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One in nine Albertans suffer from bone and joint disorders such as osteoporosis and arthritis, which are among the most common chronic conditions experienced by Canadians. Within one generation, it is expected that the number of people affected by osteoarthritis (OA) will double, resulting in 10 million Canadians suffering from the impacts of this disease.

Led by the McCaig Institute for Bone & Joint Health and a multidisciplinary team of basic scientists, engineers, clinicians and health-system researchers, the Cumming School of Medicine is developing new and innovative solutions resulting in discoveries that haven’t occurred anywhere else in the world.

One in three Canadians will be affected by a brain or nervous system disorder or injury in their lifetimes. Some of these conditions occur early in life, with 75 per cent of major mental illnesses such as depression and addiction beginning before the age of 25. Others, like stroke, increase in risk with age. Age-related dementia remains a major unresolved health challenge that threatens to overwhelm our health care system. 

Led by the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, researchers across campus are unlocking new discoveries and treatments for brain health in our community.

Cancer has a profound impact on our province – 50 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women in Alberta will develop cancer in their lifetime, and one in four will die from the disease. The good news is precision medicine promises to have a major impact on the fight.

Led by the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, researchers are collaborating across disciplines and faculties. The breadth and depth of our research expertise enables our teams to lead the charge against cancer – especially pediatric cancers and cancers of the lung, brain, blood, and head and neck. 

Someone in our country dies every seven minutes from illness related to the cardiovascular system. Currently 90 per cent of Canadians have at least one risk factor for vascular disease, and 50,000 people in Canada are diagnosed each year with heart failure. This is both devastating and preventable. 

Led by the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, the Cumming School of Medicine is dedicated to changing the future of cardiovascular health for all Albertans, from children to seniors, by translating innovative research into bold health-care solutions.

Children are not small adults: at every age, they are unique. Preventing stressors and treating illnesses in babies and children have lifelong benefits. Our institute is devoted to child health research in a wide spectrum of disciplines – all focused on better lifelong health and well-being for children, families and communities.

Working with and for children and families, our researchers are studying how best to help them achieve optimal health and well-being, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three out of five Canadians over the age of 20 suffer from chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, bowel diseases, neural diseases such as autism and depression. Every one of these has increased exponentially in frequency over the past few decades, causing pain and disability, diminishing quality of life and leading to death at an early age. Led by the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, more than 200 UCalgary experts from the faculties of science, kinesiology, nursing, veterinary medicine and engineering are working together to improve the quality of life for millions of people of all ages affected by infection, inflammation and chronic diseases. 

The well-being of our society depends on the health of the people in it. Countries and economies cannot be healthy and thrive when our people are sick. We know that children, youth and adults from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are most vulnerable to gaps in health. Led by the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, researchers at the Cumming School of Medicine are making an impact here and around the world. Our expertise, combined with strong community partnerships position us to develop solutions and policies that will benefit our city, province, nation and the world.

As a result of advances in genomics, imaging and data analyses, there has been a transformation in the way we diagnose and treat disease. At the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), we aim to provide access to individualized prevention and treatment plans that mean better outcomes with fewer risks – bringing the future of medicine to Alberta. Combining research with technology hubs, the CSM’s core platforms provide the foundation for this transformation, empowering the most brilliant minds from across the University of Calgary to share their knowledge and expertise.