Tiny Trailblazer: First Baby Treated in World-First Trial for Chronic Lung Disease

At two weeks old, Emerson Cogan was already a pioneer. Born February 20, 2023, at 23 weeks gestation and weighing 515 grams, Emmy was the first baby to receive cell therapy in a world-first Phase 1 clinical trial. The goal of this therapy is to prevent or lessen the effects of a chronic lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Study Sheds Light on the Connection Between the Microbiome and Kidney Stones

A new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University has found changes in the microbiome in multiple locations in the body are linked to the formation of kidney stones. The research examined the gut, urinary and salivary microbiomes in 83 patients who had kidney stones and compared them to 30 healthy controls.
 

Sinai Health Study Identifies New Roles for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 in the Brain

​Prof. Daniel Drucker and his team at Sinai Health's Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute have discovered a gut-brain-immune network that controls inflammation across the body and affects organ health. The research centres on the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists which clinicians use to treat type 2 diabetes, and have recently proven as highly effective for weight loss.

UHN’s New Campaign Shows that You Can Innovate in Ontario’s Health System

In its first-ever brand campaign, UHN is helping the public understand the leadership role that it plays in reimagining health care. The top research hospital in the country, UHN is also home to the #1 publicly funded hospital in the world. The discoveries happening there are changing the lives of patients on a global scale.

Research Aims to Enhance TB Prevention and Detection in Nunavut

A groundbreaking research study is being launched in Iqaluit to explore wastewater monitoring as a tool to detect and prevent the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in Nunavut. The five-year study aims to develop and optimize TB wastewater monitoring to determine if earlier detection of TB bacteria can enable earlier public health interventions to treat the disease and reduce transmission.

Creating a Fair Path to CAR-T Therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) is a breakthrough therapy for the treatment of advanced blood cancers. However, barriers, such as a limited number of treatment centres, the steep cost, and the need for specialized resources, prevent CAR-T from being used widely. Researchers at UHN have proposed a three-step ethical process to equitably prioritize patients in need.

A Common-Sense Approach to Bloodwork

Kingston Health Sciences Centre is reducing the amount of blood it collects for testing, reducing hospital patient strain and demand on donated blood products. While bloodwork provides crucial information to help guide treatment, losing too much blood can increase the risk of anemia, a shortage of red blood cells, and blood transfusion. The new approach is simple.

Exposure to AI Models May Improve Clinical Efficiency and Care

Mandy Rickard, Nurse Practitioner in the Urology Clinic at SickKids, performs and analyzes kidney ultrasounds almost daily. She also oversees an AI model that predicts the severity of hydronephrosis cases. After repeated use of the model, Rickard could analyze ultrasounds more efficiently, highlighting a previously undescribed impact of AI in clinical settings.

Deep Single-Cell Analysis Lowers Barriers to Multi-Omics Research

When scientists are exploring a new avenue for research, or trying to decipher a therapy’s potential, maximizing the amount of gatherable information from a single cell is vital to uncovering next steps for research. The Centre for Advanced Single Cell Analysis provides researchers with access to technical platforms and scientific expertise to perform high-content single-cell analyses of blood or tissue samples.

Study on the Psychological and Biological Impact of Burnout in Healthcare Workers

The Royal is embarking on a study investigating the psychological and biological toll of burnout and chronic stress in a sample of healthcare workers recruited from Ottawa-area hospitals. Uncovering unique biological markers and fostering a better understanding of chronic stress, paves the way for targeted interventions and more comprehensive workplace programs to safeguard well-being.

Leading the Way with Precision Child and Youth Mental Health

The CHEO Precision Child and Youth Mental Health (PCYMH) initiative is a multi-year donor-funded project in partnership with SickKids. Precision child and youth mental health is a growing field that focuses on data about each patient's unique genetic, biomarker, environmental, and lifestyle characteristics.

Pressing Fast Forward on Healthcare Innovation

​“We don't do that here." This was the statement that lit a fire under Dr. Matthew Bromwich, a pediatric ENT surgeon at CHEO and med-tech innovator, to find out why introducing new technologies in a hospital setting was so hard. It inspired him to create a better pathway for healthcare innovators like him to bring great ideas to life.

Unveiling the Future of Rural Health Care: Revolutionizing Innovation in Ontario’s Rural Communities

In the heart of Ontario’s rural landscape, a transformation is poised to redefine the essence of health care in rural communities. At the Office of Research and Innovation Brightshores Health System, their unwavering commitment to elevating rural health care is not just a statement, but a pursuit that drives them to bridge gaps and explore groundbreaking innovation in healthcare accessibility and treatment.

Children’s Hospital is Improving the Lives of Paediatric Epilepsy Patients

For 11-year-old Makayla Douglass, epileptic seizures have been a part of her life since being diagnosed. At its peak, Makayla would experience up to 30 seizures a day. Makayla became the first paediatric patient in all of Canada to receive a new procedure called Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation, which took place at Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre.

A Canadian First: New Device Helps Tackle Challenging DVT Cases

Even after receiving deep vein thrombosis (DVT) treatment due to a blood clot, Crystal Ellis continued to experience swelling and pain in her left leg. She became the first patient in Canada to receive treatment with the RevCore Thrombectomy Catheter brought in by St. Michael’s Hospital's Interventional Radiology team. Ellis returned home the same day as the procedure and now has regular check-ins with the team.

Why Don’t More Patients Receive Quality Standard of Care for Hip Fractures?

An anesthetic technique called Fascia Iliaca Compartment Nerve Block (FICB) is a safe and cost-effective way to reduce pain for hip fractures in older adults. Despite FICB being a Health Quality Ontario quality standard, it is not commonly performed in the province. A new study led by St. Michael’s Hospital researchers investigated why so few patients receive FICB.
 

Dr. N. Zoe Hilton Announced as Research Chair in Forensic Mental Health Science

Dr. N. Zoe Hilton has been appointed as the new Research Chair in Forensic Mental Health, which is a collaboration between Waypoint and the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Hilton will work towards further understanding forensic mental health science, health care services that are often confused with corrections, which can confer a 'double stigma' of mental illness and justice system involvement.

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