Message from Mary Jung, INMD Scientific Director
June 2026

In this month of June, the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes respectfully acknowledges and celebrates National Indigenous History month. It calls upon us to reflect on the strengths of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis researchers and research communities in INMD mandate areas, including one of our Institute Advisory Board members, Professor Treena Wasonti:io Delormier, nominated principal investigator of Tahatikonhsontóntie’ Quebec Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (QcNEIHR). The impressive research impact of the community-based QcNEIHR, and its host, the Kahnawà:ke Schools Diabetes Prevention Program (KSDPP) continue to inspire research internationally. The KSDPP is now over 30 years strong, with the KSDPP code of research ethics serving as exemplar for too many research projects to mention.

I am also very grateful for the opportunity I have had to engage with, and learn alongside, the National Coordinating Centre (NCC) for all NEIHRs. This month, INMD hosted Dr. Robert Henry (NCC nominated principal investigator) and Tara Erb (research manager) in Kelowna to discuss collaboration, alignment in strategic planning, and future opportunities between INMD and NEIHR research priorities. You can also find a recent story celebrating National Indigenous History month by CIHR President and all institutes.

Earlier this year, I hosted my first INMD Institute Advisory Board meeting at the institute’s new home at UBC Okanagan, situated in the beautiful lands of the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the syilx nation and their peoples. I embraced the opportunity to build relationships across all our 14 members. The primary focus of this meeting was planning the process of developing INMD’s new research priority plan. We spent the meeting reviewing past processes and ideating new ways to engage with the broad INMD community, with committed time in the agenda to learn and explore the power of local plants from syilx knowledge keeper, Jasmine Peone. As we begin the process of developing the Institute’s Research Priority Plan, we eagerly anticipate engaging with you and your community. Please watch out for our future survey and engagement tour events, where we will be soliciting your feedback to inform future priorities.

As the summer season begins, myself and the rest of INMD staff hope you are able to enjoy this time, and likely, some much needed holidays! We will take a break from the INMD newsletter and resume in August. We look forward to connecting with you then!

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

Date modified:

2026-06-24