We are pleased to announce the creation of the McMaster Institute for Health Equity (MIHE), effective July 1, 2019. MIHE will serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research and knowledge mobilization, bringing together researchers across faculties to build capacity and have a greater impact in improving health equity.
Health equity is a critical focus for research and policy aimed at reducing the excess burden of ill health and early mortality among socially and economically disadvantaged populations. MIHE will build on McMaster’s historic and current strengths in inter-disciplinary health research, knowledge mobilization and community engagement to make help deepen our understanding of health inequities and promote healthier and fairer societies.
McMaster’s research strengths make the university uniquely suited to this collaborative effort. Along with our health system partners, we are globally recognized and consistently ranked among the top 50 universities in the world for health and medicine.
The research agenda of the McMaster Institute for Health Equity will be driven by the needs, priorities and talents of the members. Over 40 faculty members from across the university have already expressed their support for the new Institute. The new Institute will kick off with an inaugural guest speaker and workshop, planned for November 26, 2019. This workshop will bring together confirmed and potential members and strategic partners and the goal will be to establish key research themes and clusters that will focus and organize the subsequent activities of the Institute. During this time, membership levels will be formalized and we will continue to reach out to researchers across McMaster.