The nearly 70,000 regular force members of the Canadian Armed Forces and its 27,000 reservists, along with Canada’s 54,000 military families and more than 600,000 veterans, represent a population with its own particular health risks – physical, mental, and social. Some of these are unique in their nature, magnitude, long-term effects, delayed presentation, and trans-generational implications.

The Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) is an innovative organization that builds on existing academic research and encourages new and exciting research into health and well-being issues of the individuals who serve and have served, and their families, as these relate to occupational exposures, experiences, and environments. The research considers the unique conditions of service, including battlefield medicine, the need to maximize fitness for high performance duty, and so forth. This research benefits not only the target group, but also first responders, police, fire fighters, paramedics, and humanitarian workers, and indeed, all Canadians.

CIMVHR serves all Canadian stakeholders interested in military and veteran health research and connects the academic community, government organizations such as National Defence, Veterans Affairs Canada and Health Canada, industry and similar international organizations. The Institute shares its findings through annual research forums, a comprehensive website, regular and targeted communications, peer-reviewed publications, and ongoing communications with all stakeholder groups.