There are trillions of microorganisms inhabiting your body. The majority of these are positive and essential to your health. They include those microorganisms found in the female reproductive system – a highly diverse environment that is crucial to human survival.

Understanding the microorganisms that inhabit the vagina, also known as the vaginal microbiome, is extremely important for women, their offspring and sexual partners. Dr. Gregor Reid recognizes this importance through his research into lactobacilli, the dominant organisms present in the healthy vagina of most women. 

Dr. Reid is a Lawson microbiome and probiotics scientist and director of the Canadian Research and Development Centre for Probiotics. His interest in the vaginal microbiome began over 33 years ago.

“In the human gut, the microbiome differs with diet. But there is a global similarity to the vaginal microbiome,” said Dr. Reid. “From early in my career, I suspected a connection between this uniformity and the female’s critical role in reproduction.”

Harmful bacteria, also known as pathogens, can invade the vaginal microbiome to produce a more highly diverse state. This leads to the displacement of lactobacilli. It can also lead to bacterial vaginosis (BV) and the easier contraction of urinary tract infections (UTIs). These two ailments account for numerous physician visits each year and a reduction in a woman’s quality of life.

Mediating pregnancy and infant development

Research suggests that lactobacilli mediate complex changes that occur during pregnancy. If harmful pathogens invade and persist, inflammation and premature delivery can occur during pregnancy.

“The mechanisms behind the displacement of lactobacilli are not clear,” says Dr. Reid. “However, a number of factors can increase risk of BV. These include douching, sexual intercourse, lower estrogen levels and aging. It’s crucial that we conduct further research into these processes.”

Studies also suggest that the human fetus is exposed to the mother’s lactobacilli prior to birth, in addition to exposure during vaginal birthing. Again, understanding of this process and its significance is limited but warrants further investigation, says Reid. We need to further understand how exposure affects an infant’s immunity, metabolism and behavior in both early and later life.

“We’re seeing a dramatic rise in C-sections and a drop in breastfeeding,” says Reid. “If a developing child is not fully exposed to the mother’s lactobacilli, does this provide an opportunity for harmful bacteria to proliferate? This may cause repercussions to the offspring’s own future reproductive health.”

The role of probiotics

As research begins to focus on restoring a lactobacilli-dominant state, probiotics have been explored. However, attempts have presented challenges. “When probiotics are administered vaginally in a dried form, the lactobacilli fail to colonize long-term,” says Dr. Reid. “A study introducing lactobacilli in more natural form may lead to successful colonization. This has been the case in other areas like fecal transplantation.”

Challenges and opportunities

There are a number of other challenges when it comes to the study of the vaginal microbiome. This includes the lack of suitable animal models. While there have been recent developments that may lead to better recreations of a female microbiome, Dr. Reid explains that it will be difficult to mimic the many complexities of the female reproduction system. These include the menstrual cycle, immune responses, the use of douches, sexual intercourse and more.

“To fully understand female health, reproduction and infant development, we need to better understand lactobacilli,” said Dr. Reid. “We know that lactobacilli may help to combat herpes and environmental toxins, improve sperm motility, and even self-cure episodes of UTI and/or BV. What we are slowly uncovering is an understanding of the processes behind these interactions.”

Dr. Reid recently published a paper on this subject, "Cervicovaginal Microbiomes–Threats and Possibilities", in the publication Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. Dr. Reid’s own research is currently focused on compounds with the capacity to expand the proportion of lactobacilli at the expense of pathogens. The goal of this research is to improve the health of women across Canada and around the world. 

The Bioelectromagnetics and Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson Health Research Institute has an international reputation and expertise on human brain response to time-varying magnetic fields (MFs). This pioneering research has inspired an international collaboration to duplicate Lawson Imaging’s unique experimental expertise in Europe.

The team is now working with EuroMov, a research centre located in France, to duplicate the scientific approach and techniques in a new lab. The goal is to double research capabilities and further stimulate scientific knowledge in this area. 

