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Cultivating ‘eureka’ moments
Discovery should be ‘everyone, everywhere,’ says Lawson Research Institute Scientific Director Lisa Porter.
Lisa Porter believes excellence in health research is a continuum of inquiry, inspiration, innovation and improved patient care.
That’s why she is so energized by the promise and potential of Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s), where she is Scientific Director and Vice President Research.
“Discovery comes from exploring great questions. You can’t have a ‘eureka’ moment without asking why things work, or don’t work – and that’s what we do so well here at St. Joseph’s,” says Porter.
A distinguished scientist herself with a passion for asking those probing questions, Porter leads strategic planning for research across the organization. Her vision includes growing the rich culture of research in several specialty pillars, while also reinforcing direct links between scientific inquiry and patient health.
“There’s data to show that patients who are treated in research-intensive hospitals live longer. That’s not just patients in clinical trials who benefit; that’s all patients who live longer,” she notes.
Other elements of her vision for Lawson include elevating data sharing and research support, expanding training opportunities for young researchers, growing grant support, strengthening collaboration and partnerships, and building relationships and reputation.
“I love that excellence is one of the values of St. Joseph’s. Excellence doesn’t mean we have all the answers. It means we’re continuously striving to be better. It means we’re asking questions that can drive better health care – not just for the patients we serve, but for national and global impact, too.”
Porter comes from a family of knowledge-seekers and problem-solvers. Her father repaired electronics and was an avid inventor. Her mother was a self-taught income –tax preparer with meticulous attention to detail. They ignited in her a curiosity that continued through her undergraduate studies in biology and pharmacology, her graduate and postdoctoral work, and her research as a cancer scientist at University of Windsor and founding director of its WE-SPARK Health Research Institute.
Now at Lawson, she wants to encourage, inspire and spotlight the innovative work of researchers, scientists, clinicians and students who are passionate about improving health.
“I want research to be everyone, everywhere,” she says. “We need hospitals, industry, people with lived experience, and policy makers coming into the fray. It can’t be just the researcher, the scientist. It’s about having champions embedded in all walks of life, from first line of care to people who can influence systemic change. It’s a messy piece, but it’s also how we fulfil this bigger mission to help everyone who comes to us for health care.”
Current Participants
Thank you for volunteering as a clinical research participant at HULC. You are helping to contribute to our growing knowledge and the advancement of clinical care. Please use these resources to assist in your role as a research participant.
Getting Here
The Roth | McFarlane Hand & Upper Limb Centre (HULC) is located at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
St. Joseph’s Hospital
Room D0-101
268 Grosvenor Street
London, Ontario N6A 4V2 519 646-6100 ext. 64640
Find turn-by-turn directions to HULC.
Contact Us
If you have any questions related to the research study you’re participating in, please contact the HULC clinical research team at 519-646-6100 ext. 64640.
… MIND & SPIRIT SINCE 1869 Renowned for compassionate care, St. Joseph’s is one of the best academic health care organizations in Canada dedicated to … guide them, offer your elbow and provide clear and precise directions. Deaf, Deafened or Hard of Hearing Capture the …
CARING FOR THE BODY, MIND & SPIRIT SINCE 1869 Renowned for compassionate care, St. Josephs is one of the best academic health care organizations in Canada dedicated to helping people live to their fullest by minimizing the effects of injury, disease and disability through excellence in care, teachin...
Dementia research hits the ‘mark’
St. Joseph’s Health Care London is at the forefront of national research exploring biomarkers to better predict dementia and slow its onset.
Dr. Michael Borrie is now seeing grandchildren of patients who came to his clinic when he first started Alzheimer’s research 30 years ago.
His message to this new generation is more hopeful than ever, bolstered by ever-more-reliable ways of early detection and being tantalizingly close to a future of predicting dementia and intervening even before symptoms appear.
“The ultimate goal is to slow cognitive decline – and to stop it if we can – so that people can live independently, and happier, for a lot longer,” says Borrie, Medical Director of the Aging Brain and Memory Clinic at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s).
“We’re aiming to alter the trajectory of dementia,” he says.
A geriatrician, clinician and researcher, Borrie is also Platform Lead for the Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia (COMPASS-ND), a long-term study within the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration and Aging (CCNA).
Recently, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research announced $20.6 million in funding to continue the work of CCNA, a 30-site, multi-pronged project of which the St. Joseph’s-based team is the lead player. The grant will enable them to advance the frontiers of dementia research to benefit real-world patients here and across the country.
