Annual PRIME Conference

  • Subversive and Anti-colonial Methods in Family Mental Health

    The 3rd Annual PRIME Conference brought together researchers, trainees, community partners, service providers, and knowledge users to advance conversations in child, youth, and family mental health. The 2026 conference focused on subversive and anticolonial methods in family mental health, highlighting the importance of community-led, equity-oriented, and relationship-based approaches to research, practice, and knowledge exchange.

    This year’s conference welcomed approximately 140 registrants and featured 18 trainee poster presentations, creating a vibrant space for learning, networking, and collaboration across the PRIME community. The event provided opportunities to explore innovative approaches to family mental health research, strengthen academic-community partnerships, and showcase emerging work led by trainees, researchers, and community collaborators.

    As part of the conference, PRIME also celebrated the contributions of trainees through the Trainee Poster Competition. Harleen Gill was named the poster competition winner, with honourable mentions awarded to Emma Papoff, Light Uchechukwu, and Azizur Rahman. These presentations highlighted the important role of trainee-led research in advancing knowledge, innovation, and impact in family mental health.

    The conference also highlighted the launch of PRIME X Community funding, which supports community-led and academic-community partnered research across Manitoba. Four PRIME X Community Student Fellowships were awarded to Bunmi Adeyemi with Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, Deborah Alabi with Resilia Community Wellness Centre, Marika Howell-Favell with the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Shelby Buhle with YMCA.

    Six PRIME X Community Grants were also awarded to community organizations, including the Afro-Caribbean Mentorship Program, Canadian Mental Health Association Manitoba and Winnipeg, Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, Pinaymootang First Nation Health Centre, and Resilia Community Wellness Centre. These awards reflect PRIME X Community’s commitment to supporting community-driven mental health initiatives, strengthening research and evaluation capacity, and building reciprocal partnerships between community organizations and academic collaborators.

    As part of the 3rd Annual PRIME Conference programming, PRIME X Community hosted its first community workshop in January 2026 as a pre-conference event. This workshop focused on re-thinking academic-community research partnerships and created space for reflection, discussion, and shared learning. Participants engaged in interactive activities, reflection exercises, and conversations about the resources, supports, and barriers involved in building meaningful and reciprocal community-academic collaborations.

    This workshop was the first in a planned four-part PRIME X Community Workshop Series, with additional sessions focused on collaboration, grant development, meaningful outcome measurement, and using the arts for engagement and communication. The series is part of the broader PRIME X Community initiative, supported through collaboration with RBC, and aims to advance community-led work, elevate the voices of underserved communities, and build provincial capacity to support community organizations in evaluating, adapting, and strengthening programming.

    Through keynote presentations, trainee posters, interactive discussions, community-engaged programming, award announcements, and the launch of the PRIME X Community Workshop Series, the 3rd Annual PRIME Conference continued to support PRIME’s mission of building strong connections between research, practice, policy, and community priorities. The conference created space to share knowledge, celebrate trainee and community contributions, strengthen partnerships, and advance collaborative work that supports the mental health and well-being of children, youth, and families in Manitoba and beyond.

    For more information about the 3rd PRIME Research Conference, please see our Winter 2026 Newsletter here.

  • Creating Social Change: Demystifying Advocacy and Policy in Family Mental Health

    Our 2nd annual prime conference brought together the PRIME community to explore how research, advocacy, policy, and lived experience can work together to strengthen family mental health. The conference created a space for researchers, trainees, community partners, service providers, and knowledge users to connect, share ideas, and discuss how mental health research can move beyond academic settings to inform meaningful social change.

    The conference welcomed 97 registrants and included 10 trainee poster presentations, 2 keynote speakers, 2 panel presentations, and 2 live art-based activities. These sessions highlighted the importance of creative, community-engaged, and policy-informed approaches to improving mental health and well-being for children, youth, and families.

    The event also featured special guests and art-based engagement activities, including contributions from Aimée-Mihkokwaniy McGillis, Ryan Smoluk, the Whitehorse Drum Group, and Elder Mary Wilson. These contributions brought reflection, creativity, cultural grounding, and community connection into the conference space, supporting PRIME’s commitment to inclusive and meaningful knowledge exchange.

    A key part of the conference was the Trainee Poster Competition, which showcased emerging research from PRIME trainees. The 2025 winner was Jessica Trainor for her poster, Examining the Relationship Between Observed Maternal Sensitivity and Parenting Experiences With Toddlers. Honourable mentions were awarded to Bunmi Adeyemi, Michaela Borque, and Jennifer Siran for their contributions to family mental health, eHealth, identity, and caregiver-focused research.

