Our mission at the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) has always been to enhance the lives of Canadian military members, Veterans, and their families through the power of research and through the strength of our collaborative networks.

At CIMVHR, we continually ask ourselves: How are we transforming the lives of the people we serve?

It is this focus on impact that drives our work every day, and over the past year, we have pressed forward to ensure we are addressing the changing needs of military members, Veterans, and their families. Moving into our second decade of existence and our second year of core funding from the Government of Canada through Veterans Affairs Canada, we are committed to supporting researchers, government officials, not-for-profit agencies, and industry partners as they seek to support and improve the health and well-being of thousands of Canadians.

At CIMVHR, we recognize that we are only as strong as the strength of our network, and we are grateful that over the past year, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our connections and outreach have not weakened, but instead have grown much stronger. Our partnerships with organizations such as the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), Wounded Warriors Canada, the Royal Canadian Legion, and True Patriot Love, among many others, provide the foundation for much of our work and we are excited about our many projects, both new and ongoing, particularly with respect to research into support for families, and gender and inclusion.

This past year, supporting military members, Veterans, and families throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has also been critical, and to do so, we pivoted to virtual events, research symposiums, and collaborations with partners, and produced a special edition of the Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health (JMVFH) focused entirely on COVID-19.

The pandemic also provided the opportunity to observe, closer to home, the continued courage and commitment of military members in their work supporting communities across the country. Flexibility has been a key feature of the past year, and the military has once again demonstrated its ability to adapt quickly to unique and challenging circumstances and deliver incredible support and expertise where it is needed most.

Thank you,

David Pedlar, PhD
Scientific Director

Stéphanie Bélanger, CD, PhD
Associate Scientific Director

Dianne Groll, PhD
Assistant Scientific Director

Yvonne Cooper, CD
Executive Director