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Investing in life-changing research
Through donor support, endowed research chairs are exploring and answering some of the most profound and complex research questions of our time.
Among cherished family photos and special mementos in the office of Jeremy Burton, PhD, is a slightly faded photo of a young woman. Burton points out the framed photo as he enthusiastically talks about his work. It’s a young Miriam Burnett, after whom the Miriam Burnett Chair in Urological Sciences is named. It’s also the first endowed research chair position Burton held at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s).
As the research chair for seven years, Burton speaks fondly about the relationship he has with the Burnett family and the crucial role their support has played in advancing his research.
“Thanks to their funding, we became one of the world leaders in urological microbiome research,” he says.
Endowed research chairs at St. Joseph’s receive consistent and sustainable funding so that research leaders and their teams can answer the most profound and complex health questions of our time.
For decades, donors have been inspired by the clinical research taking place at St. Joseph’s and have heavily invested in endowed research chairs. Today, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation manages seven endowed chairs focused on several areas, including molecular imaging, fetal and newborn growth and diabetes. Working in partnership with Western University, and with donor support, the foundation recently established four new endowed chairs in mobility, medical biophysics, medical imaging and ophthalmology.
“Medical research in Canada is chronically underfunded, and there is almost no sustainable funding for hospital-based research positions,” says Michelle Campbell, President & CEO, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation. “Private philanthropy has filled that gap for years. When a donor gives to an endowed research chair, they are building capacity in the present day and creating future value and opportunity. An endowed gift has a multiplier effect.”
Burton, now the endowed Research Chair in Human Microbiome and Probiotics, has many reasons to be grateful for this support. Not only does the endowed fund pay for Burton’s research salary, it also partially supports the salaries of a lab manager and technical team – all vital for a sophisticated lab to be successful.
The funding also provides the gift of time – a diminishing commodity for any busy research team.
“Scientists need more time to think,” says Burton, a Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) scientist. “We are incrementally being stretched in multiple directions, and the funding gives us the time to do what we are meant to do – find answers to important clinical questions and find solutions to medical problems.”
Distinguished Lawson scientist and university professor Cheryl Forchuk, PhD, wholeheartedly agrees. She recently completed her final term as The Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation & Recovery, another endowed position. As Chair, Forchuk provided scientific and administrative leadership to a large group of researchers based at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute focused on mental health, activity and mobility, and cognitive vitality and brain health.
Many research leaders, she explains, can afford to spend only two days a week on their own research projects. Endowed chair positions change that.
“Imagine travelling across the country to create a national study focused on homelessness, two days a week at a time,” she suggests candidly. “You couldn’t.”
Forchuk is referring to her landmark project to better understand how many people in Canada are homeless and who they are. The goal was to develop more accurate sources of data and recommend appropriate support and services. Her work is already resulting in important changes.
Today, Forchuk is embarking on another cross-country research project to find solutions related to homelessness for Canadian veterans who are women.
Like Forchuk, Burton’s Chair position requires him to provide operational and research leadership, including developing research networks and partnerships nationally and internationally to advance studies that will revolutionize care.
“As the Chair, I think it is important that I have wide-ranging projects that benefit people in our own community and beyond,” says Burton, who is optimistic about the outcomes of several of his team’s studies.
He recently partnered with London’s First Episode Mood and Anxiety Program to study the impact of fermented foods on the microbiome of young people taking medications for mental health conditions.
One of the side effects of these medications is weight gain, which deters some patients from taking it. By providing patients with slow-release apple cider capsules, which have similar properties to fermented foods and positively affect the microbiome, they have seen an overall improvement in participants’ mental health and cholesterol after just a few months.
Reflecting on his team’s research achievements to date and the potential of what’s to come, Burton emphasizes how vital endowed chairs are to the sustainability of research and the hope to translate newly discovered knowledge into medical practice.
“Research funding from other sources comes and goes,” he says, “but endowed chair positions that are focused on improving human health provide continuity, build research and create change benefiting all of us.”
… ivey_clincalday2010.pdf …
CLINICALDAYINOPHTHALMOLOGY2010 OPHTHALMICPROBLEMSFRONTANDBACK LondonConventionCentreSalonC,D,E Friday,April23,2010 FirstFloor300YorkStreet London,OntarioN6B1P8 GenerouslySupportedBy: TheCharlesDysonLectureshipinOphthalmology TheRoyalCollegeofPhysicians&SurgeonsofCanada The...
