From Informative to Transformative

THE NOSM UNIVERSITY OF TOMORROW

As we look forward with hope to the post-pandemic era, NOSM University has a window of extraordinary opportunity in which to fundamentally and strategically transform itself to meet the health research, education and health care demands of tomorrow. The turbulence caused by the global COVID-19 crisis touched—and forever changed— every element of work in which we were engaged during this historic time. The crisis revealed that the prevailing medical education paradigm, a legacy of past centuries, is outmoded, and too brittle to bend and adapt to the realities of the day. It also demonstrated the need for research and scientific discovery to respond quickly to the issues of the day, and for evidence-based clinical practice to inform public policy. 

2021 Research Annual Report

A Treetop View

Research focused on a Healthier North

Research at NOSM University stems from unique questions rooted in the need to improve the health of the peoples and communities of Northern Ontario. For years, Canadian health research took place primarily in large centres. This meant many questions related to the health of Northerners were going unanswered, including the incidences of chronic disease, outcomes for patients with mental illness and how work in industries such as mining or forestry affect one’s health. Also left unanswered were specific questions about the health of Indigenous and Francophone communities in the North—two groups that have historically been under-represented in research.