The CCNA is a large national dementia research initiative. The initiative includes more than 340 researchers and clinicians, organized into 19 Teams spanning three focus areas: prevention, treatment and quality of Life. Jennifer Walker is the co-lead of CCNA: Team 18 – Issues in Dementia Care for Indigenous Populations. She is also the lead of the CCNA Indigenous Cognitive Health Program (ICHP).

The Health Data Research Network Canada connects organizations across the country to foster access to multi-jurisdictional data, allowing researchers to address health challenges across Canada. Jennifer Walker leads the Indigenous Data Team (IDT), which aims to support HDRN Canada in developing its supportive-active role in the complex national landscape of reconciliation and Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) data governance, self-determination and sovereignty.

IMN-Ontario, a five-year health training program funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, offers Indigenous scholars and trainees mentorship, training and research opportunities in Indigenous health and well-being. Rooted in the Anishinabe concept of Mno Nimkodadding Geegi (“we are all connected”), the program prioritizes community-based research and training for Indigenous individuals in Ontario, aiming to cultivate the next generation of Indigenous health scholars to advance health equity within the province’s Indigenous communities.

ICES conducts cutting-edge healthcare studies using secure Ontario health data. Recognized for privacy protection, it manages extensive datasets covering nearly 21 million individuals since 1986, supporting evidence-based policymaking. Designated as a prescribed entity, ICES undergoes regular privacy compliance reviews, collaborating with researchers across Ontario.

The SPOR Evidence Alliance, led by Andrea Tricco and 13 principal investigators, is a pan-Canadian initiative formed in 2017 with funding from Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s SPOR Initiative and contributions from 41 sponsors. Comprising over 300 researchers, trainees, patient partners and stakeholders, the alliance aims to drive evidence-informed health policy and practice changes across Canada.

Led by Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR) Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, and in collaboration with various CIHR institutes, initiatives and governmental partners, the Transforming Health with Integrated Care (THINC) research initiative aims to enhance understanding and implementation of evidence-informed integrated care policies and interventions. By fostering intersectoral collaborations within and beyond formal healthcare systems, THINC seeks to advance the Quadruple Aim and promote health equity.

The Indigenous Health Learning Lodge works alongside the Faculty of Health Sciences towards creating a learning environment that is culturally safe – to work with humility to enable sustainable systems change and to advance the work around concepts of truth, reconciliation and anti-colonization with all aspects of Indigenous health and well-being.

The McMaster Indigenous Research Institute (MIRI) is a world-class facility recognized for its leadership in the field of Indigenous research.

MIRI is a trusted resource undertaking and facilitating research initiatives with multiple partners by building upon and enhancing existing relationships between McMaster and community networks. MIRI supports interdisciplinary research across McMaster and serves as a gateway to partnership building with Indigenous research collaborators for the faculties of Business, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences, as well as for McMaster’s other institutes and centres.

Systemic incompatibilities between Western and Indigenous knowledge and ethics have been a barrier to research within an Indigenous Knowledge framework. MIRI facilitates and promotes increased visibility of Indigenous Knowledge and methodologies, creating space for dialogue between Western research approaches and Indigenous research collaborations, supporting both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, ethics boards, and decision makers in the area of Indigenous research.

The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging works to optimize the health and longevity of Canada’s aging population through leading-edge research, education and stakeholder collaboration — while upholding the values of integrity, excellence, collaboration, inclusion and transparency.

The Global Indigenous Data Alliance was established following a workshop in July 2019, uniting scholars and practitioners from seven nations to advance Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles within the framework of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). GIDA aims to advocate for Indigenous-designed legal approaches to data rights globally, recognizing the inadequacy of current international data protection frameworks for Indigenous peoples.

The Indigenous Innovation Dementia Research Network is a collaborative platform aiming to support and inspire researchers, students, Indigenous community members and policymakers globally interested in Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and healthy aging in Indigenous populations. The network’s goal is to enhance understanding of how dementia impacts Indigenous peoples and communities, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration among researchers, government representatives, Indigenous experts and community members to address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) in Indigenous populations.