Health Futures

Patients receiving oral anticancer therapy are receiving better support thanks to a Waterloo Pharmacy alum and a team at the Waterloo Regional Health Centre (WRHN) Cancer Centre who have launched the Medication Assessment by Pharmacist (MAP) clinic.

Jackie Diebold (BScPhm '14, PharmD ’21), a clinical pharmacist, was backed by interim director of pharmacy Anthony Amadio (BScPhm ’11) oncology pharmacy co-ordinator Anna Granic and pharmacy manager Kathy Planinac to implement the new model to improve cancer care delivery while optimizing each clinicians’ skill set.

As a leader in health research, the University of Waterloo is home to extraordinary researchers who collaborate across fields, turning complex, interconnected challenges into opportunities for global change.

Two research projects have been awarded more than $4 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to improve national-level food policies and make continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices more accessible.

Did you know your optometrist is likely a University of Waterloo graduate? Or that Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy offers Canada’s only pharmacy co-op program? Waterloo doesn’t just teach — our programs transform our students into allied health professionals who diagnose, treat, rehabilitate and support patients, improving lives across Canada and beyond.

Dr. Laura Middleton, associate professor in Kinesiology and Health Sciences and Schlegel Research Chair in Dementia and Active Living, has helped develop Dementia Capable Communities: new resources aimed at communities to help promote the well-being and independence of those living with dementia.

When it comes to innovation, the University of Waterloo has long stood out — not only for its world-class research and entrepreneurial ecosystem but for a distinctive intellectual property (IP) policy that puts creators in control. This creator-owned IP model fosters an environment for innovation to thrive and has become a catalyst for global conversations about how to empower researchers while driving commercialization responsibly. 

A natural, superabsorbent material developed at the University of Waterloo could dramatically reduce the environmental impact of personal hygiene products like diapers, menstrual pads and tampons.

Unlike synthetic absorbent materials in commercial hygiene products, which are expected to take centuries to break down, the new hydrogel degrades harmlessly in soil within three months.