Nine researchers from four faculties have been named Canada Research Chairs as part of a national strategy to attract and retain a diverse cadre of world-class researchers.
These researchers' work addresses important issues like healthy aging, chronic pain management, clean transportation, work and mental health, and more.
The new and renewed Canada Research Chairs are, top row from left: Anne Klassen, Vanessa Watts and Allison Williams; bottom row from left: Marla Beauchamp, Irene Botosaru, Jason Busse, Ali Emadi, Sarah Svenningsen and Marisa Young.
There are two tiers of CRCs, which recognize accomplished and emerging research leaders: Tier 1 chairs are held for seven years with an investment of $200,000 a year; Tier 2 chairs are held for five years, with an investment of $100,000 annually, with an additional $20,000 annual stipend for first-term chairs. Each tier of chairs can be renewed once.
Three McMaster researchers are newly named CRCs and six have had their Chairs renewed.
These are the new CRCs:
Anne Klassen | Canada Research Chair in Patient Reported Outcomes (Tier 1)
Anne Klassen is a professor of Pediatrics and an associate member of the departments of Surgery and Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Klassen's research program is focused on developing, validating and implementing into clinical care a rigorously designed patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) to measure outcomes important to transgender and gender-diverse youth from their perspective, with the goal of enhancing patient care.
Vanessa Watts | Canada Research Chair in Colonial Histories and Indigenous Futures (Tier 2)
Vanessa Watts is an assistant professor in the departments of Sociology and Indigenous Studies in the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Watts' research program will examine experiences, stories, and lessons from Indigenous residents of the Mohawk Institute Residential School and the Hamilton Mountain Sanatorium, employing the novel framework of "re-neighbouring" to connect former residents, their descendants and their communities to their shared histories and each other.
Allison Williams | Canada Research Chair in the Care Economy, Aging and Policy (Tier 1)
Allison Williams is a professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society, in the Faculty of Science.
She is a social and health geographer with research interests in carer-employees, quality of life, critical policy/program evaluation and therapeutic landscapes.
Williams' research will build knowledge about the health of carer-employees - a growing component of the workforce who juggle paid employment with unpaid adult care responsibilities, whilst refining and scaling carer-friendly workplace policies.
These are the renewed CRCs:
- Marla Beauchamp | Canada Research Chair in Mobility, Aging and Chronic Disease (Tier 2) | Faculty of Health Sciences
- Irene Botosaru | Canada Research Chair in Applied Econometrics (Tier 2) | Faculty of Social Sciences
- Jason Busse | Canada Research Chair in Prevention & Management of Chronic Pain (Tier 2) | Faculty of Health Sciences
- Ali Emadi | Canada Research Chair in Transportation Electrification and Smart Mobility (Tier 1) | Faculty of Engineering
- Sarah Svenningsen | Canada Research Chair in Pulmonary Imaging (Tier 2) | Faculty of Health Sciences
- Marisa Young | Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Work-Life Transitions (Tier 2) | Faculty of Social Sciences
Marisa Young will receive an additional $75,000 through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) in support of the Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society Lab, based at McMaster.
"Congratulations to McMaster's new and renewed Canada Research Chairs," says Gianni Parise, McMaster's vice-president (Research).
"Their groundbreaking work is advancing healthier, cleaner, more equitable communities, both in Canada and globally. We thank the federal government for this investment in McMaster research."
The CRCs are part of more than $690 million in funding announced today by the federal government to support science and research across Canada.
The amount includes funding provided through the Research Support Fund (RSF), which assists Canadian postsecondary institutions with costs associated with managing their research enterprise. McMaster was awarded over $17 million through the RSF for 2025-26.
