A New Chapter: Joining the Board of Directors of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation

There are many ways to improve the lives of newborn infants.

Some involve conducting research.

Some involve caring for babies and families in the neonatal intensive care unit.

And some involve working together with parents to ensure that research and care truly reflect the needs of the families we serve.

I am honoured to have recently been elected to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation (CPBF), a national organization dedicated to improving the lives of premature infants and their families through advocacy, education, support, and research.

For many years, my career has focused on asking important questions in neonatal medicine.

But one lesson has become increasingly clear:

The best research is done with families—not simply for families.

Parents Are Our Most Important Partners

Every research study begins with an important question.

Increasingly, those questions are shaped not only by clinicians and scientists, but also by parents whose lived experiences provide perspectives that cannot be found in textbooks or scientific journals.

Families remind us what truly matters.

Not just survival.

Not just hospital outcomes.

But quality of life, long-term development, family well-being, and helping every child reach their full potential.

These priorities are transforming neonatal research around the world.

A Longstanding Partnership

My collaboration with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation did not begin with joining its Board of Directors.

For several years, the Foundation has been an invaluable partner in many of our research initiatives. Under the leadership of Fabiana Bacchini, Executive Director of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, parents have become true research partners rather than simply research participants.

Fabiana has worked alongside our research teams as a parent partner on several multicentre studies, including the HiLo Trial, and was a founding member of NeoCAN, Canada's neonatal clinical trials network. Her leadership—and that of the Foundation—has helped ensure that the voices of parents are incorporated into study design, outcome selection, knowledge translation, and the future direction of neonatal research.

Working together has reinforced an important lesson:

The best neonatal research is built through meaningful partnerships with families, whose experiences help shape the questions we ask and the outcomes we strive to improve.

Looking Ahead

Joining the Board of Directors provides an exciting opportunity to further strengthen the partnership between researchers, clinicians, and families.

I hope to contribute my experience in neonatal research while continuing to learn from parents whose lived experiences provide invaluable insights into what meaningful outcomes truly look like.

Together, we can continue building research programs that answer the questions families care about most.

Together, we can ensure that parents remain partners in every stage of research—from identifying priorities and designing studies to interpreting results and sharing knowledge.

Because the future of neonatal medicine is not only evidence-based.

It is family-centred.

Research Beyond the NICU

Improving newborn care extends far beyond the walls of the neonatal intensive care unit.

It means supporting families during one of the most challenging times of their lives.

It means translating research into better care.

It means building partnerships that ensure every study has the potential to improve outcomes that matter most to children and their families.

That philosophy has guided much of my career—from neonatal resuscitation research and international clinical trials to knowledge translation through Research4Babies.

Serving on the Board of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation is another opportunity to help bridge the gap between science and the families we ultimately serve.

A Shared Mission

I would like to sincerely thank the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation for the opportunity to serve on its Board of Directors.

I look forward to working alongside an outstanding group of parents, advocates, healthcare professionals, researchers, and volunteers who share a common vision:

Giving every premature baby the best possible start in life and every family the support they deserve.

I am excited for the work ahead.

Because when researchers, healthcare professionals, and families work together, we ask better questions, design better studies, and ultimately provide better care for newborn infants.

Continuing the Journey

This appointment is both a privilege and a responsibility.

I look forward to contributing to the Foundation's mission, strengthening partnerships between researchers and families, and helping shape the future of neonatal care in Canada.

Together, we can continue advancing research, improving care, and giving every premature baby—and every family—the best possible start.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Georg M. Schmölzer

Research4Babies

Advancing neonatal research. Sharing knowledge. Improving newborn lives.