Solving mysteries with biomarkers
Despite the prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases – and with more than 10,000 new diagnoses in Canada each year – there are still many mysteries to solve: Why do some people have early-onset dementia while others, super-agers, remain alert and active in their 90s? What’s happening genetically, in their environment and personal medical history to advance or protect against the disease?
What is known, however, is the link between damaged nerve cells and specific proteins that misfold and clump together to form amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain. Detecting these abnormal proteins early is an important key to diagnosis and prediction.
Locally, the most comprehensive tool has been state-of-the-art brain Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning at St. Joseph’s Imaging. Lawson researchers are also involved in reliably detecting amyloid proteins by analyzing participants’ cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) – a surprisingly accurate way of confirming imaging results, says geriatrician Dr. Jaspreet Bhangu, a Lawson scientist and head of the biomarker project.
Through the BioMIND regional research project, Lawson scientists are analyzing PET scans, blood and CSF samples to check for specific protein biomarkers. If shown to be reliable, a series of these tests over time could signal whether the disease is progressing, and could predict whether it will progress or respond to treatment.
All that gets added to an arsenal that includes tests of behaviour, memory and cognitive function.
“It’s a triple assessment, or even a quadruple one, that we can conduct over time. We hope to use these advanced tests to provide vital information, similar to what is done in certain types of cancer,” Bhangu says.
But that’s not all.
Testing potential treatments
St. Joseph’s is also one of the country’s most active sites for clinical trials into whether novel medications might be able to directly pinpoint and destroy the proteins that cause Alzheimer disease.
“This is the intersection of cutting-edge research, top-notch resources and excellent clinical practice to develop personalized treatments,” says Bhangu. “What makes us unique in Canada among dementia researchers is that our science is taking us from bench to bedside – a rapid turnaround from research to direct patient benefit.”
If a person has a strong family history of Alzheimer disease and no symptoms – but does have positive biomarkers confirming presence of disease – they may then choose to take part in a randomized controlled trial to try to alter the trajectory of the disease.
“It’s still in a research context, still in clinical trials – but if Health Canada ultimately approves a treatment, we’ll have the ability and the patient database to be able to translate our findings into clinical practice much more quickly instead of waiting for years,” says Borrie.
All this is good news for a generation eager for answers, Borrie says.
“When we learn more about the mechanisms of the disease, we can find more effective, earlier treatments. And if we can treat people earlier, we hope to move the disease progression curve to the right, to add more years of good cognitive health to someone’s life.”
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St. Josephs Health Care Foundation Page 1 of 3 Donor Complaint and/or Concerns Policy #200-3 Board Policy Subject: Donor Complaint and/or Concerns Policy No.: #200-3 Section: Donor Relations Approved by: Board of Directors Date Approved: June 20, 2018 June 18, 2014 Reviewed by: Executive Committee D...
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… REQUEST FOR RADIATION BADGE SECTION A: Applicant Information Applicant’s Surname: First Name: Middle Name: Date of Birth (YYYY/MM/DD): Sex: … 1990, c. P.40. and allows London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care to monitor their staff for … REQUEST FOR RADIATION BADGE SECTION A: Applicant Information …
REQUEST FOR RADIATION BADGE SECTION A: Applicant Information Applicants Surname: First Name: Middle Name: Date of Birth (YYYY/MM/DD): Sex: Female Male Social Insurance Number: Country of Birth: Province of Birth: Phone or Email: Employed by: Facility / Department: Job Title: Facility Location(s) f...
… REQUEST FOR RADIATION BADGE NS7407 (Rev. 2019/12/30) SECTION A: Applicant Information Applicant’s Surname: First Name: Middle Name: Date of Birth (YYYY/MM/DD): Sex: … 1990, c. P.40. and allows London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care to monitor their staff for …
REQUEST FOR RADIATION BADGE NS7407 (Rev. 2019/12/30) SECTION A: Applicant Information Applicants Surname: First Name: Middle Name: Date of Birth (YYYY/MM/DD): Sex: Female Male Social Insurance Number: Country of Birth: Province of Birth: Phone or Email: Employed by: Facility / Department: Job Titl...
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… ~------...... ........._ LAWSON HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE Public Information and Disclosure Protocol Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility located at St. Joseph’s Health Care London Updated September 2021 … ~------...... ........._ LAWSON HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE Public Information and Disclosure Protocol Cyclotron …
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A Future Nurtured in Histories of Faith & Compassion A Future Nurtured in Histories of Faith & Compassion Like the tree that takes root & then bears fruit, st. Josephs health Care, London continues to grow from the humble and compassionate beginnings of our founders, the sisters of st. Joseph, ...
