From June 1 – 5, 2026, St. Boniface Hospital Research hosted the 2026 CIHR-SMART Summer School. The event supported the SMART Healthy Cities Training Platform, a national initiative funded by a grant from CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC.
The program is led by Dr. Miyoung Suh (St. Boniface Hospital Research and University of Manitoba), Dr. David Ma (University of Guelph), and Dr. Laurette Dubé (McGill University). It provides training in implementation science and systems thinking to address urban challenges.
This year’s school took place at our facility in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM). Developed by Dr. Ruchira Nandasiri under the guidance of Dr. Miyoung Suh, the theme was “Implementation Science Meets Indigenous Knowledge: Co-Creating Healthier Cities.”
Thirty-two students and fellows from across Canada attended the five-day hackathon. Teams worked on four pillars: Food Access, Health, Transportation, and Housing.
Participants used implementation science frameworks and Indigenous knowledge to create solutions for communities. We congratulate the attendees on their work toward health and sustainability.