… St. Joseph’s Health Care London ORTHOPTIST - IVEY EYE INSTITUTE 268 Grosvenor Street, Room B1-409 London, … 2010/01/25) St. Joseph’s Health Care London ORTHOPTIST - IVEY EYE INSTITUTE 268 Grosvenor Street, Room B1-409 London, … St. Joseph’s Health Care London ORTHOPTIST - IVEY EYE INSTITUTE 268 Grosvenor Street, Room B1-409 London, …
St. Josephs Health Care London ORTHOPTIST - IVEY EYE INSTITUTE 268 Grosvenor Street, Room B1-409 London, Ontario, Canada N6A 4V2 Telephone: 519 646-6018 Fax: 519 646-6056 REQUEST FOR ORTHOPTIC ASSESSMENT PATIENT: _________________________________________________________________________ DATE OF APPO...
… CARE Inquiries and Registrations Forms to - Mrs. Lyn Clark Ivey Eye Institute 800 Commissioners Road East London, … CARE Inquiries and Registrations Forms to - Mrs. Lyn Clark Ivey Eye Institute 800 Commissioners Road East London, … ivey_researchday2007.pdf …
OPHTHALMOLOGY CLINICAL DAY 2007 OCULAR INFECTIOUS DISEASES FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2007 Salons C, D, E First Floor London Convention Centre 300 York Street London, Ontario N6B 1P8 COURSE OBJECTIVES To augment current knowledge regarding the management of ocular infectious diseases To update knowledge o...
… HEALTH CENTRE, 268 GROSVENOR STREET, ROOM DO-104, LORRAINE IVEY SHUTTLEWORTH AUDITORIUM Objectives By the end of this … HEALTH CENTRE, 268 GROSVENOR STREET, ROOM DO-104, LORRAINE IVEY SHUTTLEWORTH AUDITORIUM Objectives By the end of this …
Participant Learning at Psychiatry CME Sessions A Follow-up Evaluation at the University of Western Ontario Laeeq Tahir, MD, FRCP(C)1 , Nicole Tsang, MD2, Marnin Jori Heisel, PhD, CPsych3 *, Jatinder Takhar, MD, FRCP(C)4 Key Words: continuing medical education, CME, knowledge transfer, professional ...
Keeping an eye on care of the future
Dr. Khaldon Abbas is using his curiosity and passion for ophthalmology to improve patient care and outcomes for people with eye diseases and disorders.
While in university, Dr. Khaldon Abbas had a deeply moving experience as a volunteer with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT) that changed the trajectory of his life and career.
The community-based organization helps victims of war and torture, and Abbas, whose family immigrated to Canada from Iraq a little more than a decade before, wanted to share his skills as a translator and tutor with newcomers.
“I came to Canada when I was 12. I had limited English, we had no family or friends here, and it was really hard to acclimate,” says Abbas. “I wanted to give back to the community and to be there for immigrant families who were facing similar challenges that my family had to deal with.”
During one shift with CCVT, Abbas was paired with a family from Syria, whose nine-year old daughter was losing her eyesight. She was living with retinal dystrophy, a degenerative disorder that can progress to complete blindness.
Witnessing the impact the eye disorder had on the young girl and her family inspired Abbas to further his own education and set a goal to become an ophthalmologist.
That was eight years ago. Since then, Abbas spent several years working as a clinical research coordinator and completed four years of medical school at the University of British Columbia.
Today, he is a clinical research fellow at the Ivey Eye Institute of St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) – a position supported through St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation thanks to the generosity of donors.
During the next year, Abbas’ research will focus on improving patient care and outcomes for people with eye diseases and disorders.
Drs. Phil Hooper, Verena Juncal and Tom Sheidow, all retinal surgeons at Ivey Eye, are the impetus behind the fellowship and now serve as Abbas’ mentors. Through the fellowship, the trio wanted to expand their clinical research program which is heavily focused on clinical trials. Their goal was to delve into quality improvement projects and explore, among other things, patient data, referral patterns and wait times – information that could guide Ivey Eye in refining care to better understand how to improve the overall flow of patient care.
As surgeons at the largest single-site eye care centre in Canada committed to innovative care, the Ivey Eye physician leaders felt a responsibility to make this work a reality.
“We started talking about this about three years ago,” says Sheidow. “We were familiar with similar roles at other academic eye care centres and we were fortunate to have some funding, so we brought the idea to the foundation and started to craft the terms of reference,” he adds.
Abbas is the second physician in this fellowship, following in the footsteps of Dr. Amy Basilious, who is now in her second year of residency at Ivey Eye.
