Research Day

Research Day 2025

In line with the University of Manitoba’s Strategic Research Plan, Research Day 2025’s theme is Indigenous Health and Wellness. The theme centres the important work happening across our faculty and with our partners. In addition to themed panels throughout the day and a beading session in the afternoon, Dr. Janice Forsyth will deliver a keynote address highlighting her expertise in Indigenous sport and socio-cultural studies to inspire and challenge us. Along with the theme, we are also excited to announce an additional award for research for or with Indigenous communities.

Keynote speaker:

Dr. Janice Forsyth

Professor, University of British Columbia

Dr. Janice Forsyth's research combines history and sociology to explore the relationship between sport and culture from Indigenous perspectives. She focuses on how organized sports have been used as tools for colonization and how Indigenous people have taken up those same activities for cultural regeneration and survival. Her work has informed policy and program development across sectors, including youth and community development, justice, education, citizenship and health, in addition to sport and physical activity.

Lee Mae Spence

Embodied Resurgence

Lee Mae Spence is an Ininew First Nations, Metis and mixed settler woman from Treaty 5 Territory in northern Manitoba, Canada. As the founder of Embodied Resurgence, she is on a mission to transmute apathy to liberation, because it’s our right. 

In the last 10 years, she has supported individuals and organizations to have meaningful and transformative conversations on the intersections of colonialism, intergenerational trauma, ancestral reclamation and collective wholistic wellbeing. And accountability begins with ourselves.

Dr. Jon McGavock

Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba

A BKin grad (’97), Dr. Jon McGavock's research program has three main pillars in order to span the spectrum of mechanistic human physiology studies to community-based participatory action research. Pillar one, the determinants of type two diabetes and the associated complications; Pillar two, the effects and implementation of urban cycling trails on population health; and pillar three, the role of peer mentoring for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes in youth. 

Cross-cutting areas include patient and community engagement in research and equity and anti-racism in the research process. His lab is currently funded by CIHR, Diabetes Canada, JDRF and Research Manitoba.