Dr. Kara Thompson, StFX associate professor in psychology and Research Chair in Substance Use Policy and Prevention. and Dr. Arlinda Ruco, assistant professor in health, have received funding in the highly competitive Fall 2025 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grants competition. They are the first StFX researchers to be funded through this competition.

L-r, Dr. Arlinda Ruco and Dr. Kara Thompson

Dr. Thompson has been awarded $596,700 over five years for her research project, “Gendered Alcohol Marketing and Its Effects on Women Across Social Groups.”

“Women have become a key target market of the alcohol industry which has aligned alcohol with themes of gender equity and women’s empowerment to encourage them to drink,” says Dr. Thompson, “But there is no gender equity when it comes to alcohol – alcohol use among women is increasing and they face greater alcohol-related risks, such as breast cancer, brain damage, and liver disease, at lower levels of consumption than men.”

This work will be carried out by an interdisciplinary pan-Canadian research team with the help of an advisory committee of women from diverse social groups. Dr. Thompson’s study will result in evidence-based recommendations for creating more equitable and effective gender-responsive alcohol regulations and interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm for women.

Dr. Ruco will receive $673,200 over four years for her study, “Predictors of consistent and inconsistent colorectal cancer screening behaviour: A multiprovince mixed methods study.”

“Colorectal cancer is becoming one of the deadliest cancers with rates increasing among those even younger than 50 years of age. There is a critical need to focus on early detection and prevention. Research shows that higher consistent screening participation is critical for better population-level outcomes,” says Dr. Ruco. The study will identify who is more likely to not participate regularly in colorectal cancer screening and explore novel strategies that could encourage consistent screening uptake. The work will be carried by a pan-Canadian research team in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta. “Congratulations to both research teams on this monumental achievement. These significant investments in the work of Dr. Thompson and Dr. Ruco speak to the strength of our research community and the meaningful impact this research will have on society,” noted Dr. Erin Morton, Associate Vice President Research, Graduate & Professional Studies.

StFX is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw People.