“Amy did an exceptional job as our inaugural fellow and we were looking for someone with similar characteristics – bright, curious, motivated, a self-starter and a passion for ophthalmology,” says Sheidow. “Khaldon has all of that and more,” he adds, referring to Abbas’ interest and background in clinical trial work.
Even before arriving in London for the fellowship, Abbas began working with his new team to generate research project ideas and shape a research plan. Among the projects he will tackle is one that will assess the effectiveness and complications of lens exchange surgeries, and another in collaboration with Basilious focused on macular hole repairs.
He will also spearhead two quality improvement studies aimed at streamlining the referral process to Ivey Eye for optometrists and enhancing education and information resources for patients with eye diseases and disorders. Through his work, Abbas is excited to build his research skills, forge new professional connections and see some of his research translated into tangible improvements in patient care.
He’s grateful to Hooper, Juncal and Sheidow, along with St. Joseph’s and the Foundation, for their vision and spirit of innovation in establishing the fellowship.
“Everyone has been extremely welcoming and supportive of me, especially my mentors and fellow co-workers” he says. “There’s a real family environment at St. Joseph’s. I feel like this is my new home away from home.”
Lawson researchers elected to Royal Society of Canada
Drs. Cheryl Forchuk and Ruth Lanius have been elected as Fellows with the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in recognition of their significant contributions to mental health research.
Dr. Forchuk, Assistant Scientific Director at Lawson and the Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery at St. Joseph Health Care London’s Parkwood Institute, has worked tirelessly to advance research that has resulted in improved hospital discharge models, harm reduction strategies and support for those living without housing, among other concerns. Most recently she has hosted forums across Canada in an effort to better understand homelessness and the number of people experiencing it.
“It’s an honour to be included among such a talented group and alongside my mental health colleague,” says Dr. Forchuk, who is also a Distinguished University Professor at Western University. “A lot of important work remains to be done to better support those living with mental health challenges.”
Dr. Lanius, Associate Scientist at Lawson and Psychiatrist at London Health Sciences Centre, is world-renowned for advancing the understanding and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through her research. She has been instrumental in defining different types of PTSD and combining imaging and psychiatry to develop new therapies that use neurofeedback or sensory processing to ‘train the brain.’
“Advancing knowledge is crucial to improving quality of life,” notes Dr. Lanius, who is also the Harris Woodman Chair in Mind-Body Medicine and a Professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “I’m very excited to be recognized with such a distinguished group of contributors to research and academics.”
RSC fellows are elected by peers for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement. This year’s 101 new fellows will be inducted into the RSC on November 17.
… 268 Grosvenor Street London, Ontario N6A 4V2 Ivey Eye Institute PATIENT NAME SURNAME GIVEN INITIAL … 268 Grosvenor Street London, Ontario N6A 4V2 Ivey Eye Institute PATIENT NAME SURNAME GIVEN INITIAL …
268 Grosvenor Street London, Ontario N6A 4V2 Ivey Eye Institute PATIENT NAME SURNAME GIVEN INITIAL ADDRESS TELEPHONE: HEALTH CARD #. 10 DIGITS VERSION CODE DATE of BIRTH: Date: AGE CONSENT FOR LENSTAR or IOL MASTER TESTING I,____________________________________, request testing with the LENSTAR or I...
London expands approach to prevent discharge from hospital to homelessness
LONDON, ON - During a virtual event for Londoners hosted by Lawson Health Research Institute and the City of London, a multi-sectoral research team announced two projects representing a collaborative approach to preventing homelessness from within hospital walls.
Built on the unique and successful No Fixed Address (NFA) strategy, these projects are being tested as a potential best practice for preventing hospital discharge to homelessness. NFA seeks to stop the cycle between hospital admissions and homelessness by providing timely and accessible supports to patients who would otherwise be discharged into homelessness. It brings housing and financial supports into the health-care system, starting as soon as upon admission, to assist in finding appropriate housing and supports or avoiding a potential eviction.
“Canada lacks a validated and coordinated service model to address the issue of hospital stay to no fixed address, which can often be the beginning of an individual’s experience with homelessness,” explains Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery, and Assistant Scientific Director at Lawson. “There are multiple factors that cause people to be discharged into homelessness - systemic, organizational and personal. We need a collaborative and coordinated approach that honours housing as a basic human right.”
Several departments at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London collaborate with staff from the City of London, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Elgin-Middlesex, Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU), Salvation Army’s Housing Stability Bank and Ontario Works in the City of London to provide direct, on-site (or virtual) support for patients at risk of homelessness.