Fluctuating MF induces electric fields and currents in conductive tissues. Above a certain threshold, these fields and currents will change the physiological electric activity within neuronal tissues. Lawson’s team is currently the only one in the world stimulating participants with power-frequency MF of sufficient intensity to result in acute neurophysiological response. This can involve interferences with visual perception, motor output and other cognitive functions.

“An international synergy between the Bioelectromagnetics and Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson and EuroMov will increase the scope of scientific expertise for both institutions” explains Dr. Legros, Director of Bioelectromagnetics and the Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson Imaging. “Both will have access to a wide range of brain stimulation techniques and imaging modalities.”

Through this new collaboration, researchers are excited to merge their expertise and tackle questions together, opening new avenues for original research ideas and projects. This new intercontinental synergy also increases the scope of options for academic funding and international training programs for students.

Furthermore, there is great potential for reinforcing and extending the group’s industry-partnered supporting program, which already associates industry sponsors (such as Hydro-Québec, Électricité De France, Réseau de Transport d’Électricité, NationalGrid/Energy Network Association, Electric Power Research Institute) under an international consortium: the Utilities Threshold Initiative Consortium (UTIC).  

The growing network of international scientists working in this field assist international regulation agencies, governments and industries to better understand the impact of electromagnetic exposure on brain activity and physical behaviour. Knowing the thresholds for human responses allows these institutions to adjust their recommendations and policies for when exposures could become unsafe for the public and workers.

The potential applications in research, industry and health care are vast, including the world of video gaming and virtual reality!

“We are excited to see discovered effects and mechanisms translated towards therapeutic applications to the benefit of patients,” says Dr. Legros. “For example, we could improve neuromodulation and neurostimulation technologies to better address movement disorders such as in Parkinson’s Disease. In another application, knowledge of the vestibular responses to stimulation may help to manage symptoms such as motion sickness.”

EuroMov is a university-based European centre for research and innovation in the science of movement. Conducting both fundamental and clinical research, it proposes innovative technological solutions allowing the capture, simulation, learning and rehabilitation of movement. EuroMov contributes to the creation of innovative starts ups and businesses in the field of health, performance, sport, human factors, and rehabilitation.

Dr. Legros is also an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medical Biophysics, Medical Imaging and Kinesiology at Western University’s School of Kinesiology, and an Associate Scientist at EuroMov.

Find out more about his research: 

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Above: Members of the Bioelectromagnetics and Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson.

From left to right, bottom: Shirin Davarpanah Jazi, Postdoctoral Scholar; Alicia Allen, Masters Candidate; Cadence Maureen Baker, Masters Candidate.

From left to right, top:  Michael Corbacio, RA/Lab Manager); Dr. Alexandre Legros, Principal Investigator and group leader; Sebastien Villard, Postdoctoral Scholar.

Missing from the photo: Nicolas Bouisset, PhD Candidate; Lynn Keenliside; Manager Technical Services. 

Ashmeet Gill had her first PET/CT scan shortly after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the body’s germ-fighting immune system. She was nervous. Claustrophobia is an issue for the young Stratford resident and the scan, necessary to determine if the cancer had spread beyond the lymph nodes in her neck, would take 34 to 45 minutes, she was told.

Wrapped in a sheet and tucked inside the tube of the PET/CT at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s), Ashmeet, then 24, steeled herself to remain calm. But near the end of the scan, a sense of panic set in.

“It was not pleasant but I endured it. I made it through.”

Ashmeet’s next PET/CT scan would be six months later, after six cycles of chemotherapy, to determine if the treatment had worked. She was terrified of another panic episode. By then, however, St. Joseph’s had a brand-new PET/CT – Canada’s first, next generation, state-of-the-art Omni Legend PET/CT from GE HealthCare.

This time, Ashmeet’s scan took “barely 15 minutes or so,” she recalled.

“I thought, seriously? I couldn’t believe I was done. I was so happy.”

