Movers, Shakers, and Pioneers: The First 13 Scientific Directors at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The excitement crackled through the air of the Ottawa boardroom like static electricity. Around the table sat some of Canada's most prominent and up-and-coming researchers, having just begun what many would describe as a dream job: heading up a newly created institute with a mission to give out money for health research.

It was the year 2000, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) had just been established, made up of 13 institutes with mandates in areas such as cancer, genetics, infection and immunity, and population and public health. Selected through a consultative process and equipped with new funding provided to CIHR from the Government of Canada, the institutes were designed to support and invest in research across Canada.

And the inaugural scientific directors didn't waste any time getting started.

"It was like putting 13 Thoroughbreds inside a barn—they were off before anyone thought to close the door," recalls Dr. Diane Finegood, inaugural Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes. "We didn't have many policies in place yet, so we had the chance to make it up as we went along, and to be as innovative and creative as we could be."

Dr. Rémi Quirion, inaugural Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, also describes the time as thrilling and full of possibility.

"The first few years at CIHR were amazing," he says. "At our first meeting—I only knew two people there—but we were like a bunch of kids or a new football team excited to do big things together."

Without many rules in place and with substantial budget increases from year to year, the scientific directors found themselves in a stimulating environment full of opportunity.

"It was a tremendous time to develop something new, something different," says Dr. Quirion. "We could dream a lot."

Dr. Finegood agrees. "We had a lot of fun back then," recalls Dr. Finegood, "and there were 13 of us, so just think about that mix!"

Tackling Pressing Health Issues

That's not to say that the first scientific directors didn't have big challenges in front of them.

Although health research had come a long way, there were still formidable health problems to address such as dementia, addiction, stroke, and diabetes.

Dr. Bhagirath Singh, inaugural Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity, recalls the broad range of health challenges confronting his institute at the time, from the tragic E. coli outbreak in Walkerton that had just claimed multiple lives, to prion diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.

Similarly, in the field of neurology, Canadians faced a growing burden of health problems, especially as the population aged.

"The brain is a fabulous organism," says Dr. Quirion. "It works well for most of us for 50, 60, 70 years… but when something breaks, it has a major impact for the life of that person."

Diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's, are particularly difficult to study because they progress slowly (requiring long and costly clinical trials) and because researchers lack good animal models.

Meanwhile, the health issues related to Dr. Finegood's institute (diabetes, metabolic disease, and dysfunction of the digestive system, kidneys, hormones, and liver) were so vast that she focused the research community on one main priority: obesity. This approach made it easier to begin tackling the challenges and to maximize the impact within the given budget.

"Focusing on a single priority was at the advice of my Advisory Board," explains Dr. Finegood. "I embraced their recommendation."

Similarly, Dr. Singh and his institute decided to concentrate first on the safety of food and water sources. This focus would address many infectious diseases as well as the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics because of misuse or overuse). The institute's other major priority area became HIV—a significant health issue at the time in Canada, made even more pronounced by social stigma.

"We didn't know what was coming next," says Dr. Singh, "but we could see that our role would be critical."

Making Progress—One Step at a Time

Each institute operated out of the university where its scientific director was based, and was guided by an Institute Advisory Board that helped shape its direction.

Dr. Quirion recalls a pivotal early moment.

"When I started at CIHR," says Dr. Quirion, "I was able to convince the Board and the CIHR President to put neuroscience, mental health and addiction under one umbrella. So that became the name of the institute, and it made sense to have it all under one umbrella instead of having two or three institutes dealing with these areas."

Dr. Quirion's proposal argued that "if we work together and break barriers between these disciplines, we may find new ways to treat the diseases related to the brain—to treat mental health, mental illnesses, and to understand how the brain works."  

Dr. Quirion says that at the beginning, organizing the scope of the institute and bringing people together was a big undertaking. Dr. Finegood also reflects on the complexity of many autonomous units interacting together. As the institutes were getting set up—run by teams of local staff and supported by teams at CIHR headquarters in Ottawa—they were also thinking of how to collaborate on cross-institute initiatives and how to make meaningful progress.

"I had a steep learning curve," reflects Dr. Finegood. "I hadn't run anything like this before, whereas some of my colleagues had run departments and things like that. I made mistakes, but I also forged interesting new paths."

Dr. Singh recalls the challenge of starting from scratch, but also how fortunate he was to have a good team of people. His institute was particularly active in engaging the community, especially when it came to HIV research. "We were fortunate to have good representation of community members on our Advisory Board," says Dr. Singh.

However, just as his institute was finding its footing, a new crisis appeared.

The Institute of Infection and Immunity had to be nimble and switch focus when SARS hit in 2003. "It was a global challenge, and Canada was in the midst of it," says Dr. Singh.

CIHR responded quickly, funding a small set of research grants within three weeks of the outbreak, and then established a consortium that became the driving force for how to respond to future public health emergencies.

Meanwhile, Dr. Finegood reflects on unusual opportunities and innovative partnerships at the time. "We got to do a lot of cool and innovative things," says Dr. Finegood. "I got the CIHR logo on the back of a cereal box." The project was a partnership with Kellogg's on the Canada on the Move campaign. Kellogg was putting 1,000,000 pedometers in boxes of cereal and encouraging people to "donate their steps" to health research.  

"It was an experiment in public-private partnership and how to keep the right barriers between public and private interests," she explains.

Early Successes and Lasting Impact

As a result of this early work, CIHR has had profound impacts on health in Canada.

"It absolutely accelerated the pace of obesity research in Canada," says Dr. Finegood. By 2002, CIHR had invested more than $106 million in obesity research. The institute not only created momentum in the obesity research domain but nurtured careers, leading to networks such as Obesity Canada that continue to support research, education, and advocacy today.

Dr. Singh and Dr. Quirion agree that the early days of CIHR laid the groundwork for enduring impact.

"We have made progress, in Canada and globally, in brain research," says Dr. Quirion.

He highlights CIHR's leadership in supporting and developing the field of neuroethics—the study of ethical issues related to brain diseases and treatments—as well as advancements in the fields of epigenetics and tobacco addiction research.

Dr. Singh points out that his institute was an early supporter of microbiome research, before anyone really knew what it was, and he highlights how the communities, programs, and initiatives they built (e.g., related to HIV and AMR) continue to respond to today's health challenges.

Then and Now

While the core structure of the institutes remains largely the same as in 2000, their priorities and focus areas continue to change to address emerging health issues such as COVID-19 and the opioid crisis.

Shifts in the political landscape—such as the push for more interprovincial collaboration—and advancements in communication technology—such as the rise of social media and remote work technology—also continue to shape the way the institutes function. For example, many meetings now take place virtually.

Other changes are also notable. Dr. Finegood recounts how in the beginning there were only two women scientific directors; today, women hold most of these roles.

As for the inaugural scientific directors, they have gone on to do many more great things in their careers.

"My own scholarship has changed because of my experience at CIHR," says Dr. Finegood.

Reflecting on his time at CIHR, Dr. Singh says "I was able to do something that I never thought I'd do when I first became an academic. It was life changing. No question."

Whether they were like racehorses galloping toward the finish line or a football team coming together for victory, it's clear the inaugural scientific directors were innovative thinkers, collaborators, and pioneers who left a legacy.

"The other scientific directors were great colleagues and mentors," says Dr. Singh.

Date modified:

2025-11-27