    Through keynote talks, panel discussions, trainee presentations, art-based activities, and community engagement, the 2nd Annual PRIME Conference supported PRIME’s mission to build connections across research, practice, policy, and community. The conference created an opportunity to celebrate trainee scholarship, strengthen partnerships, and continue advancing family mental health research that is responsive, collaborative, and grounded in real-world impact.

    For more information about the Advocacy PRIME Research Conference, please see our Winter 2025 Newsletter here.

  • Inaugural PRIME Conference – Research in eHealth and Family Mental Health.

    The Inaugural PRIME Research Conference marked an important milestone for PRIME, bringing together researchers, trainees, community partners, service providers, and knowledge users to advance conversations in family mental health and eHealth. As PRIME’s first annual research conference, the event created a dedicated space for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and connection across the PRIME community.

    The conference welcomed 63 registrants and featured 13 trainee poster presentations, 4 keynote speakers, and 1 special guest. Through presentations, discussion, and trainee-led research sharing, the conference highlighted innovative work focused on family mental health, digital health tools, community partnership, and culturally responsive approaches to care.

    A key feature of the conference was the Trainee Poster Competition, which celebrated emerging scholars and their contributions to mental health and eHealth research. Madissen Sitka was named the poster competition winner for her presentation, Characterizing Physiological Correlates of Maternal Depression Using Wearable Technology. Honourable mentions were awarded to Bobby McHardy for Toward Improving Family Mental Health Service Cost-Efficiency: Evidence for the BEAM Program and Teagan Neufeld for Talking All Things JoyPop™: Qualitative Examination Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.

    The conference also recognized PRIME trainee grant awardees, including Shayna Pierce, who received the Award for Research in eHealth; Lily Pankratz, who received the Award for Research Involving Community Partnership; Sydney Levasseur-Puhach, who received the Award for Black and Indigenous Trainees; and Nicole Tongol, who received the Award for Research in Family Mental Health. These awards reflected PRIME’s commitment to supporting trainee-led research across eHealth, community partnership, Indigenous and decolonizing approaches, and culturally responsive family mental health programming.

    The event concluded with a special hoop dance performance by Rylee Sandberg, whose storytelling and healing dance brought a meaningful and reflective close to the conference. Through keynote presentations, trainee posters, award recognition, and community-engaged programming, the Inaugural PRIME Research Conference helped establish an annual space for collaboration, mentorship, and knowledge exchange within the PRIME network.

    For more information about the Inaugural PRIME Research Conference, please see our Spring 2024 Newsletter here.

Other PRIME Events

  • The PRIME Writing Retreat provides dedicated time and space for PRIME trainees, staff, and affiliated academics to focus on writing, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. The retreat is designed to support progress on manuscripts, reports, grants, and other academic or community-engaged research outputs in a supportive and productive environment.

    Through structured writing time, peer connection, and opportunities for feedback, the retreat helps strengthen research productivity while building a sense of community across the PRIME network. It also creates space for trainees and team members to connect with mentors, share ideas, and advance work that supports PRIME’s broader mission in family mental health research.

  • The PRIME X Community Workshop Series brings together community partners, trainees, researchers, and academic collaborators to strengthen community-academic partnerships and support community-driven mental health research in Manitoba. Supported through the RBC-funded PRIME X Community initiative, the workshop series is part of a broader effort to build capacity, support knowledge sharing, and create practical pathways for community organizations and researchers to work together in meaningful and reciprocal ways.

    The first workshop was hosted in January 2026 as part of the pre-conference event for PRIME’s 3rd Annual Conference. This session focused on re-thinking academic-community research partnerships and created space for reflection, discussion, and shared learning. Three additional workshops are planned as part of the series, with topics focused on collaboration, grant development, meaningful outcome measurement, and using the arts for engagement and communication.

    Through these workshops, PRIME X aims to support community organizations in building research and evaluation capacity, strengthen relationships across sectors, and advance community-led approaches to child, youth, and family mental health.

  • The PRIME Academic Holiday Lunch is an annual gathering that usually takes place in December and welcomes PRIME-affiliated academics, staff, and trainees. This lunch provides an opportunity for the PRIME community to come together, celebrate the year’s progress, and strengthen connections across the team. It also creates space for informal networking, reflection, and appreciation of the collaborative work that supports PRIME’s research, training, and community-engagement activities.

PRIME Events Highlights