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News and Events


CHF Alliance hosts a variety of events, including annual face-to-face meetings, webinars, conferences, and educational competitions. All network news (publications, discoveries, awards, collaborations) as well as past and future events are presented The Beat, a monthly newsletter. The Alliance can also be followed on Socials.

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Read previous editions of our monthly news letter The Beat.  

News

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Early Career Investigator Grants Competition Results:

This year, thanks to our sponsors Unitversité de Montréal, Novo Nordisk and Bayer Inc, 5 Early Career Investigators received a $25,000 research grant to conduct their unfunded projects. The winners are:

  • Dr. Nadia Bouabdallaoui, Montreal Heart Institute/Université de Montréal.

  • Dr. Jacinthe Boulet, Montreal Heart Institute/Université de Montréal

  • Dr. Ricky Turgeon, University of British Columbia

  • Dr. Rebecca Hamilton, University of Toronto/The Hospital for Sick Children

  • Dr. Kelsey McLaughlin, University of Toronto

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Congratulations to our young investigators!

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Trainee Awards Competition Results:

In 2024, the CHF Alliance launched its second Trainee Awards Competition, for which we received a large number of high quality applications. Seven awards for one year of salary support were available for this edition, and we gave five of them. We are pleased to announce the names of the awardees: 

  • Harry Wilton-Clark, enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Alberta: $20,000 CHF Alliance award for a Master/PhD student.

  • Serena Pulente, enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute: $20,000 CHF Alliance award for a Master/PhD student.

  • Isabela Marcal, enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute: $20,000 CHF Alliance award sponsored by Bayer Inc. for a Master/PhD student.

  • Safia Chatur, enrolled in a Postdoc research program at the University of Alberta: $30,000 CHF Alliance award for a Postdoc student or an MD enrolled in a research fellowship.

  • Omri Braver, enrolled in a Postdoc research program at the University Health Network: $30,000 CHF Alliance award for a Postdoc student or an MD enrolled in a research fellowship.

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Congratulations to our trainees!

Ongoing event

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  • Heart & Stroke Observership Pilot program  

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is working on an observership pilot program that aims to include observers on 4 different committees in order to help them to write a successful grant application.

 

They are looking for observers (2 per committee) for the following committees:

  • Ib (clinical cardio- & cerebrovascular research: mechanistic studies & clinical trials / health services research) - Complete

  • IV (Molecular, biochemical and cellular physiological approaches to cardiovascular health and disease, vascular) – Places available

  • VI (thrombosis / lipids & lipoproteins / fundamental nutrition research) – Places available

  • VII (behavioural research / health psychology / rehabilitation / population health) – Places available

 

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be an Early Career Investigators - 0-5 years of first academic/independent research appointment or be a trainee (postdoc or fellow) and have a confirmation that you will have your first academic/independent research appointment within the upcoming year.

  • Not have received a H&S GIA (as the observership is to learn about grant review and how to succeed with a GIA application)

 

If you are interested in becoming an observer, please contact us and indicate which committee you are interested in.

Past events 

 

Webinars

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  • Indigenous Team, January 25, 2023: The Team gave an overview of their work to date, the development of IPERC-HF, and their vision for the future. Click here to watch the webinar. 

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  • Access Team, March 31, 2023: Team members gave a high-level overview of the different ongoing and in development projects, and accomplishments so far. Click here to watch the webinar. 

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  • CANTRAIN training platform, June 16, 2023: Dr. Bruno Battistini, CANTRAIN National Executive Director and COO, presents the recently CIHR funded CANTRAIN training platform and opportunities offered to the research community. Click here to watch the webinar and here to visit CANTRAIN's website. 

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  • Heart and Stroker Resources, September 14, 2023: Dr. Patrice Lindsay, Lead for the PWLE Engagement and Stroker Strategies at the Heart and Stroke Foundation, provides an overview of the resources and data available at the Foundation. Click here to watch the webinar.

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  • Sustainable Research Infrastructure, April 30, 2024 at 12 pm ET: This webinar aimed to present the following infrastructure and how to use them: Mitewekan, Patient Partners Platform, Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds, and Training Platform. Click here to watch the webinar.

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In-Person Meetings and Presentations

  • CCC 2022: The CHF Alliance held a one hour session at CCC in Ottawa on October 28, 2022. 

Session title: Introduction to the new Canadian Heart Function Alliance Network.

Click here to watch the presentation (This recording is available for distribution through in-kind support for the CHF Alliance from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society).

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  • First face-to-face annual meeting: The CHF Alliance members had the opportunity to meet in person for the first time at our annual in-person meeting, which was held at the Westin in Ottawa, on October 28, 2022. This was an informal social event where members had the opportunity to meet and share good ideas about heart failure. 

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  • Mitewekan - CHF Alliance Ceremonial Launch: On May 22, 2024 we attended the Mitewekan - CHF Alliance Ceremonial Launch in Kanawake, QC. The central team was welcomed by 2 Indigenous Knowledge Holders and their family to kick off our partnership. The event was a success and an opportunity to share stories, culture and to learn more about each other. 

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  • CHF Alliance Toronto in-person meeting May 11, 2023: The CHF Alliance held an in-person meeting in Toronto on May 11, 2023 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. The meeting was a way to group members and move forward with some of the CHF Alliance projects. 

Access the presentations and the photo gallery of the meeeting.

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  • CHF Alliance Montreal in-person meeting May 23, 2024: The CHF Alliance held an in-person meeting in Montreal at the Marriott Château Champlain Hotel on May 23, 2024. Awardees of the 2023 Trainee Awards and Early Career Investigator Grants competitions presented their work and the CHF Alliance teams gave an update on where they are at with their projects and initiative. We also held our first workshop on women's health and sex and gender in HF chaired by Dr. Shelley Zieroth. 

Photo gallery of the event.

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  • Mitewekan 1st Gathering: On June 11 and 12, 2024, the Mitewekan team held their first gathering event in Ottawa. This event was an opportunity to group people and share ideas and experiences.

Others past events

  • February is Heart Month

In partnership with Novartis, Dr. Eileen O'Meara talks about the CHF Alliance in a video produced for Heart Month. 

Click here to watch the video.

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  • ​Heart Failure Awereness Week

May 5-11, 2024, was the Heart Failure Awareness Week, an initiative of the Canadian Heart Failure Society (CHFS). The CHF Alliance was proud to be part of the collaborators of this initiative.

Click here to learn more.

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  • My Broken Heart - Documentary

Exploring the journey from end-stage heart failure, LVAD, heart transplantation, and organ rejection, My Broken Heart is an unflinching look at the unknown, unexpected, and sometimes dire consequences of heart transplantation.

Starring Dr. Jillianne Code, member of the CHF Alliance Executive Committee, Co-founder of the HeartLife Foundation, and patient partner. 

Watch the documentaty here. 

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