning health systems, equity and policy intersect to shape better care?
This session brings together researchers whose work spans clinical practice, digital innovation and health systems transformation.
- Dr. Dave Campbell, Addressing gaps in diabetes care for populations facing structural vulnerability
- Dr. Tito Daodu, The RESPECT study - Responsive Engagement of Surgical Patients for Equitable Care and Treatment
- Dr. Sayeh Bayat, Everything, everywhere, all at once: the promise of digital biomarkers in healthy and cognitive aging
- Dr. Ariel Ducey, Data, touch, technology and what is 'right' in medical care
12 - 1 p.m.
1 - 3 p.m.
Attendees are invited to attend a professional development workshop in the afternoon and may choose one of the two concurrent sessions outlined below when registering:
From research to readership: writing for The Conversation Canada
Explore how to write for The Conversation Canada in this focused knowledge-mobilization workshop led by Kelly Johnston and Pauline Hull. This session will guide participants through the process of pitching their own articles, explaining their research clearly, and adapting academic work into an accessible, journalistically styled piece. Designed for researchers aiming to reach broader public audiences, the seminar emphasizes practical strategies for crafting compelling, concise, and news-relevant stories rooted in scholarly expertise.
Who does what? Understanding policy-making across Canadian jurisdictions
This workshop will examine the distinctions in policy-making across different levels of government in Canada. Led by Dr. Mike Law and Dr. Fiona Clement, this session will examine the distribution of policy responsibilities, the appropriate points of contact for policy-related inquiries, and the jurisdictional scope of federal, provincial, and municipal governments.
This workshop is designed to provide participants with foundational knowledge of Canada’s policy-making landscape and the roles of policy-makers at each level of government.