Dr. Arlene MacDougall appointed Director of Research and Innovation for St. Joseph’s Mental Health Care
Dr. Arlene MacDougall has been appointed as Director of Research and Innovation for mental health care at St. Joseph’s Health Care London and Lawson Health Research Institute.
She will oversee and facilitate all mental health care research at both Parkwood Institute and Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care, working to develop strong local and global partnerships, engage patients and their caregivers in research activities, and foster trans-disciplinary approaches to research.
Her goal is to build on existing research strengths in mood disorders, suicide and smart technology. She also will look to develop research links between Mental Health and Parkwood Institute’s other major research programs, Cognitive Vitality and Brain Health, and Mobility and Activity.
Dr. MacDougall joined Lawson and the Department of Psychiatry at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University in 2013 working with the Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses at London Health Sciences Centre. Last year she was cross appointed to the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Schulich.
“I come to this new role with a great deal of optimism, energy and enthusiasm. Parkwood Institute Research has a number of established strengths in the mental health care field as well as potential for new streams of research and innovation,” says Dr. MacDougall. “I look forward to working with researchers, staff, and patients and their supporters, as well as academic and community partners, to make Parkwood Institute a leading centre in Canada for mental health research.”
Parkwood Institute Research is a Lawson program that represents inter-disciplinary clinical research and focuses on the advancement of innovations and discoveries that directly improve patient care.
Dr. MacDougall will continue her own program of research, which includes recovery-oriented interventions for people with serious mental illness locally and in Africa. She is leading local studies on the use of mindfulness meditation and participatory video interventions to promote recovery among youth with early psychosis. She is also leading a project based in Kenya using social businesses and a low cost psychosocial rehabilitation toolkit to create meaningful employment, promote social inclusion and support the overall functioning and recovery of people with serious mental illness in low income settings.
Most recently she has been involved in developing and leading initiatives that use social innovation approaches to tackle complex mental health system challenges both locally and globally.
At Western, she is the Director of Global MINDS (Mental Health Incubator for Disruptive Solutions) @ Western, an educational and research initiative that supports students, faculty and community stakeholders to create solutions that will reduce the global burden of mental disorders. Global MINDS is focused on innovating for low and middle income countries and for marginalized communities in Canada. Another initiative, MINDS of London-Middlesex, is working with multiple local stakeholders to collaboratively establish a social innovation lab and use collective impact approaches that will lead to solutions that address complex challenges in the local mental health system.
Dr. MacDougall began her new role on February 1, 2017 and joins Drs. Michael Borrie and Tim Doherty as Joint/Acting Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery. She also joins Lawson’s Research Executive Committee as Assistant Director (interim) for Parkwood Institute Research, Mental Health.
Scientist
Dr. Qingping Feng named Innovator of the Year for potential sepsis treatment
WORLDiscoveries, the technology transfer and business development office for Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute and Robarts Research Institute, recently announced the recipients of the 2020 Vanguard Awards.
Vanguard Awards recognize local researchers who, through partnership with WORLDiscoveries, have achieved various market-readiness milestones.
Lawson’s Dr. Qingping Feng was named as the Innovator of the Year. He is being recognized for his research and intellectual property related to Annexin and its use to treat inflammatory disorders. He holds patents issued in Canada, United States, Europe, China and Japan.
This award is given to individuals who demonstrate excellence in innovation within their field. It highlights the achievements of those who contribute to the culture of commercialization and entrepreneurship by creating a product or service that is beneficial to society.
Congratulations to Dr. Feng and all of the 2020 Vanguard Award recipients.
As the research institute of LHSC and St. Joseph’s, our researchers work in the lab and directly with clinicians, patients, families and other partners to enhance diagnostics and treatments. They also address care at a system level by improving delivery of services for people in London and beyond.
For any pressing health question, our work does not stop once the research is done. Commercialization and business development are vital components in driving innovation and transforming health care, all while supporting Canada’s knowledge economy.
Learn more about Dr. Feng’s research:
Easing the pressure for patients with chronic wounds
Chronic wounds represent a significant burden in Canada. Between four and 30 per cent of patients develop a chronic wound, depending on the health care setting. Over 85 per cent of all Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) survivors will experience health complications related to pressure ulcers, injuries to the skin and underlying tissue resulting from prolonged pressure. These types of wounds can significantly reduce participation in meaningful activities and overall quality of life.
