CABHI Science Collaborative Spotlight: Isabella Lim, PhD

The first-ever CABHI Science Collaborative (CSC) Fellowship showcase is a week away, so we are spotlighting some of the incredible work coming from our inaugural cohort of fellows.

CABHI Science Collaborative Impact Programs |
Healthcare professionals looking at a laptop

What is the CSC Fellowship?

The CSC Fellowship is a component of the Science Collaborative, which offers free opportunities for scientists, researchers, and trainees (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) to build new skills in innovation. Through the initiative, participants build the capacity to confidently engage with stakeholders outside of academia—such as industry partners—and turn bold ideas into real-world impact. 

Fellowship awardees receive $15,000 CAD in total support, including a $5,000 salary offset and $10,000 in project funding, to develop and deliver their project within six months. Beyond funding, Fellows gain access to a knowledge mobilization course, monthly learning series, CABHI’s acceleration services, and showcase opportunities.

Fellow Spotlight

Isabella Lim is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care and a behavioural scientist with more than eight years of research experience. Her work focuses on aging, dementia care, and health system improvement, and she is currently investigating the implementation and scalability of an integrated care program for older persons living with dementia.

We chatted with Isabella Lim to learn about her experience as a CSC Fellow and how it has since impacted her work.

CABHI: Can you describe your CABHI-supported project?

Isabella: My project focuses on designing a person-centred delirium-prevention toolkit for caregivers of acute care patients with dementia. The toolkit/intervention integrates tailored education, individualized care plans, and structured practice to enable caregivers to carry out delirium-prevention strategies in the hospital. Co-design is central to this work, ensuring that both the product and process reflect real user needs while building buy-in from caregivers and healthcare teams.

CABHI’s support allowed my team to bring together relevant groups, including caregiver advisors, clinicians, and hospital leadership, in a workshop to co-design the toolkit and intervention. Through their generous funding, we were able to engage with a professional facilitator and graphic designer to gather and synthesize feedback from workshop participants, resulting in a more refined and user-friendly product.

— Isabella Lim, PhD

CABHI: So, what's next for you post-CSC Fellowship?

Isabella: Over the coming months, we will form working groups with stakeholders to finalize the toolkit/intervention and launch a research study assessing feasibility. This next phase will help ensure that the toolkit is ready for implementation and evaluation.

Discover the real-world innovations CABHI's CSC Fellows are developing.

Join our first-ever Fellows Showcase—co-hosted and moderated by Dr. Rosanne Aleong, Director of Research, Innovation, and Translation of CABHI and Executive Director of Research, Innovation, and Translation at Rotman Research Institute and the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education and Dr. Linda Truong, Manager of Research, Innovation & Training Integration at Rotman Research Institute—where our 9 inaugural fellows will share the innovative research, ideas, and knowledge mobilization projects they are advancing across aging and brain health.

Featuring a fireside chat with Dr. Allison Sekuler, President & Chief Scientist of CABHI and the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education and Dr. Rosanne Aleong, this free virtual event is one you won't want to miss. Register today!

Learn more about the CSC
Learn more about the fellows

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