“Implementing a coordinated approach to addressing homelessness allows our staff to actively work alongside our partners in health care to prevent and divert individuals and families from an experience of homelessness by assessing their needs and connecting them to the housing supports.,” says John D’Oria, Coordinated Access Manager, City of London. “Whether it’s financial, social service or mental health support, this partnership and approach allows for a holistic approach to client care at the right time.”
Patients discharged from hospital to homelessness in Canada face many challenges that make recovery more difficult. They often experience higher readmission rates and emergency department visits. This is particularly concerning for youth, who have been found to be the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.
NFA was initially tested with strong success for mental health patients across the city and the second version of the project was extended to medical units at LHSC’s University and Victoria Hospitals.
PROJECT 1: Collaboration to Address Homelessness - Health, Housing and Income (H2I)
This research study will evaluate the City of London’s Coordinated Access Outreach program at hospital sites. A Coordinated Access Outreach worker will support individuals at risk of homelessness to maintain or obtain housing. Ontario Works will assist with the provision of income and employment supports and the Salvation Army Housing Stability Bank may be accessed for needed financial resources to secure or maintain housing.
Over two years, 106 participants will be interviewed in hospital and again six months post-discharge. Focus groups with participants, health care providers and community partners will provide further insight into the effectiveness of NFA. This project is funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s National Housing Strategy.
PROJECT 2: Preventing discharge to No Fixed Address – Youth (NFA-Y)
This research study will customize, implement and evaluate the NFA strategy for vulnerable youth ages 16-24. The unique health and housing needs of youth at-risk will be explored by streamlining housing and financial support into a coordinated system of care, with additional support provided by Youth Opportunities Unlimited and Children’s Aid Society London and Middlesex.
Over 3-4 years, data to be collected from 93 youth at three time points. Focus groups with youth participants, health care providers, and community agency partners will help enhance the NFA strategy to meet the unique needs of youth. This project is funded by the National Centres of Excellence (NCE) Making the Shift (MtS) Youth Social Innovation Lab.
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About Lawson Health Research Institute
Lawson Health Research Institute is one of Canada’s top hospital-based research institutes, tackling the most pressing challenges in health care. As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, our innovation happens where care is delivered. Lawson research teams are at the leading-edge of science with the goal of improving health and the delivery of care for patients. Working in partnership with Western University, our researchers are encouraged to pursue their curiosity, collaborate often and share their discoveries widely. Research conducted through Lawson makes a difference in the lives of patients, families and communities around the world. To learn more, visit www.lawsonresearch.ca.
Media Contacts
Celine Zadorsky
Senior Media Relations Consultant
Communications & Public Engagement
T: 519-685-8500 ext. 73502
Celine.zadorsky@lhsc.on.ca
London expands approach to prevent discharge from hospital to homelessness
During a virtual event for Londoners hosted by Lawson Health Research Institute and the City of London, a multi-sectoral research team announced two projects representing a collaborative approach to preventing homelessness from within hospital walls.
Built on the unique and successful No Fixed Address (NFA) strategy, these projects are being tested as a potential best practice for preventing hospital discharge to homelessness.
Led by Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery, and Assistant Scientific Director at Lawson, NFA seeks to stop the cycle between hospital admissions and homelessness by providing timely and accessible supports to patients who would otherwise be discharged into homelessness. It brings housing and financial supports into the health-care system, starting as soon as upon admission, to assist in finding appropriate housing and supports or avoiding a potential eviction.
Several departments at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London collaborate with staff from the City of London, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Elgin-Middlesex, Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU), Salvation Army’s Housing Stability Bank and Ontario Works in the City of London to provide direct, on-site (or virtual) support for patients at risk of homelessness.
Patients discharged from hospital to homelessness in Canada face many challenges that make recovery more difficult. They often experience higher readmission rates and emergency department visits. This is particularly concerning for youth, who have been found to be the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.
NFA was initially tested with strong success for mental health patients across the city and the second version of the project was extended to medical units at LHSC’s University and Victoria Hospitals.
PROJECT 1: Collaboration to Address Homelessness - Health, Housing and Income (H2I)
This research study will evaluate the City of London’s Coordinated Access Outreach program at hospital sites. A Coordinated Access Outreach worker will support individuals at risk of homelessness to maintain or obtain housing. Ontario Works will assist with the provision of income and employment supports and the Salvation Army Housing Stability Bank may be accessed for needed financial resources to secure or maintain housing.
