Secure Island Data Repository launches in Prince Edward Island | Back row (left to right): Katelynn Frizzell, Lindsay Stewart, Robyn Kydd, Kate Kelly, Mary-Ann Standing, Alex Ouedraogo, Ted McDonald. Front row (left to right): Suzanne Kennedy, Donna Curtis Maillet, Marina Hamilton, Marva Sweeney-Nixon, Kaleigh Duffy. | | |
We are excited to announce that the Secure Island Data Repository (SIDR) officially launched in Prince Edward Island this month.
Operated by the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Centre for Health and Community Research (CHCR), SIDR securely houses de-identified administrative health data for research purposes. SIDR joins a network of similar organizations across Canada through Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN Canada), that supports world-leading multi-regional data use that drives improvements in health and health equity. This data enables transformative research that supports well informed, empowered, and healthy communities in PEI, and across Canada.
SIDR provides researchers and knowledge users with a spectrum of services from research consultation and support to data access and analytics. This launch represents an exciting step forward for health data research in PEI and beyond.
| | Patient engagement opportunities top MSSU website views | | |
Thinking about getting involved in health research? You’re not alone. The MSSU Patient Engagement Opportunities page was one of our most-visited web pages this year, connecting people across the Maritimes with ways to contribute their lived experience to research and health system improvement.
Last year, we shared 56 opportunities —up from 34 the year before — and welcomed 50 new subscribers who signed up to get notified when new postings go live.
Learn more about how we can help researchers and people with lived or living experience connect.
| | Annual Report to Community released | | In case you missed it, the MSSU recently released our Report to Community for the 2024-25 reporting period. This annual report, in French and English, showcases how we’ve worked across the Maritimes to support patient-oriented research and strengthen our health systems. | | MSSU voices featured in national blog | | |
Congratulations to Linda Wilhelm (Patient/Public Partner) and Lisa MacDougall (Patient Engagement Coordinator) whose co-authored blog post was recently published by the CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA). Their piece highlights how the MSSU developed its Patient-Oriented Research Practicum — a training webinar that puts lived experience at the centre and helps build POR skills across the Maritimes.
Thank you, Linda and Lisa, for representing the MSSU nationally and showcasing the impact of meaningful patient engagement in research!
| | New analysis highlights growing reach of MSSU-supported publications | | Since 2014, the MSSU has supported or co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications and 400 reports, helping drive evidence-informed healthcare improvements across the Maritimes.
A growing number of these studies include patient and public partners as co-authors, reflecting our commitment to meaningful engagement. In 2022/2023 alone, MSSU-supported publications were cited nearly 300 times, with one article even shaping national health policy.
Curious about our most-cited articles and how open access is amplifying our work? | | A Decade of Data: DataNB celebrates 10 years of data research expertise | | Ten years of data-driven research have led to a milestone moment — and a new name — for the University of New Brunswick's data research institute in Fredericton. Formerly known as NB-IRDT, DataNB embodies a renewed vision for research that informs policy, strengthens communities, and expands access to data that drives discovery across New Brunswick. | |
Public perceptions of health data
Over the past month, MSSU teams in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have been hosting community conversations about health data. The sessions, held in both rural and urban areas, invite people to share their questions, concerns, and expectations around how their health information is used. The conversations focus on how health data is currently used in administrative health data centers in the Maritime provinces and explore what conditions help people feel confident that their information is being used responsibly.
Learn more about the project
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Early Life, Lasting Impacts: Evaluating Healthy Families, Healthy Babies
The earliest years of life shape health and wellbeing for decades to come. In NB, the Healthy Families, Healthy Babies program provides targeted prenatal and postnatal supports to first-time families at higher risk of poor outcomes. DataNB and MSSU recently completed a four-part evaluation of the program — one of the first Canadian-specific outcome evaluations of its kind. The reports highlight both the promise and the limitations of targeted supports, from longer breastfeeding duration to insights into barriers disadvantaged mothers face.
Read more
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Impact of Public Health Postnatal Home Visiting in NB on Breastfeeding among Disadvantaged Families
In this presentation, DataNB Research Associate Dr. Sandra Magalhaes shares how the Healthy Families, Healthy Babies program (an MSSU-supported project) supports breastfeeding among first-time mothers in NB. Using linked administrative data, the study shows participation in postnatal home visiting programs can significantly extend breastfeeding duration in at-risk populations—underscoring the value of early, community-based supports for maternal and child health.
Watch the presentation
| | | MSSU SCIENCE LEAD SPOTLIGHT | |
From Mentee to Mentor: Neil Forbes
When Neil Forbes joined the MSSU as an Indigenous Allyship and Engagement Mentee, he thought it would simply be one step in his PhD journey. Instead, it became a turning point. The experience helped shape his career, deepen his understanding of allyship, and strengthen how MSSU supports respectful, community-driven research.
Today, Neil is a professor at the University of Prince Edward Island and continues to work closely with MSSU to build meaningful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers across the Maritimes — guided by the principle of relationality, which reminds us that people, communities, and knowledge are all connected.
| | | Opportunities are available for the those with the following lived or living experience: | | MSSU Patient-Oriented Research Practicum | | |
January 14, 2026 | 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. AST | Online
Join us for a free, 2.5-hour virtual training workshop that builds on the CIHR-IMHA’s e-learning:
A How-to-Guide to Patient Engagement in Research. This hands-on session helps participants apply core concepts from the e-learning modules to real-world contexts, with a focus on the Maritimes.
Co-led by a Patient/Public Partner, each session includes practical tips, examples, and opportunities for discussion. You’ll learn how to plan for meaningful engagement and address common challenges.
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Health Data Research Network Canada webinar featuring MSSU's Afton Lavigne from DataNB: Accessing DASH through DASH
December 3, 2025 | Online | REGISTER
Upcoming World Cafe Conversation by Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit: Unpacking "meaningful" patient engagement from multiple perspectives
December 10, 2025 | Online | REGISTER
Upcoming Webinar by NL SUPPORT: The Power of Plain Language: Better Research, Participation, Engagement and Impact
December 4, 2025 | Online | REGISTER
Save the date: BC SUPPORT Unit's Putting Patients First Conference
March 3, 2026 | Online or in-person | REGISTER
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