The Brenda Strafford Centre on Aging's Aging Insights newsletter features aging-related research, education, and community initiatives that involve or may be of interest to UCalgary campus community members. | | Centre on Aging Spotlight | | Academic Lead Receives Prize for Knowledge Mobilization in Aging | |
Dr. Jayna Holroyd-Leduc, Academic Lead of the Centre on Aging, was awarded the 2025 CIHR Institute of Aging Betty Havens Prize for Knowledge Mobilization in Aging. This national prize recognizes individuals who advance the mobilization of research in aging. Dr. Holroyd-Leduc's work has transformed care for older adults through initiatives like the Elder Friendly Care hospital program, the provincial hip fracture care pathway, and the long-term care and emergency department care pathway—improving patient outcomes and reducing system strain.
| | | Her leadership continues to shape policy and practice across Alberta and Canada, ensuring compassionate, evidence-based care for older adults. Congratulations Dr. Holroyd-Leduc! | |
Strengthening Compassion in Healthcare: A Research-Based Training Program to Improve Patient Care and Reduce Provider Burnout
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Compassion is essential to high-quality healthcare, yet many providers struggle to sustain it amid growing workloads, emotional demands, and organizational pressures. Dr. Shane Sinclair and his research team have spent more than a decade examining compassion from the perspectives of patients, clinicians, and health system leaders. Their work led to the development of the EnACT Compassion Training Program, a validated, evidence-based approach now being adopted across care settings in Canada.
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Key findings:
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Clear evidence base: Studies across acute care and long-term care settings identified specific behaviours, relational skills, and organizational enablers that reliably shape patient experiences of compassion.
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Benefits for providers: EnACT has been shown to increase compassion competence, reduce burnout, and strengthen clinicians’ confidence in addressing suffering and providing compassion.
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Benefits for patients: Patients cared for by EnACT-trained providers report higher ratings of compassion, improved communication, and stronger therapeutic relationships.
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The EnACT program is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. It can be completed online or in-person. It integrates theory, clinical practice, experiential learning, and self-care strategies. Participants earn CME/CPD credits, receive a comprehensive workbook, and achieve recognition as Certified Compassionate Care Providers.
This work is helping healthcare organizations build cultures where compassion can flourish, enhancing patient experience and supporting the wellbeing of the workforce. To learn more follow the link below!
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November 16, 2025
Why aging shouldn’t be classified as a disease
Read Here
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November 13, 2025
UCalgary researcher named new Cross Canada Chair in Compassionate Care
Read Here
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October 11, 2025
The Spotlight Hour: Smart Aging
Listen Here
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SSHRC Destination Horizon Grants
Pre-application RSO deadline: December 10, 2025 – 12:00 PM
Learn More
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Catalyst Grant: Digital Health
Pre-application program deadline: December 16, 2025 – 6:00 PM
Learn More
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SSHRC Connection Grant
RSO detailed review deadline: January 19, 2026 – 4:00 PM
Learn More
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SSHRC Insight Development Grant
RSO detailed review deadline: January 19, 2026 – 4:00 PM
Learn More
| | For undergraduate students interested in summer research projects: | | |
2026 Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentships
Program application deadline:
January 26, 2026 – 11:59 PM
Learn More
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2026 Undergraduate Student Research Award
Program application deadline:
January 26, 2026 – 11:59 PM
Learn More
| | Visit the UCalgary database for more research funding opportunities: | | | UCalgary Retirees Association (UCRA) Winter Speaker Series | | |
Join the UCRA for their upcoming Winter Speaker Series, no membership required! Sessions are available both in-person (Engineering Building, Block G, 2nd floor, Room 207) and online via Zoom. Upcoming sessions:
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Alberta landscape evolution from Waterton to Dinosaur Provincial Park into the Prairies and the North | January 14, 2026 | Learn More
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Globalized food systems: Geopolitics; human, environment and animal health; social justice | February 11, 2026 | Learn More
For a full list of speaker sessions, visit the UCRA website.
Want to attend online?
Use the following Zoom link and passcode: 228056
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International Society for Gerontechnology World Conference
March 26-29, 2026 | Vancouver, BC
Learn More
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Canadian Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting
Abstracts due by January 11, 2026
April 23-25, 2026 | Montreal, QC
Learn More
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MobilizeUCalgary 2026
Apply by December 10, 2025
January 27 - March 24, 2026 | Online
Learn More
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Human Factors in Healthcare - Calgary Course 2026
March 2-4 | W21C, UCalgary Foothills Campus, Calgary, AB
Learn More
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3 generations of Indigenous women talk about their love of drumming
November 23, 2025
Read More
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It used to be taboo for a woman to share her age, but is it still?
November 4, 2025
Listen Here
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'This is my happy place': Older adults' growing role in the workplace
October 28, 2025
Read More
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Older adults can bounce back to thriving health, CLSA study finds
October 6, 2025
Read More
| | Calgary Emergency Management Agency Community Survey | | The Calgary Emergency Management Agency is interested in understanding how older adults, people with disabilities, newcomers, racialized community members, and urban Indigenous community members access and act on information related to disasters and hazards in Calgary. | | | |
Your feedback will help improve Ready Calgary, the city's emergency preparedness program to better support those most vulnerable to disaster risks.
Survey closes December 31, 2025.
| | Ageism Awareness and Education Module & Toolkit | The Canadian Coalition Against Ageism recently released an educational module on ageism and an action-oriented toolkit designed to address unconscious bias and encourage reflection, dialogue, and positive change. | | News to share? We would love to learn about your research, an award you received, a grant you received, or an event you are attending. Please send us your content! | | | |
The Brenda Strafford Centre on Aging is an interdisciplinary, cross-faculty hub at the University of Calgary, with a mission to foster innovations that improve the health and well-being of older adults by catalyzing connections and collaborations through research and education. Our vision is to achieve optimal health and well-being for older adults.
The University of Calgary, located in the heart of Southern Alberta, both acknowledges and pays tribute to the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation within Alberta (Nose Hill Métis District 5 and Elbow Métis District 6).
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