20 years in the making
2000-2020
SPHERU was established with the aim to significantly alter the landscape of health research in Saskatchewan through the creation of a social, environmental and prevention-oriented health research unit, shared by the province’s two universities; University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina.
A lot has happened in the past 20 years. These accomplishments, relationships and learning prepare both our faculty and staff to usher in another 2 decades of meaningful partnership, thoughtful research and action for the better health of Saskatchewan people.

1999
SPHERU is founded
Founding Director, Dr. Ron Labonte, joins SPHERU
2000
SPHERU’s research framework and priority research strategy is established
A paper is published in Chronic Disease Canada to highlight this.
SPHERU is incorporated as an independent research organization
The first of its kind to be present in two independent universities.

2003
SPHERU lands its first CIHR STIHR grant
This funding supports the Strategy for Training in Health Research, Community and Population Health Training Program, an innovative post-graduate training initiative with an interdisciplinary approach to population health research. 46 students receive training through the CPHR Program between 2003 and 2008.
SPHERU partners with CUISR to conduct and launch Saskatoon Quality of Life studies
These innovative studies are conducted every 3 years from then on, 2003 to 2015.

A groundbreaking partnership forms between SPHERU, CUISR and StarPhoenix
The partnership results in the publishing of ‘Taking the Pulse’, a quality of life, state of economy, environment, societal relations survey in Saskatchewan. This is a one-of-a-kind partnership involving academics and a daily Newspaper.
2004
Dr. George Maslany named Interim Director of SPHERU
2005
SPHERU transitioned from incorporated unit to a Bi-University research unit governed by an MOU
2005
SPHERU transitioned from incorporated unit to a Bi-University research unit governed by an MOU
2006
Dr. Bonnie Jeffery assumes the role as SPHERU Director

SPHERU lands its first ‘Team Grant’ sponsored by Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation
Dr.’s Bonnie Jeffery and Nazeem Muhajarine are co-leads.
Nazeem Muhajarine wins Knowledge Translation Award for Local/Regional Impact, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

2006 & 2007
Two of SPHERUs CPHR trainees win national awards
Trainees are awarded with the Population and Public Health Student award from the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA).
2008
SPHERU sponsors a capstone national conference
This conference marks the culmination of the Community and Population Health Research strategic training program. Forty-six Masters and PhD trainees graduated from the CPHR program.
SPHERU publishes its first ‘collective article’ written by all the members of the unit
*Recommendations for action on the social determinants of health – A Canadian perspective. The Lancet, 372, 1690-1693

SPHERU publishes a guide for Community Based Participatory Evaluation
This workbook shares lessons learned and is an important aspect of SPHERU’s overall knowledge exchange strategy.

2008-2011
The SPHERU Team Grant is renewed by SHRF
2009
Nazeem Muhajarine wins Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation’s Achievement Award given to an outstanding health researcher (SHRF’s highest award)

2010
SPHERU publishes a landmark study, Redistributing Health: New Directions in Population Health Research in Canada
McIntosh T, Jeffery B, Muhajarine N, editors.
2010 SPHERU develops an evaluation framework and conducts the evaluation for the Aboriginal Health Transition Fund and the Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative in the Saskatchewan Region
This work is funded by the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada.

2011
SPHERU publishes Knowledge Translation Case Book modeled after the highly successful CIHR KT case books
Bacsu J, Macqueen Smith F, editors. Innovations in Knowledge Translation: The SPHERU KT Casebook. University of Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit; 2011.
SPHERU cosponsors with Indigenous Peoples Health Research Centre the Community Based Health Research Summer Institute
2011-2014
The SPHERU Team Grant is renewed by SHRF

2014
Dr Nazeem Muhajarine assumes Director role and Dr Tom McIntosh assumes Associate Director role
SPHERU launches The History of Health in Saskatchewan TimeLine
Funding received from the SHRF Team Grant and additional funding from the Faculty of Arts and the University of Regina President’s Fund

To mark 10th anniversary since founding, SPHERU and CUISR partner once again to publish collected papers in an edited book on community based research
Jeffery B, Findlay IM, Martz D, Clarke L, editors. Journeys in Community-Based Research. Regina: University of Regina Press, 2014.
SPHERU researcher Dr. Shanti Johnson named one of 11 fulbright scholars

SPHERU Director, Dr Nazeem Muhajarine, is honoured with the University of Massachusetts Amherst award for Significant Contributions to the field of public health and health sciences
2014-2018
SPHERU Team Grant renewed by SHRF

2017
Mozambique-Canada Maternal Health Project is funded by Global Affairs Canada
(Muhajarine, PI; Sylvia Abonyi, co-researcher)
2018
Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Canada hosted at U of Regina
SPHERU invited to host Community Connection showcase event, Successful Aging for All in the Prairies. Five SPHERU research showcased.

SPHERU sponsors the Policy Maker-Community Summit
This summit is hosted to address the social isolation of Older Adults

2019
SPHERU makes the case for taking a historical approach to public and population health research
Hackett P., Bascu J., McIntosh T., Jeffery B. and Muhajarine N., “Innovation in population health intervention research: a historical perspective” In Bioarchaeology of Marginalized People, M. Mant and A. Jaagumagi Holland editors, Academic Press 2019