Over two years, 106 participants will be interviewed in hospital and again six months post-discharge. Focus groups with participants, health care providers and community partners will provide further insight into the effectiveness of NFA. This project is funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s National Housing Strategy.
PROJECT 2: Preventing discharge to No Fixed Address – Youth (NFA-Y)
This research study will customize, implement and evaluate the NFA strategy for vulnerable youth agSwitch to plain text editores 16-24. The unique health and housing needs of youth at-risk will be explored by streamlining housing and financial support into a coordinated system of care, with additional support provided by Youth Opportunities Unlimited and Children’s Aid Society London and Middlesex.
Over 3-4 years, data to be collected from 93 youth at three time points. Focus groups with youth participants, health care providers, and community agency partners will help enhance the NFA strategy to meet the unique needs of youth. This project is funded by the National Centres of Excellence (NCE) Making the Shift (MtS) Youth Social Innovation Lab.
Media Coverage
- Could this project keep discharged hospital patients from homelessness? - London Free Press
- London, Ont., expands work to prevent homelessness after hospital stays - Global News
- London expands strategy to curb homelessness after hospital stays - Blackburn News
- What happens to people who are discharged from hospital if they have nowhere to go? - CBC London
Learn more about No Fixed Address
Scientist
… multiple program moves including the consolidation of the Ivey Eye Institute to St. Joseph’s Hospital and move the … space at St. Joseph’s Hospital including space for the Ivey Eye Institute, Ears, Nose, Throat (ENT) clinic, … multiple program moves including the consolidation of the Ivey Eye Institute to St. Joseph’s Hospital and move the …
MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release: March 23, 2009 Hospital redevelopment next phase underway at St. Josephs Health Care, London and London Health Sciences Centre (LONDON, ON) London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Josephs Health Care, London (SJHC) are now well into the next phase of redeve...
… demolition of Zone A on Grosvenor and Richmond • The former Ivey Eye, B2 100, is now being renovated • Cladding and … Care. For the safety of patients below the renovation zone: Ivey Eye and the cataract suites, heavy construction work is … demolition of Zone A on Grosvenor and Richmond • The former Ivey Eye, B2 100, is now being renovated • Cladding and …
Sister Genevieve wrote: No sooner had the public been informed that the Sisters were prepared for the reception of patients, then many persons sought admission. Mrs. Wells had been working around her little shanty when she slipped on an onion, fell and fractured her hip. Since there were no ambulanc...
… 2 CHEAPSIDE ENTRANCE 4 Take ZONE “B” Elevators to Level 1 Ivey Eye Institute B1-050 IVEY EYE INSTITUTE Zone Level Room 1 B1-050 B ZONE “A” … Directions (Level 1) Secondary Directions (Level 0) LEGEND IVEY EYE INSTITUTE (B1‐050) 519‐646‐6100 ext. 66018 … 2 CHEAPSIDE ENTRANCE 4 Take ZONE “B” Elevators to Level 1 Ivey Eye Institute B1-050 IVEY EYE INSTITUTE Zone Level Room …
Zone Zone 4 Tunnel Access Zone A Elevators Zone 2 1 Zone Zone ZONE A ELEVATORS TUNNEL ACCESS ZONE B ELEVATORS ZONE F ELEVATORS ZONE D ELEVATORS ZONE C ELEVATORS PARKING ELEVATORS TUNNEL ACCESS GROSVENOR STREET CHEAPSIDE STREET RI CH M O N D S TR EE T W EL LI N G TO N S TR EE T N ZONE E ELEVATORS GRO...
… donors is expanding specialized retina care at St. Joseph’s Ivey Eye Institute to meet a growing demand for services. … the number of patients needing retina care at St. Joseph’s Ivey Eye Institute has increased 50 per cent – a trend … population ages. Faced with rising demand for retina care, Ivey Eye reached out to St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation …
m ST.JOSEPH'S ,.., ' , \ .. LAUNr.Y PRQprY L.f'J' O,P.t/300 A publication of St. Joseph s Health Care London SPRING 2022 | ISSUE 05 HOVERING HOLOGRAMS HONE SURGEONS' SKILLS Surgical visionary Dr. George Athwal at St. Josephs Hospital has introduced a revolutionary new tool into operating rooms in C...
New research showcased at third annual Parkwood Institute Research Spring Update Half Day
More than 100 researchers, staff and trainees attended the third annual Parkwood Institute Research (PIR) Spring Update Half Day on April 27, 2018 to share their innovative research and learn about work from across PIR through interactive workshops and poster presentations.
