After nearly a decade of devoted work and inspired leadership, Dan Goldowitz has stepped down as founding Scientific Co-Director of CHILD-BRIGHT and academic co-lead of the network’s Training & Capacity Building Program.
Dan made his mark on the network from its inception. Alongside Nominated Principal Investigator Annette Majnemer and Implementation Science Research Program Co-Lead Steven Miller, he successfully co-led the effort to launch CHILD-BRIGHT under CIHR’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research in 2016.
The three have expertly helmed the network since that time as Scientific Co-Directors, overseeing its growth to 450 members across two phases of activities.
In Phase 1 (2016-2021), CHILD-BRIGHT developed novel interventions to improve the health outcomes of children with brain-based developmental disabilities using child and family-focused approaches. To support this mandate, Dan established an ambitious training and mentoring agenda for the network, working in concert with partners with lived and living experience (PWLEs), researchers, and policymakers. His goal? To build the required capacity for patient-oriented approaches to childhood brain-based developmental disability (BDD) research, so that our network could accomplish its goal of creating brighter futures for, and with, children and youth with BDD and their families.
Fostering the next generation of patient-oriented researchers
Thanks to Dan’s leadership, the network created a multi-step pathway to teach budding researchers about patient-oriented research.
As part of the CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program, now wrapping up its ninth year, undergraduate students followed a tailored curriculum to learn the key principles of POR. They were also embedded in our research project and program teams and gained hands-on experience as young researchers. To date, nearly 100 summer students have left convinced of the power of POR to improve health outcomes:
“This program has shaped me into a more thoughtful and patient-centered research trainee. I’m excited to continue contributing to health care advancements!”
Trainees further along in their budding research careers could build their capacity to conduct POR through the Graduate Fellowship in Patient-Oriented Research, which offered additional support to graduate trainees undertaking patient-oriented research projects. A total of 16 trainees have developed skills in the real-world application of POR principles.
Supporting collaboration and innovation
Dan was also committed to supporting innovative training approaches; two of the program’s special award offerings, the Training Innovation Fund and Collaborative Mentorship Grant funded training initiatives, tools and resources that aimed to develop POR capacity.
External to the network, Dan was instrumental in co-creating a SPOR National Training Entity, now called Passerelle, and supporting the development of the Patient-Oriented Research Curriculum in Child Health (PORCCH), a series of free, interactive online modules.
Equipping the network for change
By the time Phase 1 came to a close, the network’s 13 research projects had generated evidence about new therapies, technologies, coaching interventions, and medications that had the potential to help children and youth with BDD and their families.
Phase 2 has been geared towards this patient-oriented research into action through insight and methods grounded in implementation science (IS) and knowledge mobilization (KM) that embed the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and Indigenization (EDI-DI).
This transition represented a new need for our Training Program: equipping our members with an evolved set of knowledge and skills in IS, KM, and EDI-DI. To develop capacity in these areas, Dan was joined by implementation scientist Celia Laur to co-lead the Training & Capacity Building Program.
Together, they ushered in a partnership with Azrieli Foundation to create the Azrieli CHILD-BRIGHT Fellowship Program. To date, the program has supported eight postdoctoral fellows with several others joining soon, to work with a CHILD-BRIGHT research project team. Supported postdoctoral fellows have played a pivotal role in advancing CHILD-BRIGHT’s implementation science research agenda, while learning and applying patient-oriented research approaches to child health, with a focus on knowledge mobilization; implementation science; and equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization.
“CHILD-BRIGHT could not have become what it is today without Dan! While this chapter is coming to a close, he can pass the baton on to the next generation of patient-oriented researchers he helped train and mentor, safe in the knowledge the future is bright because of his dedication. Thank you to Dan for everything he has done for children and youth with brain-based developmental disabilities and their families. ”
In honour of Dan’s vital contributions to the network, we are proud to announce the creation of the Goldowitz Emerging Leader Award. Learn more and apply.
We are also pleased to welcome two new Scientific Co-Directors, as well as our new Training & Capacity Building Program Co-Lead. Read more.