Centres and Groups
Research Groups and Centres at Thompson Rivers University enhance interdisciplinary connections by promoting research interaction and collaboration among faculty, between faculty and students, and with research collaborators in the community and in other institutions. TRU has dedicated resources to a number of research centres and groups, which operate as research hubs, offering faculty members opportunities to work collaboratively across disciplines on areas of shared interest.
Research Centres and Institutes
All My Relations
Contact: Dr. Rod McCormick
The mission of the AMR Research Centre is to advance Indigenous community wellness by bringing together regional, national, and international Indigenous researchers to work in partnership with Indigenous communities to identify, research, advance and build capacity and capability in Indigenous community wellness.
Centre for Optimization and Data Science
Contact: Dr. Roger Yu
The Centre for Optimization and Data Science at Thompson Rivers University is an intellectual hub to foster multi-disciplinary research at TRU and to encourage collaboration among faculty members, not only in the theoretical study of optimization and data science, as well as applications to real-world problems. In addition CODS works with public and private sector to establish mathematical models for their operations in order to develop optimal solutions.
Institute for Wildfire Science, Adaption, and Resiliency
Contact: wildfire@tru.ca
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) are leading the future of fire management. Wildfire concerns are growing with extreme fire behaviour and fire activity becoming the norm. A different approach is critical to address this new reality. In partnership, TRU and BCWS have worked side-by-side on a solutions-focused and comprehensive approach to current and future wildfire challenges. We call this TRU Wildfire. TRU Wildfire brings together and links four key areas — research, education, training and innovation. Through these, society will be in a better position to prevent, prepare for and respond to wildfire.
Population Health and Aging Rural Research (PHARR) Centre
Contact: Dr. Juanita-Dawne Bacsu
The PHARR Centre conducts population health research to advance the health equity of rural older adults, with a strong focus on brain health and dementia research. Guided by a social ecological approach, it works across individual, community, and policy levels in collaboration with rural leaders, older adults, people with lived experience, policymakers, and practitioners. Its research addresses four areas including aging in place and dementia, cognitive and physical health, stigma and social inclusion, and navigation of health and social care systems to advance brain health and dementia care in rural communities.
Research Groups
Brain Health Coalition
Contact: Dr. Florriann Fehr
The Brain Health Coalition (BHC) advances brain health education, research, practice, understanding, and applications through local, regional, and national initiatives on issues, trends, and challenges. The BHC will cultivate a strong network and support system, grounded in learning together, and embracing the current brain health research works, and our current understanding of practice towards better applications and advancements in the field.
Community and Cultural Mapping Research Group
Contact: Dr. Will Garrett-Petts
The Community and Cultural Mapping Research Group builds effective partnerships that encourages public engagement through cultural mapping; facilitates research collaboration involving community members, academics, and students as co-researchers; studies and fosters the community-university mentoring of student researchers; builds mechanisms and capacity for cultural mapping research engagement; creates opportunities for knowledge exchange; develops approaches and new technologies that help make research both visible and accessible; develops research tools for mapping community and cultural engagement in smaller communities; and, engages in areas of community and cultural advocacy, policy development, and networking for capacity enhancement.
Faculty interested in establishing a centre should follow the procedures outlined in the relevant TRU Policies.