A program of Lawson Health Research Institute and located at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Parkwood Institute, PIR represents three major research programs: cognitive vitality and brain health, mobility and activity, and mental health. The event allowed guests to hear about new studies and recent research developments from across these three themes.
“Parkwood Institute Research covers different research areas but what we want to emphasize with this event is the overlap and collaboration between our programs. Having an inter-disciplinary approach that encourages partnerships ultimately helps us to incorporate new knowledge into patient care at Parkwood Institute,” says Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery, and Assistant Director, Lawson.
Five interactive workshops were held on a variety of different topics, such as clinical trials, systematic reviews, innovation in health care, practice-based research methods and evaluating SMART technology. The workshops were led by some of Parkwood Institute’s research leaders, including Drs. Cheryl Forchuk, Robert Teasell, Michael Borrie, Dalton Wolfe, and Arlene MacDougall.
Attendees also had the opportunity to visit poster presentations on recent PIR projects.
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Ashrafunissa Janmohammad (above), Lawson research coordinator at Parkwood Institute’s Chronic Wound Management Clinic, was one of the poster presenters at the event. She presented on a study led by Lawson associate scientist Dr. David Keast, which assessed whether chitosan gelling fibre dressing could be effective in controlling bleeding after minor wound surgery. Chitosan is derived from chitin, the structural component of the cell walls of fungi and the shells of arthropods such as crabs, lobsters, shrimps and insects.
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Juweiriya Ahmed (above), a MSc candidate at Lawson and Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, was another presenter. Her poster outlined a study investigating the interaction between neuroanatomical and genetic risk factors that may contribute to the development of psychotic symptoms (delusions and hallucinations) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Supervised by Lawson scientist Dr. Elizabeth Finger, the study could help inform the development of therapeutic targets and treatment plans.
New study shows technology could play an important role in mental health support
LONDON - In a study published in MDPI Journal, a team of researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute have shown that the use of technology may assist in better outcomes for those living with both mental health and physical disorders.
Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Assistant Scientific Director at Lawson, and her team embarked on a pilot study that used smart home monitoring solutions to assist those living with both a mental health disorder and other health challenges. The purpose of this pilot study was to see if technology could improve overall lifestyle and wellbeing.
“We began our research by using hospital prototype apartments – apartment style care spaces within hospital settings – that were equipped with smart home technology solutions such as a screen device, activity trackers, weigh scales and medication dispensers,” says Dr. Forchuk who is also the Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery at St. Joseph’s Health care London. “Once we tested it in a hospital setting, we wanted to find a way to take this idea out into the community in different kinds of housing and living situations to see if it would be beneficial.”
The research team partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and the London and Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH) to work together to retrofit the homes of the 13 study participants.
“We worked together with the participants and their care providers to choose what combination of technology they felt would be best for them,” says Dr. Forchuk. “No matter their health condition each participant wanted to be more active and independent, with the goal of staying out of hospital.”
All smart devices were connected to the Lawson Integrated Database, which is a database that can securely collect data from multiple sources such as health devices. This allowed care providers to send reminders to participants, while also tracking usage and results.
“The key benefits we noted was that study participants started to live healthier lives,” says Jonathan Serrato, Lawson Research Associate. “Participants logged going for walks and exercising more often, as well as making healthier food choices. Those who used the medication dispensers did not miss a single dose. The touch screen devices also allowed participants to easily communicate with care providers and support networks, and access more resources.”
Following the pilot study, the research team also published a subsequent paper, as a ‘how-to guide’ for utilizing smart home technology interventions as a health care tool.
“This paper is a helpful resource that outlines implications and considerations when it comes to smart home technologies,” adds Serrato. “There are many areas we touch upon such as security, privacy and feasibility as well as hardware and software information for those who would like to take on their own similar type of smart home technology project.”
About Lawson Health Research Institute
Lawson Health Research Institute is one of Canada’s top hospital-based research institutes, tackling the most pressing challenges in health care. As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, our innovation happens where care is delivered. Lawson research teams are at the leading-edge of science with the goal of improving health and the delivery of care for patients. Working in partnership with Western University, our researchers are encouraged to pursue their curiosity, collaborate often and share their discoveries widely. Research conducted through Lawson makes a difference in the lives of patients, families and communities around the world. To learn more, visit www.lawsonresearch.ca.
