Message from Mary Jung, INMD Scientific Director
May 2026

One of the things that I have enjoyed most in my role as Scientific Director thus far has been witnessing firsthand the impact of the Health Research Training Platforms (HRTPs) supported by INMD: KRESCENT, (the Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and Training Program), TRIANGLE (TRaIning A New generation of researchers in Gastroenterology and LivEr) Program and MyRoad (Maximize your Research on Obesity and Diabetes). Each of these platforms demonstrates a genuine and thoughtful commitment to engaging persons with lived and living experience, supporting and celebrating trainee success and career trajectories, and intentionally embedding long-term individual, group, and peer mentorship. Particularly striking is the pride and enthusiasm of mentors who themselves were once trainees within the HRTPs that helped shape their careers—an enduring testament to the success of these programs.

This month, I had the pleasure of attending the KRESCENT Program meeting in Quebec City, where the theme focused on kidney development and genetic disorders. Trainees benefited from inspiring presentations from researchers working in the field, an exceptionally realistic mock grant panel review, which included lay summary evaluations conducted by a dedicated group of persons with lived and living experience. The program also featured expert career development talks and rich networking opportunities. This meeting was held in conjunction with the Canadian Society of Nephrology meeting, which also showcased excellent work by the kidney research community, highlighting continued innovation and leadership in kidney research. Congratulations to Dr. Tomoko Takano (McGill University), for her Medal of Research Excellence Award presentation, and Early Career Researchers Drs. Tyrone Harrison (University of Calgary) and Mallory Downie (McGill University), who were recognized for their outstanding contributions to research in their respective fields.

My experience of attending the KRESCENT program builds on the previous experience I gained In February, when I attended the TRIANGLE Program meeting in Toronto. Both meetings left me feeling energized and inspired by the shared commitment of the mentors and the program participants, including the engagement of people with lived and living experience, in training the next generation of research leaders.

With a steadfast commitment to understanding and cultivating meaningful relationships with all research communities within the INMD mandate, I also had the pleasure this past month of meeting with a number of outstanding researchers, policymakers, and knowledge users.

As a longstanding member of the Management Board of the international Healthy Diet Healthy Life (HDHL) consortium, INMD travelled to Brussels, Belgium, to engage in discussions focused on food environments, food insecurity, food policy, the commercial determinants of health, and future strategic planning for the consortium. Panel discussions exploring power dynamics within food systems highlighted the enduring relevance of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, as it celebrates its 40-year anniversary. Participants were encouraged to consider intersectoral approaches—spanning agriculture, consumer advocacy, politics, and not-for-profit organizations—to hold large food companies accountable, including initiatives such as the Access to Nutrition Initiative.

In Halifax, I had the opportunity to meet with the Board of the Canadian Nutrition Society at their Annual Conference and to observe the depth and breadth of nutrition research underway in Canada—from dietary requirements across the lifespan, to dysglycemia in surgical settings, to the implementation of low‑carbon, culturally responsive, high‑quality hospital meals, to optimizing bone remodelling and muscle hypertrophy throughout menopause. The student oral presentations were particularly impressive and once again demonstrated the promise, creativity, and excellence of the next generation of INMD scientists. Congratulations to this year’s CIHR-INMD Canadian Nutrition Society Early Career Researcher Partnership Prize recipient, Laura Chiavaroli (University of Toronto). Thanks to everyone who took the time to meet with me and share their perspectives.

Finally, congratulations to CIHR-funded researchers Dr. Daniel Drucker and Dr. David Wishart who have been awarded the  Governor General’s Innovation Award. This award recognizes outstanding Canadians who contribute to the country’s success, shape Canada’s future and inspire the next generation. By this definition, Drs. Drucker and Wishart are certainly most deserving.

Mary Jung, PhD
Scientific Director
Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes

Date modified:

2026-05-25