Contextualizing hepatitis C care experience and shared by First Nations People in Ontario as a catalyst to consider system-level social and structural determinants of health.
This project involves conducting conversational and interview visits with First Nation community members and healthcare providers in urban and rural contexts across Ontario to build an evidence-based understanding of the influence of determinants of health on experiences of hesitancy around HCV care. While hesitancy of engaging in HSC is shown in previous First Nation data, this Indigenous-led relational research focuses on considering upstream sources and using the evidence gathered to create a liver-bundle comprised of culturally connected awareness resources designed with Indigenous community members.
Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Kate Dunn
CIHR Catalyst Grant 2025 - $125,000
Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and wellness with innovations in clinical access to enhance awareness, access and action for liver wellness and hepatitis C.
Building on previous data showing rising rates of new HCV cases, and a CIHR Catalyst project that highlighted the enormous gap in HCV awareness and the importance of braiding Indigenous Knowledge with clinical innovations, this study uses relationality to shape a culturally connected, relevant, reciprocal and respectful approach to liver wellness. This project brings continuing work on co-creating and disseminating culturally connected liver wellness and hepatitis resources, together with co-designing and piloting community and clinic-integrated pathways of care for liver wellness and HCV that embed testing and linkage options tailored to rural and urban First Nations contexts.
Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Kate Dunn
Submitted CIHR Project Grant Spring 2026: $990,00
Collaborations in Research
Implementation of the Ontario Hepatitis C Elimination Roadmap: Evaluation of Recommended Interventions
This project works to evaluate the hepatitis C elimination efforts within priority populations in alignment with the Ontario Hepatitis C Roadmap.
Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Mia Biondi
Co-Principle Applicant: Dr. Kate Dunn
Funded CIHR 2025 Project Grant: $300,000
Weaving Indigenous Community-led and Interdisciplinary Research to Develop Culturally Safer Wholistic Brain Health Assessment.
Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Jennifer Walker
Co-investigator: Dr. Kate Dunn
2024 funded CIHR New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation $2 billion (6 years)
Establishing the Framework for Decentralizing Hepatitis C Point-of-Care Testing and Treatment in Canada: An Implementation Science-based Approach.
Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Guillaume Fontaine
Co-Investigator: Dr. Kate Dunn
2024 funded CIHR Project Grant
Faculty of Health Minor Research Grant – Equity Deserving Groups for Indigenous community project.
Principal Applicant: Dr. Kate Dunn
2025 funded $5,000 (1 year)
Triangle Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Grant.
Principlal Applicant: Dr. Kate Dunn
2025 funded $20,000
The crisis of legitimacy in government health services: Comparative mixed-methods case studies to understand public trust, values, and engagement with health systems.
Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Kerry Scott
Co-Applicant: Dr. Kate Dunn
2025 SSHRC Insight Grant $ (5 years)
Establishing the Framework for Decentralizing Hepatitis C Point-of-Care Testing and Treatment in Canada: An Implementation Science-based Approach.
Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Guillaume Fontaine
Co-Investigator: Dr. Kate Dunn
2024 funded CIHR Project Grant
Triangle Canada Program: Amplify Fellow Award
Principal Applicant: Dr. Kate Dunn
2024 funded $89,250 (3 years)
