Partnership strengthens clinical trial capacity in maternal and paediatric health

25 April 2025

Image of a collage of the BC recipients of the 2025-26 IMPaCT Fellowship awards. Researchers from top left to right: Tanjot Singh, Kaitlin Berris, Kevin Meesters, Lena Xiao, and Liton Furukawa.

Researchers from top left to right: Tanjot Singh, Kaitlin Berris, Kevin Meesters, Lena Xiao, and Liton Furukawa.

Five BC-based researchers are among the newly announced 2025–26 IMPaCT Fellows, part of a national training initiative to strengthen Canada’s capacity in maternal and paediatric clinical trials. Their fellowships are co-funded by Michael Smith Health Research BC through a partnership with the Increasing Capacity for Maternal and Paediatric Clinical Trials (IMPaCT) training platform, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Designed for doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career researchers, the IMPaCT program offers hands-on training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help researchers gain the skills to design, conduct, and communicate clinical trials involving children and pregnant people.

“Enabling the next generation of researchers is just one way we’re delivering on our commitment to grow our province’s capacity for high-quality clinical trials,” says Dr. Bev Holmes, President & CEO, Health Research BC. “Partnering on initiatives like IMPaCT helps ensure health research continues to respond to real-world challenges and drives meaningful change for families across BC and Canada.”

The BC-based fellows are among 18 researchers selected nationally. Their projects span a range of topics focused on improving child and youth health, including violence prevention, nutrition, infections, sleep, and neurodevelopment.

One of the BC fellows is Dr. Liton Furukawa, Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Ethics Review Officer at Royal Roads University. Liton’s research explores how physical activities, combined with traditional behavioral therapy, can help improve social skills in children with autism and ADHD.

“This fellowship provides a unique opportunity to advance my research on innovative interventions that improve social skills in children with autism and ADHD,” says Liton. “The IMPaCT program’s support in developing my clinical research skills and fostering professional connections is invaluable in helping me contribute evidence-based solutions to improve the quality of life for these children.”

Meet the BC-based fellows

See the full list of 2025-26 IMPaCT Fellows