News

Ayodele Odutavo successful in Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) research Excellence, Diversity and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award 

Dr. Ayodele Odutayo (Women’s College Hospital) is one of 43 candidates recently awarded in the inaugural CIHR research Excellence, Diversity and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition award. Dr Odutayo, a KRESCENT fellow, was successful in the Kidney Health pool with the research project entitled “Expanding the use of SGLT-2 inhibitors to improve cardiorenal disease” and was ranked first in the award competition.   

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is a proud partner in the inaugural CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition award. This award is targeted to support post-doctoral researchers, clinicians and research associates from underrepresented groups launch their independent research careers in Canada.  The award is a two-phase award, providing both salary support and research funding during the post-doctoral training in phase 1, and committed funding to support the launch of the candidate’s independent research career through both salary support and research funding in phase 2. 

The launch of this program comes from the recognition that the transition from post-doctoral fellow to independent researcher can be one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome in a researcher’s career development.  This can be made more difficult by the addition of systemic barriers that are often in place for those from underrepresented groups, even though those very groups may often experience an over representation of many chronic diseases.  

“The first launch of the CIHR REDI award addresses the impact of racism and gender inequality on early career researchers, with the aim to make a meaningful difference in the lives and careers of researchers facing systemic barriers,” said Leanne Stalker, National Director of Research for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “This aligns with The Kidney Foundation’s strategic focus on capacity building and equity of access in kidney research." 

To learn more about this project, including the lay summary of the work, please see Early Career Transition Award (REDI).

About The Kidney Foundation of Canada  
The Kidney Foundation of Canada was founded in 1964 with the overarching goal of raising funds for research. To this day, research remains a key foundational priority, and The Foundation is the foremost Canadian charity supporting kidney research. Since 1973 The Kidney Foundation research program has invested continuously to support kidney-related disease research in Canada. The Foundation prides itself on a stringent, high-quality research program which supports all areas of kidney research including projects focused on increasing education and advocacy efforts, population health and prevention studies, research on kidney donation and transplant, as well as projects developing novel treatments, concentrating on overall wellness, and finding a cure for kidney disease. The Foundation continues to be committed to excellence and is strategically focused on addressing patient and community driven priority areas with the goal of leading to an improvement in long term health and wellness for those with kidney disease and post kidney transplant.  

About Women’s College Hospital 
For more than 100 years Women’s College Hospital (WCH) has been developing revolutionary advances in healthcare. Today, WCH is a world leader in the health of women and Canada’s leading, academic ambulatory hospital. A champion of health equity, WCH advocates for the health of all people from diverse cultures and backgrounds and ensures their needs are reflected in the care they receive. It focuses on delivering innovative solutions that address Canada’s most pressing issues related to population health, patient experience and system costs. To learn more: www.womenscollegehospital.ca