With the very first patients scanned with St. Joseph’s new PET/CT machine, it was obvious the breakthrough technology was living up to high expectations.

The machine is fast – decreasing the time it took for a scan from about 45 minutes on the older system to less than 14 – head to toe. Patients are exposed to less radiation, and the ability to precisely detect disease and tiny abnormalities is outstanding.

“This is what we have been waiting for,” says Ting-Yim Lee, a pioneer in the use of machines like PET/CT to gather new, vital information about diseases. “St. Joseph’s new Omni Legend by GE HealthCare is answering the call for patients, clinicians and researchers alike.”

PET/CT is the medical ace in imaging for the assessment and treatment monitoring of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. At St. Joseph’s, the possibilities of this technology took a giant leap forward in August 2023, thanks in part to the generosity of donors and a $1 million contribution from St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation. With the arrival of the new system, St. Joseph’s is set to become Canada’s first national GE HealthCare centre of excellence in molecular imaging and theranostics. This two-pronged approach to diagnosing and treating cancers and other diseases merges molecular imaging with the use of radiopharmaceuticals to identify the location and extent of diseased tissues and selectively destroy the abnormal cells.

“The speed at which we can now do exams means significantly improved comfort for patients while the exceptional image quality changes the game in the hunt for cancerous lesions,” explains Ting, Director of PET/CT Research at Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson) and medical physicist at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

“For young adults undergoing repeat PET/CT exams due to their medical conditions, managing the radiation dose is critical,” explains Dr. Narinder Paul, Lawson scientist and Chief, Medical Imaging, at St. Joseph’s. “These individuals already face an elevated life-time risk of developing cancer from radiation, and this risk further increases with additional exposures.”

For older adults, the time it takes for the examination is also of great concern. Lying still for long periods can be a hardship due to pain from bone metastases or other conditions, and is a challenge for those who have dementia, are claustrophobic or experiencing other issues, adds Dr. Paul.

“Reducing the exam time is a huge improvement in the patient experience for these individuals.”

While patients hail the new PET/CT experience, clinicians and scientists are raving about the machine’s imaging prowess. The advanced AI-driven image formation technology now empowers the precise detection of cancer within lymph nodes and other anatomical structures, “achieving remarkable accuracy even for very small lesions,” says Dr. Paul.

“The advantages we have seen so far are already impressive but what’s on the horizon in research and care – what we will be able to study and do – is even more exciting,” says Ting.

In particular, the new PET/CT is expected to be the catalyst for ground-breaking clinical research for patients facing breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, prostate cancer, epilepsy and obesity. Scientific exploration in these areas is currently being planned at St. Joseph’s that will pave the way for novel treatments, new, non-invasive ways to identify a patient’s risk of disease, the potential to clearly and painlessly view how treatment is working, and the ability to uncover the tiniest abnormalities at play when it comes to diseases and conditions.

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada. While the standard treatment for patients with early-stage lung cancer is surgery, up to half of these patients may develop a recurrence after their treatment. 

Jaryd Christie is a Master’s candidate working with Lawson Scientist, Dr. Sarah Mattonen. Together, they are working to develop a new software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify which patients are likely to have recurring cancer. 

Currently, basic information like the size of the tumour is extracted from medical images such as a computed tomography (CT) scan to determine a patient’s cancer stage and prognosis. With the new technology, multiple sources of information about the patient will be extracted and used to increase accuracy for determining likelihood of recurrence. 

Christie is looking to integrate multi-modal imaging, including CT and positron emission tomography (PET) with a patient’s clinical, pathological and genomic information to build the software. The AI software will find patterns from the data that is extracted and identify imaging features that are associated with recurrence after treatment. 

The goal of this research is to improve the ability to identify which patients are likely to be cured. By being able to extract and combine additional information, physicians could provide aggressive treatment options for patients who need it. This would provide lung cancer patients with personalized treatments that could improve their outcomes. 

