With Gratitude: Reflections on Eight Years of Partnership, Progress and Impact
Farewell message from Dr. Charu Kaushic, Scientific Director (2018–2026)

Dear Colleagues,

As I approach the end of my term as Scientific Director of CIHR-III, the overwhelming feeling that fills both my heart and mind as I reflect on the past eight years is gratitude.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the CIHR-III community; for the engagement, trust, and unwavering support of researchers and community members across the country; and for colleagues across CIHR, our federal government partners, and community organizations with whom I have had the privilege of working throughout this journey.

I am especially grateful to the members of our Institute Advisory Board (IAB), the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Advisory Committee (CHASRAC), and the CIHR-III Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for their wisdom, guidance, and steadfast support. Your perspectives have challenged us to think outside the box and embrace bold ideas.

Reflecting on the past eight years, I am filled with pride in the remarkable strength of our community. Time and again, you have risen to extraordinary challenges—from the relentless demands placed on clinicians, researchers, health care workers, and community partners during the COVID-19 pandemic to the urgent and ongoing response required to address congenital and infectious syphilis in the Prairies, the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, and the recent HIV emergency declared in Manitoba.

As a truly four-pillar CIHR institute, we have leveraged the power of science by bringing together biomedical researchers, clinical trialists, health system experts, and social scientists. Together, you continue to drive innovation through cutting-edge approaches such as multi-omics, adaptive trial designs, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in health care, including addressing its implications for health inequities.

Thank you for your commitment to nurturing the next generation of infection and immunity researchers. Guided by your input and the advice of our IAB, we have worked throughout my tenure to break down barriers and establish programs such as the CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award and the Leadership Awards for Excellence in Vaccine Research. These initiatives help ensure that Canada’s next generation of scientists reflects the diversity of our country and is well positioned to lead on global stage in improving health outcomes for people in Canada and around the world.

We have also strengthened our commitment to community-based research through meaningful partnerships with people and communities with lived experience as equal partners in the research process, while maintaining strong support for biomedical discovery. Building trust has been central to these efforts, including advancing truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The CIHR-III First Nations, Inuit and Métis Engagement Strategy was co-developed with communities to foster respectful, reciprocal, and sustainable partnerships that advance Indigenous-led research, support self-determination, and improve health outcomes based on community-defined priorities.

I invite you to explore our recently published end-of-mandate report, From Vision to Impact: Advancing Infection and Immunity Research in Canada 2018-2026, which highlights our collective accomplishments. We have also developed three in-depth impact case studies of successful CIHR-III initiatives that demonstrate how the Institute has addressed complex challenges over the past two decades^{Footnote *} . These stories span multiple Scientific Directors’ terms and illustrate the lasting impact of our shared efforts.

In that spirit, it is my great pleasure to welcome Dr. Keith Fowke from the University of Manitoba as the next Scientific Director of CIHR-III. Keith is an exceptional leader, scientist, and mentor with a deep commitment to supporting communities and the next generation of researchers. He is also one of the most generous and collegial colleagues I have had the privilege to work with, and I am delighted to see him take on this role and lead the Institute into its next chapter.

Finally, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all III team members, past and present. Thank you for believing in our shared mission, embracing the vision we built together, and bringing your talent, dedication, and heart to this work every day. You are all brilliant, and I cannot thank you enough.

Grateful for your trust in me and for the opportunity to serve you all to the best of my abilities. I leave with a full heart.

Sincerely,

Charu Kaushic
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (2018–2026)

Date modified:

2026-06-22