Media Contacts
Celine Zadorsky
Senior Media Relations Consultant
Communications & Public Engagement
T: 519-685-8500 ext. 73502
Celine.zadorsky@lhsc.on.ca
New treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients with sepsis is one step closer to potentially saving lives
LONDON, ONTARIO – It’s a human protein called annexin A5, and it’s being studied as a potential therapy for COVID-19 patients with sepsis. Annexin A5 is a protein produced inside the human body with unique anti-coagulation (preventing blood clots) and anti-inflammatory properties that could help in the fight against sepsis.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to an infection turns into an overwhelming inflammatory response. The inflammatory response can cause damage to organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, and even the brain. Unfortunately, most critically ill COVID-19 patients develop sepsis. “With COVID initially, it is in the airway and then in the lungs, then from there the inflammatory response in fact spreads to the whole body,” says Dr. Qingping Feng, Lawson Scientist and Ivey Chair in Molecular Toxicology at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “Sepsis causes major organ dysfunction and carries a high mortality unfortunately.”
“For patients with severe COVID-19 disease, what we see is major respiratory failure in the lungs as the primary site in the body,” says Dr. Claudio Martin, Intensive Care Physician at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and Associate Scientist at Lawson. “When the pandemic started, there was no proven treatment for sepsis, including sepsis as a result of COVID-19. Based on clinical trials during the pandemic, we now use steroids and other treatments to try to help, but the results and effects aren’t dramatic and we see patients who have these treatments and still progress and end up in critical care.”
However, Dr. Feng and his team have found in a pre-clinical study that annexin A5 can inhibit inflammation and improve organ function and survival when treating sepsis. This discovery was made right here in London and now the research team has launched a clinical trial with critically ill COVID-19 patients at LHSC, using a manufactured form of annexin A5.
Enrollment has begun with the goal to have 60 patients participate in the clinical trial. “Patients are receiving standard treatment and then those enrolled will also receive the annexin,” says Dr. Martin. “It’s a placebo blinded clinical trial, so patients will either get a lower dose of annexin, a higher dose of annexin or a placebo.”
If the clinical trial shows promising results the team plans on expanding into a larger phase three trial with not just COVID-19 patients with sepsis, but other sepsis patients as well. “If in fact Annexin A5 is shown to be effective in sepsis, this will be a huge benefit for society because sepsis is the leading cause of death worldwide,” adds Dr. Feng.
The drug is currently being produced through a partnership with Suzhou Yabao Pharmaceutical R&D Co. Ltd., based in China, Lawson Health Research Institute, and WORLDiscoveries. “Our long-standing partnership with Suzhou Yabao has enabled annexin A5 drug development to proceed to this point,” says Kirk Brown, Manager of Business Development, Lawson Health Research Institute. “We are now in a unique position through this trial to offer a potential life-saving treatment for this emergent global disease, with the objective of soon expanding to all cause septic patients.”
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About Lawson Health Research Institute
Lawson Health Research Institute is one of Canada’s top hospital-based research institutes, tackling the most pressing challenges in health care. As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, our innovation happens where care is delivered. Lawson research teams are at the leading-edge of science with the goal of improving health and the delivery of care for patients. Working in partnership with Western University, our researchers are encouraged to pursue their curiosity, collaborate often and share their discoveries widely. Research conducted through Lawson makes a difference in the lives of patients, families and communities around the world. To learn more, visit www.lawsonresearch.ca.
About WORLDiscoveries®
WORLDiscoveries is the business development arm of London’s extensive research network and the bridge between local invention and global industry. Born out of a partnership between Western University, Robarts Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute (collectively known as the Partners), WORLDiscoveries draws upon a mix of industry connections, sector-specific market knowledge and business development expertise, to help researchers and local inventors commercialize their discoveries through licensing and new company spin-offs.
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Provincial funding enables coronavirus research in London, Ontario
LONDON, ON – Three studies investigating a range of important COVID-19 questions led by teams from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University are among an initial 15 projects funded through the Government of Ontario’s COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund.
Studying a human protein in the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients
A team from Lawson will be the first in the world to study a human protein called annexin A5 as a potential therapy for COVID-19 patients with sepsis. The randomized controlled trial will enroll up to 60 critically ill patients from London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).
“There are no proven therapies to treat COVID-19,” says Dr. Claudio Martin, Associate Scientist at Lawson and Intensive Care Physician at LHSC. “In the most severe cases, it’s complicated by hyperinflammation that can lead to sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ failure.”
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition. It occurs when the body’s response to an infection is out of balance, triggering hyperinflammation that can damage multiple organs. Many critically ill COVID-19 patients develop sepsis one to two days before ARDS, suggesting that sepsis is a major contributor to the development of respiratory and multi-organ failure.
