Clinical trials research groups

The Department of Anesthesiology, located at Royal Columbian Hospital, has an active research department with multiple studies currently underway. Current and past projects include:

• Participation as a site in several Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-funded clinical trials, including anesthesia and hip fracture surgery recovery (REGAIN), perioperative use of benzodiazepines and rates of delirium (B-Free), and preoperative exercise to decrease postoperative complication rates and disability scores in frail elderly elective surgery patients (PREPARE Trial)
• Multiple retrospective database analyses on such topics as intraoperative hypotension and hospital length of stay, and lung protective ventilation and pulmonary complications
• Tracking COVID-19 intubations through local and international registries
• Qualitative research around labour pain relief and quality improvement of the maternity tours and anesthesia pain relief information sessions
• Cardiac anesthesia studies on blood product usage (TACS and FIBRES)
• A provincial trial of rapid point-of-care COVID-19 testing in the operating room and an OR staff survey to assess their satisfaction with testing and its effect on their sense of safety and wellbeing in the OR

For more information, contact clinical research coordinator, Michelle Mozel at michelle.mozel@fraserhealth.ca or 604-724-2697.

Surrey Memorial Hospital Cardiology Clinical Trials conducts both inpatient and outpatient clinical trials in the areas of:

• Acute coronary syndromes (hospitalization with heart attack/angina)
• Congestive heart failure (acute in hospital as well as outpatient studies)
• Lipid lowering treatments (patients with high cholesterol)
• Cardiovascular disease, including arrhythmias and diabetes combined

Most of these studies are for new drug treatments aimed at preventing heart attacks and strokes. We also participate in registries and quality of life initiatives for acute coronary syndrome.

The research group consists of 12 cardiologists, two coordinators, two site research associates and an administrative assistant. On average, there are 10 studies ongoing at various stages at any given time. 

For more information, email Tracy Cleveland and Sandi Waldock.

Critical care research is conducted at Royal Columbian Hospital under the direction of Dr. Steven Reynolds, head and research director, Department of Critical Care. The research program’s primary focus is to conduct publicly funded trials, largely in collaboration with the highly successful Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, in addition to industry-funded studies and investigator driven studies. Our staff has a wide range of experience working with various pharmaceutical corporations and contract research organizations.

Our Critical Care team at Royal Columbian Hospital provides care to patients with complex medical conditions requiring advanced respiratory support, hemodynamic monitoring and support, cardiac monitoring and other life supporting treatment. Our multidisciplinary team consisting of intensivists, pharmacists, registered respiratory therapists, and registered nurses with advanced training in critical care, work collaboratively to provide exceptional care. Our physicians are in charge of a total of 30 critical care beds which provide care for over 2,000 patients a year.

For more information, contact the critical care clinical research coordinator at 604-520-4695.

Fraser Clinical Trials is a clinical research centre that is dedicated to improving the health and quality of our patients through new and innovative therapies.

The Fraser Clinical team works with investigators in multi-therapeutic areas serving New Westminster, Surrey and the Fraser Valley. For almost three decades, we have been helping physicians integrate research with their private practices.

Fraser Clinical Trials is committed to supporting physicians so they may offer innovative therapies to their patients. Fraser Clinical Trials delivers high quality data, maintains regulatory compliance, and supports all administrative aspects of the trial.

The Fraser Health Multiple Sclerosis clinic opened in November 2004 to provide a comprehensive, community-based clinic to the region. Prior to that time, we were the only region in British Columbia without an MS clinic for its 3,900 patients.

The clinic has a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team (neurologists, neuro-ophthamologists, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, an internal medicine physician, MS certified nurses). The clinic was accredited in May 2005 as a full member of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centres, a North American multi-disciplinary organization providing networking for all health care professionals specializing in the care of multiple sclerosis patients, after demonstrating excellence in the clinical care, education, and research related to MS, specifically related to the investigation of problems posed by multiple sclerosis. MS clinic has a fellowship program and two of previous fellows are currently working in the clinic.