“We also want to look not only at the tumour, but other places like bone marrow and non-cancerous areas in the lung, to see if these additional areas can provide information on disease progression and prognosis,” says Christie, who is completing his Master’s degree in the Department of Medical Biophysics at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University. “We hope that by combining these different sources of information, we can obtain better disease characterization to more accurately determine if a patient will be cured.” 

Christie received a Lawson Internal Research Fund (IRF) Studentship to conduct this research, which will be supervised by Dr. Mattonen.

“Lawson’s IRF is such an important funding opportunity for new investigators. This studentship allows me to support a student while building my research program,” adds Dr. Mattonen. “These funds will allow us to obtain preliminary data that we can use to apply for external funding.” 

At Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care (Southwest Centre) in Elgin County, the unique story of every individual is honoured as care practitioners assist in the journey toward recovery. Part of the St. Joseph’s Health Care London family, Southwest Centre is devoted to caring for people with a mental illness who have also come into contact with the criminal justice system. 

A new study by Lawson Health Research Institute shows that the use of labyrinths contributes to recovery by promoting spiritual self-care, insight development and personal meaning-making reflection. The research was co-authored by Lawson Allied Scientist and Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner at Southwest Centre, Stephen Yeo, along with his colleagues Dr. Clark Patrick Heard and Jared Scott, both Lawson Associate Scientists and Occupational Therapists. 

“Research has demonstrated that labyrinth-walking can result in increased focus and calm, along with a reduction in blood pressure and stress,” explains Yeo. “Additionally, labyrinth-walking is narrative-driven and highly constructivist in nature, which promotes the opportunity for one to critically reflect on his or her unfolding story.”

This can be done in solitude or a trained facilitator can support important narrative reflection and invite opportunities for integration. 

The process of reflecting and making meaning helps individuals to think about what they observed or did, why it mattered and how they might think or act differently based on new knowledge. This allows them to set goals and use what they’ve learned from the past to inform future action, and to consider the real-life implications. 

Participation supports patients as they cope with mental illness, and the impact is magnified for individuals who have come into contact with the criminal justice system. Their experience can increase existential questions along with spiritual pain and distress.  

Even in the most complex and difficult circumstances, walking the labyrinth facilitates a variety of coping approaches including: 

• stress reduction and mindfulness;
• understanding one’s awareness of relationship with that which is sacred to them (transcendence) and the environment;
• development of ongoing personal narrative and meaning-making; and, 
• kinesthetic prayer and meditation.

Unlike mazes that are like puzzles with many choices of path and direction, labyrinths are created using continuous lines and are easier to navigate with one route to and from the centre. There are two permanent labyrinths at Southwest Centre – one indoors and one outdoors. For the most part, the labyrinths are accessible for self-guided walking and, throughout the year, various group opportunities are scheduled for invited participation. This activity can be continued in the community, as there are labyrinths in various places across the province such as parks, faith communities and other health-care settings. 

“Labyrinth participation supports themes related to hope, coping, resiliency, autonomy – all of which are significant contributors to recovery and the maintenance of well-being. Future research in this area could examine the benefits for different patient populations and also for those who reside in the community.” 

Labyrinths are trans-religious and their application can be beneficial to religious and non-religious participants. They are also easy to maintain and can be installed in a variety of locations. 

Along with his study co-authors, Yeo was honoured with the CASC Group Research Award from the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care. The award recognizes a CASC member who collaborates with other professionals in the research field of spirituality, religion and wellbeing. The recipient supports the core values of professional connection and interdependence, promoting positive relationship with colleagues of various professionals as well as clients.  

“Given that this was my first foray into research at this level, I was very humbled to have been nominated for, and to have received, this award,” says Yeo. “I remain especially grateful to the professional guidance and support of my research colleagues.” 

“Walking the Labyrinth: Considering mental health consumer experience, meaning making, and the illumination of the sacred in forensic mental health setting” was published in the December 2015 issue of the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling. This study is believed to be a first of its kind in a forensic mental health care facility.

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Left: Photo of the indoor labyrinth at the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care.