WE-Spark Health Institute

20/02/2026

We’re proud to showcase our 2026 Plenary Speakers at the WE-SPARK Health Research Conference:

🧠 Dr. Sunit Das
“From Bench to Bedside and Back Again: Using Informatics to Guide Therapy in Glioblastoma”
🌍 Dr. Ross Upshur
“Why Perseverance Matters to Research: Reflections on 3 Decades in an Everchanging Ecosystem”
🎓 Dr. Nikki Woods
“Learning for an Uncertain Future: Rethinking Expertise in Complex Systems”

From translational breakthroughs to public health leadership and the future of learning, this year’s plenaries will challenge how we think about research, impact, and what comes next.

Don’t miss the conversations shaping tomorrow’s health research.
🔗 Register now: wesparkconference.com

19/02/2026

WE-SPARK recently visited St. Clair College (SCC) for a partner engagement session focused on advancing community health and applied research across Windsor-Essex.

As a founding partner, SCC continues to demonstrate strong leadership in embedding applied research into education while supporting meaningful collaboration with community and health system partners. The visit created space for thoughtful conversations around expanding real-world research opportunities and strengthening pathways that connect innovation with community impact.

We are grateful for the continued partnership and shared commitment to building healthier communities through collaboration.

🔗 Read more: https://www.stclaircollege.ca/news/2026/advancing-community-health-and-wellbeing-through-partnership-and-purpose

09/02/2026

🚨Call for speakers with lived experience🚨

WE-SPARK Health Institute and the Lived Experience Accelerating Research kNowledge (LEARN) program are seeking people with lived experience to share their stories at the WE-SPARK Health Research Conference.

Our vision is to create a thriving health research community where lived experience is embedded in every step, driving equity, insight and impact by increasing engagement between people with lived experience and research partners.

Your Role: Briefly (2-3 minutes) share your experience as a patient or caregiver at the beginning of a concurrent session, and co-moderate the session with a researcher moderator.

What: WE-SPARK Health Research Conference (www.wesparkconference.com)
When: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Where: Caesars Windsor, 377 Riverside Dr E, Windsor ON Canada

💡For more info or questions, contact: wesparklearn@uwindsor.ca

🔗To sign up, visit: https://redcap.link/LEARNCall

09/02/2026

Celebrate the launch of the Black Health Program with a preventative health fair!

09/02/2026

02/02/2026

Be a hero and register as a stem cell donor!
When: Tuesday, Feb 3 from 12:30-4:00 PM
Where: University of Windsor CAW Student Centre, 2nd floor - in front of Alumni Auditorium

31/01/2026

A huge thank you to the 2026 U14AAA Windsor Jr. Spitfires for visiting WE-SPARK to learn more about local cancer research! 🏒🔬

Their team generously donated $800 toward cancer research and spent time going behind the scenes in the lab with the Porter Lab to see how discoveries happen firsthand.

We’re so inspired by young leaders giving back to their community. Thank you for making an impact!

30/01/2026

⏰ Abstract Deadline Extended! Looking for ways to present your health research? We’ve got great news!

📝 Abstract submissions are now open until February 6, 2026 (11:59 PM) for the 2026 WE-SPARK Health Research Conference.

✨ New Special Call for Oral Abstracts
📌 Case Studies & Learnings from the Field - highlighting real-world applications of research.

🎤 Presentation formats available:
🖼 Poster Sessions - open to all participants
⚡ Rapid-Fire Presentations (3 min / 1 slide) - For students & trainees
🗣 Concurrent Sessions (15-min talk + Q&A) - Preference given to research leads and projects with results

This is your opportunity to share, present, and discuss health research with the community. We welcome researchers, clinicians, students, and trainees to participate!

🔗 Submit your abstract & register today: https://wesparkconference.com/

23/01/2026

Join us for our upcoming WE-SPARK Think Tank, where researchers, community leaders, and innovators come together to tackle complex health challenges through collaboration and data-driven approaches.

👥 Featured Presenters:

🔹 Creating a Community-Driven Research Hub in the Downtown Core
Adrian Guta, PhD – School of Social Work, University of Windsor
A discussion on building an equity-centered, community-driven health research hub grounded in local partnerships and shared data.

🔹 Mapping Complex Chronic Disease Processes
Marcel Dufour – President & Chief Research Analyst, Boomslang Analytics Inc.
Introducing a novel, patient-centric framework to advance chronic disease research and position Canada at the forefront of health innovation.

🔹 Designing Healthier Buildings
Rajeev Ruparathna, PhD – Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Windsor
Exploring a BIM-based tool that integrates health risk insights into building design to protect occupant well-being.

📅 Date: February 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM
📍 Location: Zoom
💲 Cost: FREE

🔗https://www.wesparkhealth.com/conferences-and-workshops-187/think-tank-february-13th-2026
✨ Interested in presenting or sharing ideas for future Think Tanks?
📩 Contact us at wesparkhealth@uwindsor.ca

14/01/2026

🧠🔬 Brain health research spotlight: New findings published in Stem Cell Reports reveal how the protein Spy1 plays a powerful and complex role in regulating adult neural stem cells and tumour growth.

Led by Dr. Lisa Porter, with first authors Dr. Dorota Lubanska and Dr. Ingrid Qemo, this research helps deepen our understanding of brain cancer, aging, and memory, while opening doors to future therapeutic targets for aggressive cancers like glioblastoma.

We’re proud that this work was initially funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and later supported through a WE-SPARK Health Institute Igniting Discovery Grant — fueling discovery right here in Windsor-Essex. 💡✨

🔗 Read more about this exciting advancement in brain science!
https://www.uwindsor.ca/news/2026-01-12/brain-health-research-highlights-powerful-protein%E2%80%99s-role-stem-cells-and-tumour-growth

22/12/2025

📣 Call for Abstracts! Research leads are invited to submit abstracts to present their work at the 2026 WE-SPARK Health Research Conference.

🗣 Concurrent Sessions
Designed for research leads to showcase and discuss ongoing or completed research, these sessions include a 15-minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of Q&A. Preference will be given to projects with results and clear impact.

🖼 Poster Sessions
Open to all participants and ideal for visually showcasing key findings. Posters will be displayed for the full duration of the conference, with awards for Top Poster Presentations.

⚡ Rapid-Fire Sessions (Students & Trainees)
A fast-paced, 3-minute, 1-slide format highlighting current or completed research. Selected presenters will also participate in the poster session.

🗓 Abstract submission deadline: January 30, 2026
👉 Submit your abstract: https://wesparkconference.com/abstract-submission/