The clinic is also home to a clinical trials department for multiple sclerosis under the direction of principal investigator, Dr. Galina Vorobeychik. With 65 research projects (investigator initiated research and industry sponsored clinical trials) in the past 16 years, we aim to provide patients with research opportunities and early access to potential new treatments and therapies for: relapsing remitting, secondary progressive and primary progressive sub-types of MS.

For more information, email Tanya Kadach or call 604-412-6405, extension 4.

Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) is the comprehensive neuro-vascular center of the fastest growing and one of the largest health authorities in Canada. Research has become an integral part of the care provided to the patients. The neuroscience program at RCH made it possible for our patients to gain access to cutting-edge treatments through international clinical trials with Dr. G. Medvedev as the principal investigator. RCH initiated projects lead the authority towards developing better strategies helping patients with strokes, intracranial hemorrhages, and other complex-neuro-vascular conditions.

For more information on current studies, email Dr. Vishaya Naidoo, lead research coordinator.

The Burnaby Hospital Regional Cancer Centre has been conducting medical research since 2002 under the direction of oncologist and hematologist Dr. Wendy Lam. The majority of the research conducted are phase two and three drug trials targeted at various cancers, blood disorders and improving supportive care.

For more information, email the Clinical Trials and Business Development Manager.

Orthopaedic research at Royal Columbian Hospital has been extremely active for the last 26 years. Our research staff and surgeons have participated in over 100 clinical studies that include both investigator initiated studies and multi-center international studies, contributing significantly to the lexicon of knowledge regarding orthopaedic practices. We are also partnering with the SFU Co-op program to provide clinical research experience to students potentially looking to pursue a career in research.

We are currently enrolling in thirteen prospective randomized studies, carrying out follow-up on six additional studies that have closed enrolment, and finalizing development on five studies that will be starting enrollment in 2021. These are both trauma and elective studies, covering a wide range of pathologies, conditions and injuries. We are nearing enrolment completion of our own, in house, multi-center study to look at two surgical approaches to try and help reduce the incidence of anterior knee pain after tibial shaft fractures. Our surgeons have also designed two up-coming studies one of which is looking at the clinical outcomes of operative vs non-operative treatment of olecranon fractures, the second looking at the clinical outcomes of proximal femur fractures fixed with the TFN-Advanced Nailing System.

The research is funded by working as co-investigators on grant applications with academic investigators with grants from various agencies, including Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Orthopaedic Trauma Association and Patient-Centred Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), or with industry. 

For further information regarding any of the above, email fors@fraserhealth.ca or call 604-553-3247.

The Surrey Memorial Hospital Clinical Research Unit supports research work at SMH and the Jim Pattison Outpatient & Surgery Centre (JPOCSC) and is a sub-unit of the Fraser Health’s Department of Evaluation and Research Services (DERS).  The Research Unit provides a range of consultative and research support services to clinicians and staff investigators based at the site.  The team’s current focus is on COVID-19 related research.  

For more information on services available, contact SMHResearch@fraserhealth.ca.

Traumatic injury is among the leading causes of death and disability with an estimated annual cost of $4.1 billion in BC alone. Taking care of almost 40% of BC’s population, Fraser Health has the second highest number of hospitalizations in BC due to trauma. Across the province, regional trauma programs were initiated in 2002, designating Royal Columbian Hospital as a Level 1 trauma centre and Abbotsford Regional Hospital as a Level 3 trauma centre. The two sites created the core of the Fraser Health Trauma Network (FHTN), simultaneously building partnerships with other programs within the health authority (Anesthesia, Critical Care, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Medical Imaging, Laboratory Services) and other provincial and national trauma programs. In 2016, the FHTN received the Distinction in Trauma Services Award by Accreditation Canada.

The focus of the research group has traditionally been on investigator initiated health services research, utilizing existing databases (BC Trauma Registry) and health records. With the addition of a patient partner on our research team, we plan to expand our projects to address questions in the area of post-acute care, patient education and rehabilitation.

For more information contact research lead Dr. John Taylor or clinical research coordinator Vesna Ivkov.