Research from around the world shows that electrical stimulation can help speed the healing of pressure ulcers. This therapy is currently done by a trained health care provider and is not readily available for people across Canada.Electrical stimulation therapy (E-Stim) is a wound treatment that involves applying low levels of electrical current to the wound bed and surrounding tissues. It stimulates several healing processes, promotes local circulation and prevents infections.
The E-Stim Collaboration: A Best Practice Implementation Project for Better Pressure Ulcer Care aims to improve the coordination of pressure ulcer care and promote the use of evidence-informed wound treatments for people living with SCI. In particular, the research project is studying how to best provide E-Stim to people with pressure ulcers, in their own communities.
“Over the years I’ve seen the serious impact pressure ulcers have on the lives of people with spinal cord injury and other health challenges. This is what drives my commitment to not only develop best practice guidelines, but also to ensure they are put into action,” says Dr. Pamela Houghton, Associate Scientist, Lawson and Professor, School of Physical Therapy at Western University. “Advances in technology make it possible for more people with care needs to live at home.”
The pilot project in the South West LHIN has a unique model that builds capacity in the community and taps into the lived experience of people with pressure ulcers and SCI. It brings together the expertise of researchers, clinicians and managers from academia, hospital centres and community care.
Partners include the Parkwood Institute Research program at Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University, Saint Elizabeth’s Health Care Research Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the South West Community Care Access Centre. An interdisciplinary specialized team, called SCIPUT, has been established within the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation program provided at Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph’s Health Care London.
“Our collaborative team is using the PLAN-DO-STUDY-ACT quality improvement model. This allows us to learn from each cycle and make adjustments as we go,” says Dr. Houghton. “We have just completed the first cycle and are reporting on lessons learned.” Funded by the Rick Hansen Foundation, the team hopes this will set the stage for a larger cross-country initiative.
Those interested in participating can contact phoughto@uwo.ca. The study is open to:
- Individuals with an open pressure ulcer and with a condition that causes limited mobility and/or requires a wheelchair;
- Those who are able and willing to participate in treatment plan, and communicate feedback; and,
- People who are eligible to receive services from South West CCAC.
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Electrical stimulation (E-Stim) directly stimulates several wound healing processes, promotes local circulation and prevents wound infections. It produces faster healing and wound closure. A trained health care provider applies low levels of electrical current to the pressure ulcer using specialized equipment. |
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(yj~ SIJOSEPHs HEALTH CARE LONDON Evacuation Fire Hazardous Chemical Spill Bomb Threat/Suspicious Object Critical Infrastructure Failure External Disaster YELLOW Missing Person WHITE Violent Person Hostage Taking Person with a Weapon Adult Medical Emergency Pediatric Medical Emergency Emergency Colo...
… St. Joseph’s Health Care London EMERGENCY RESPONSE – dial … immediate or imminent danger. “Double bells” will sound – listen to overhead announcements for instructions. Use wheelchairs, evacusleds and suggested lifts … St. Joseph’s Health Care London EMERGENCY RESPONSE – dial …
St. Josephs Health Care London EMERGENCY RESPONSE dial 55555 for ALL emergencies below COLOUR CODE WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Code Green A horizontal, vertical, or full building evacuation (the cause could be a fire, bomb threat, etc.). An order is required to evacuate, unless persons a...
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Annual Accessibility Plan October 2009 March 31, 2011 Submitted to the St. Josephs Board of Directors, September 28, 2009 Prepared and Submitted by St. Josephs Accessibility Working Group St. Josephs Accessibility Plan September 28, 2009 2 Executive Summary St. Josephs Health Care, London, (St. Jos...
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Annual Accessibility Plan for St. Josephs Health Care, London September 2007 - August 2008 Submitted to Cliff Nordal Chief Executive Officer 30 September 2007 Prepared by SJHC Accessibility Working Group Co-ordinator, Derek Lall This publication is available on the St. Josephs Heath Care, Londons we...
… Annual Accessibility Plan for the St. Joseph Health Care, London September 2005 - August 2006 Submitted to Cliff Nordal Chief Executive Officer 30 … disabled persons. Communication / Informational Need better directions to disabled access entrances at entry points to …
Annual Accessibility Plan for the St. Joseph Health Care, London September 2005 - August 2006 Submitted to Cliff Nordal Chief Executive Officer 30 September 2005 Prepared by SJHC Accessibility Working Group Co-ordinator, Derek Lall This publication is available on the hospitals website and in altern...