Led by Dr. Martin, this clinical trial aims to fight sepsis in COVID-19 patients with a manufactured form of annexin A5 – a human protein that has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Patients will be randomized to receive either the drug at two different doses or a placebo.
“The ultimate goal is to determine whether this drug reduces hyperinflammation associated with sepsis in order to prevent respiratory and multi-organ failure,” explains Dr. Martin, who is also a Professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
The team also believes the drug will prevent cell death and blood clots associated with COVID-19 through annexin A5’s anti-apoptotic (cell death prevention) and anti-coagulant (blood clot prevention) properties.
This is the first time annexin A5 will be tested as a potential sepsis treatment in humans. The research builds on findings of a preclinical study from Dr. Qingping Feng, Lawson Scientist and Ivey Chair in Molecular Toxicology at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. His team previously found that annexin A5 can inhibit inflammation and improve organ function and survival when treating sepsis in animal models.
“Annexin A5 is a naturally-occurring protein with great potential as a therapy for sepsis, whether caused by COVID-19 or a different infection,” says Dr. Feng, co-investigator on the project. “If our initial trial is successful, we hope to run a large multi-centre trial to further examine the drug’s potential as a sepsis treatment.”
Developing point-of-care blood test for COVID-19
A team at Western will be using a novel strategy to rapidly develop a blood test for COVID-19 using epitopes – a peptide fragment on the virus that evokes an immune response in humans.
“The antibody test enabled by multiple epitopes is potentially more sensitive and specific than tests that rely on a single viral protein. Serologic testing plays a pivotal role in charting the landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and guiding return-to-work decisions,” said Shawn Li, PhD, Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and Scientist at Lawson. “This funding allows us to put together a team of basic researchers and clinician scientists, including Dr. Ian Chin-Yee and his colleagues at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, to work on the various aspects of the project with the common goal of developing a serologic test suitable for point-of-care use as quickly as possible.”
To curb the COVID-19 outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers are looking to solve three critical challenges as quickly as possible – detection, treatment and vaccination. Li says the identification of these epitopes are also the necessary first step to devise strategies for the production of virus-neutralizing antibodies to treat those who are severely ill and also to inform epitope-vaccine development for COVID-19.
Studying the impact of modified operating conditions for retail food outlets
With the aim of understanding how the pandemic has affected the well-being of businesses and their employees, Jason Gilliland, PhD, Professor in the Faculties of Social Sciences, Health Sciences, and Schulich Medicine & Dentistry at Western, has begun the Food Retail Environment Study for Health & Economic Resiliency (FRESHER) project.
“The project is a rapid response to the widespread closures of, and modified operating conditions for, many retail food outlets,” said Gilliland, who is also a Scientist at Lawson. “The project outputs are expected to help inform policies and programs that will maintain Ontario’s food security, incentivize economic growth during the recovery period, and improve health and economic resiliency among businesses and employees to future pandemics and emergencies.”
Gilliland and his team will examine the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 in southwestern Ontario by identifying what businesses modified their operations, temporarily closed or permanently closed during the outbreak, and how it has affected businesses and their employees.
“The retail food sector is already facing massive job losses which in turn will have negative economic and health impacts on owners and employees,” he said. “As the project is intended to be a rapid response, we needed to quickly mobilize a large team of research assistants to rapidly collect and continuously update the data. This funding is critical as it allowed us to put together an impressive team of student research assistants, most of whom would otherwise have been out of work due to COVID-19.”
More information on the project and links to the surveys can be found at: fresher.theheal.ca.
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About Lawson Health Research Institute
Lawson Health Research Institute is one of Canada’s top hospital-based research institutes, tackling the most pressing challenges in health care. As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, our innovation happens where care is delivered. Lawson research teams are at the leading-edge of science with the goal of improving health and the delivery of care for patients. Working in partnership with Western University, our researchers are encouraged to pursue their curiosity, collaborate often and share their discoveries widely. Research conducted through Lawson makes a difference in the lives of patients, families and communities around the world. To learn more, visit www.lawsonresearch.ca.
About Western
Western delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community.
About The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University is one of Canada’s preeminent medical and dental schools. Established in 1881, it was one of the founding schools of Western University and is known for being the birthplace of family medicine in Canada. For more than 130 years, the School has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and a passion for scientific discovery.
Media Contacts
Celine Zadorsky
Senior Media Relations Consultant
Communications & Public Engagement
T: 519-685-8500 ext. 73502
Celine.zadorsky@lhsc.on.ca