Message from Dr. Malcolm King, Scientific Director

Greetings,

I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve the Aboriginal health research community in my new role as Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute of Health Research, Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health. I am committed to work within CIHR and with our many partners in promoting good health and well-being for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada and for Indigenous peoples abroad through research and knowledge exchange. I fully support the principle of community participation in research, and I respect the knowledge and abilities that communities have and will bring to the research arena. I believe that working respectfully with communities will help to achieve CIHR's quest for excellence in research that meets the health needs of all Canadians.

I commend Dr. Jeff Reading for his leadership and vision during the first years of the IAPH. He brought us from the situation where there were very few people involved in Aboriginal health research to where we are today, with many more people in both academia and communities working together on issues that are important to the health and well-being of our peoples. The challenges for the next few years are to continue and expand the building of capacity to carry out research, particularly with our community partners. This means assisting with the development of skills and training, and devoting appropriate resources to research that meets the needs of Aboriginal communities. It also means carrying out sound and ethical research together in ways that respect community values and allow communities to stand as true partners in the research process.

It's not a time to be complacent; there is still an ongoing, unacceptable gap in the health status of Aboriginal Canadians. Dealing with this deficit requires addressing the complex determinants of health. It also requires valuing the strengths of Indigenous peoples to deal with these complex issues. Achieving our vision of good health and well-being for all Aboriginal people in Canada and for the world's Indigenous communities is only possible when we work together.

I look forward to working with you.

Dr. Malcolm King