Vast stores of patient data offer unequalled opportunities for BC health researchers

The existence of comprehensive databases of health information about British Columbians within the Ministry of Health Services and the agencies of PHSA, offers researchers in this province a rich resource for population health-based research and a significant advantage over their colleagues in other jurisdictions.

In fact, BC researchers have access to the most extensive range of health data for any large population in the country, and possibly in the world, says PHSA executive vice president, Michael Marchbank.

Access to linked health data the key to successful research of maternal depression

"BC offers amazing opportunities for doing linked health data research," says Dr. Tim Oberlander, a developmental pediatric researcher at CFRI.

In 2002, Oberlander applied for access to provincial health data for a study on how clinical depression among pregnant women and the use of anti-depressants, differentially affect the behavioural development of their infants. The data set he received turned out to be an "extremely powerful resource" that ultimately supported the publication of four research papers.

The translational research building was officially opened November 27, providing an expansion of facilities for the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) and a home for the newly formed BC Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute.

In the photo at right, CFRI Board of Directors chair, Maurice Mourton assists BC Children's Hospital patients Fiona, Cambie and Elsa as they officially open the new building.

The new translational research building on the BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital campus provides a home for the translational research hub of the BC Mental Health & Addiction Research Institute.

"One of the main attractions of coming to this site was to be close to other research groups, like the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, whose research in genetics and the effects of medication is very compatible with some of our work," says Dr. Bill Honer, scientific director of the translational research hub. He also sees great potential for connecting with investigators at the Child & Family Research Institute and other research centres.

A new approach to growing blood stem cells for bone marrow transplants

A $1.2 million research project at the BC Cancer Research Centre offers the hope of improved outcomes for patients with leukemia and other serious blood disorders, who need a bone marrow transplant (BMT) for treatment.

The research team, including investigators in Toronto and the US, is working on treatment approaches based on using stem cells from umbilical cord blood. Blood stem cells are responsible for producing all of the mature blood cells – including red and white blood cells and platelets – and are prodigiously efficient, generating billions of blood cells every day.

National study to identify environmental causes of asthma and allergy

Over the past 30 years the incidence of asthma and allergies among children has quadrupled. Currently one in ten Canadian children has asthma and nearly one out of three Canadians suffers some form of allergic disease.

Clinician scientist Dr. Stuart Turvey, a pediatric immunologist and rheumatologist at CFRI, is heading up the Vancouver portion of a new $12 million national study of the causes of asthma and allergy. Turvey says the study will be "one of the largest and most ambitious birth cohort studies ever undertaken in Canada," says Turvey.

Finding better health strategies for women most vulnerable to chronic disease 

Developing more effective health promotion strategies for women, especially women most vulnerable to chronic disease, is the goal of a new five-year, $1 million research project organized through the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health.

Researcher Dr. Lorraine Greaves says the overall goal of the CIHR-funded initiative is to address health inequities by creating a framework for more effective health promotion for women.

The health inequity experienced by women on low incomes, for example, illustrates the failure of current, traditional health promotion strategies, says Greaves.

Community pharmacists to promote flu shots for patients

At the BC Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Fawziah Marra is launching a study to see if community pharmacists can help improve the influenza vaccination rate for British Columbia's most vulnerable populations.

"The idea behind this study is to get pharmacists more actively involved in promoting pharmaceutical care for their patients," says Marra. "Generally people in small communities know their pharmacists, and trust their advice."