CIHR award will support research into Indigenous health

Amy Wright, a PhD student in the School of Nursing at McMaster University, has won a significant CIHR fellowship.

Wright was awarded a total of $168,000 over a 3-year period to study how Indigenous mothers in Hamilton use health services to meet the health needs of their infants. Of the 184 winners in the competition, only four were for Aboriginal-related priorities – two for research methodologies and two for research on First Nations/Metis/Inuit health.

“I am extremely grateful to have been awarded this research funding from CIHR,” says Wright. “This award will allow me to better focus my time and efforts towards my thesis research. My desire is for this work to provide important knowledge and understanding about the needs of these families, and will assist health professionals in providing relevant and meaningful heath care for Indigenous mothers and infants not only in Hamilton, but across the country. I am so thankful for the support of my friends, family throughout the program, and particularly for my PhD committee members, who have provided me with invaluable expertise, and are the reason for my success. ”

Wright completed her BScN at McMaster University in 2006, and found her niche in neonatal nursing. She went on to complete her MScN and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner degrees to have greater knowledge to pursue educational and research opportunities. Realizing her passion for education and research, and the need for further expertise and skills, she began pursuing her PhD of Nursing at McMaster University in 2013.

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