Elina Birmingham Receives Health Research BC Engage Award

August 05, 2026

Congratulations to Dr. Elina Birmingham, Associate Professor in SFU’s Faculty of Education, who has received a 2026 Engage Award from Michael Smith Health Research BC. The Engage Award provides short-term funding to bring researchers and research users together, strengthen partnerships, and identify opportunities for future research and knowledge mobilization. Part of Health Research BC’s Impact Pathways Program, this award supports collaborative and community-connected health research across the province.

Dr. Birmingham will collaborate with Lara McLachlan, founder of the Neurodiversity Change Foundation (NCF), on the project Neuroinclusive Health Human Resources (N-HHR): Advancing Neurodivergent Leadership, Retention, and Workforce Participation in BC Health Systems. Neurodivergent workers, trainees, clinicians, researchers, advocates, and lived-experience leaders represent an important but under-recognized source of workforce capacity and health system knowledge. Many face barriers related to accommodation, communication accessibility, psychosocial safety, workplace design, retention, and leadership. Thus, addressing these barriers is both an equity and health issue in human resources. Building on Dr. Birmingham’s research on autistic students in work-integrated learning and NCF’s leadership work, the partnership will explore research and knowledge mobilization pathways to strengthen human resources for neuroinclusive health in BC.