REDI 2025 Linkage Tool: Connecting Applicants with Mentors
The REDI program is intended to advance scientific excellence and foster diversity in Canada's research ecosystem. It was designed to support the professional development and career progression of trainees who are aiming to launch an independent research career in Canada, and would benefit from 1-3 years of structured, mentored development to support that transition.
To support this goal, CIHR is offering a Linkage Tool to help applicants connect with potential mentors. This tool links REDI 2025 applicants with:
- Individuals interested in serving as mentors (e.g., researchers; people with clinical, policy or community-based experience; Elders or Knowledge Holders; people with lived experience; experts with specialized metholodogical, technological or research knowledge; community leaders), and
- Organizations or groups that can connect applicants to potential mentors (e.g. mentorship networks; federal, provincial, territorial, municipal or Indigenous governments; Indigenous groups; community-based or non-profit organizations).
Interested in supporting the next generation of REDI researchers?
If you would like to be a mentor or connect applicants with potential mentors, please complete the REDI 2025 Linkage Tool online form. Your profile will be posted below and the tool will be updated regularly until the application deadline.
Looking for a mentor?
REDI 2025 applicants can browse posted profiles and contact individuals, networks or organizations directly to explore mentorship opportunities.
Important notes:
- Use of this tool is optional. Applicants are not required to use the tool or contact those who have submitted information, and may also pursue opportunities for mentorship with people/organizations outside of those listed below.
- Applicants are responsible for ensuring that mentors in their REDI 2025 application meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the Funding Opportunity.
- Completing the form is voluntary, and mentors are not required to appear in the tool to serve as a mentor for a REDI 2025 applicant.
- Profiles are displayed in the language in which they were submitted.
- You may request to have your information edited or removed at any time by sending a request to the REDI Program Secretariat at REDISecretariat-SecretariatEDIR@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
Notice
The information is provided in the language in which it was submitted by the respondent.
| Profile Type Individual mentor or Network/organization that connects applicants to mentors |
Contact Information Name Title Affiliation Location Website Phone |
Language(s) of Mentorship | Participant Type | Expertise/ Experience | Mentorship Offered | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual REDI mentor | Céline Aguer McGill University, Campus Outaouais and Institut du Savoir Montfort Ontario Muscle Metabolism Lab celine.aguer@mcgill.ca 613-746-4621 ext 6047 |
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Academic institution |
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| Individual REDI mentor | Walter Swardfager University of Toronto Ontario w.swardfager@utoronto.ca 416-480-6100 |
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Academic institution | Dr. Swardfager’s research focuses on cognitive and mood symptoms in later life and their midlife risk factors. On-going studies explore the neuroimmunological intersection between psychiatric and metabolic diseases as an avenue to discover biomarkers, elucidate vulnerability factors and implicate new treatments. Mechanisms by which cardiopulmonary fitness and exercise interventions counteract neurodegenerative processes are of particular interest. Disease areas of focus include depression, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease, which often occur together with compounding consequences. Techniques used include genomics, neuroimaging, serum biomarkers and neuropsychiatric assessments. The lab also uses public health records to examine the impact of medications on long-term dementia risk and related health outcomes. |
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| Individual REDI mentor | Michelle Nelson, PhD Care in Common Living Lab, Bruyere Health Research Institute Ontario mlanelson@bruyere.org 647-938-4425 |
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Academic institution |
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My research spans stroke rehabilitation, chronic disease management, and health systems integration, with particular strength in implementation science frameworks and community-engaged approaches. As Director of the Care in Common Living Lab at Bruyère Research Institute, I lead work that embeds social determinants of health and equity considerations throughout the research lifecycle—from question formulation through to knowledge mobilization and system change. I have extensive experience developing culturally tailored interventions for diverse populations and collaborative governance models that center community voices in healthcare transformation. As someone who believes ""none of us are as smart as all of us,"" I prioritize collaborative mentorship that helps emerging scholars identify where they can be most useful and create opportunities for others. I'm especially committed to supporting scholars navigating systemic barriers or seeking to bridge research with policy impact. Whether you're working on clinical research, health equity, knowledge translation, qualitative methods, or health systems innovation, I will focus on helping you build the networks, skills, and strategic thinking needed to advance both your research and your leadership influence at local, national, and international levels. |
| Individual REDI mentor | Dr. Zohra Zahir University of Toronto Ontario zohra.zahir@utoronto.ca 306-209-9194 |
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Independent researcher |
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I am particularly interested in mentoring racialized women scholars navigating the Canadian research system, including international trainees transitioning from conflict-affected or structurally inequitable contexts. I can support applicants who need guidance in building confidence, developing research independence, and increasing visibility in spaces where they are historically underrepresented. I am comfortable supporting trainees working across interdisciplinary domains (environmental, global health, planetary health, climate, biogeochemistry) and trainees whose work intersects with community-led or policy-facing spaces. I can also support applicants who need help navigating UN biodiversity processes, global south representation, and ethical knowledge mobilization. My mentorship approach is trauma-aware, relational, and equity-centered. |
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