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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: 

• Potential sepsis treatment could be ready in 5 years thanks to London, Ont., researcher (Global News)

• Vanguard innovator may have found first-ever sepsis treatment (Western News)

In Canada, about 235,000 people experience homelessness each year. The number of homeless people, and the length of time they spend homeless, continues to rise. Homelessness is not a choice and anyone can become homeless. 

Although the root cause is poverty, some underlying issues are poor physical or mental health; violence or abuse in the home; lack of employment or income; and, a shortage of affordable housing. 

A group of researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson), working at both London Health Sciences (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s), are committed to tackling the issue of homelessness from within hospital walls, where some patients face the risk of being discharged into homelessness. 

“Many of our patients with lived experience of homelessness were saying that their journey started with a hospital discharge,” says Lawson clinician researcher Dr. Cheryl Forchuk. “Often, they were experiencing major transitions in their lives and then experienced a hospital stay. Normally a relatively short visit, they aren’t able to gather the information and make a plan to be able to leave the hospital with somewhere to stay.”

On September 10, Adam Vaughan, Canadian MP and Parliamentary Secretary (Housing and Urban Affairs), on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced that Lawson will receive $223,572 from the Homelessness Partnering Strategy’s (HPS) Innovative Solutions to Homelessness funding stream to support the project “No Fixed Address Version 2 Expansion” research project. 

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“This is a brilliant approach. It supports an augmented duty of care where hospitals have the means to transfer people into stable settings where they can continue to heal and move towards self-sufficiency,” says Parliamentary Secretary Vaughan. 

Taking place at London Health Sciences Centre, this research will further refine the No Fixed Address strategy for reaching and supporting patients during the crucial transitional period when they are being discharged from the hospital and re-integrated into the community. 

“Lawson’s expanded No Fixed Address research project is the first evaluation anywhere of a strategy to reduce the number of patients being discharged into homelessness. There is almost no literature on any aspect of this troublesome issue,” explains Dr. Forchuk who is the study’s Principal Investigator. Dr. Forchuk is also the Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery and Assistant Director at Lawson.

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This project is an extension of three previous studies conducted by Dr. Forchuk’s research team, which developed and tested this novel approach. They demonstrated the efficacy, feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using the No Fixed Address strategy in acute and tertiary psychiatric care in the London region, at both LHSC and St. Joseph’s. In the first phase, they found that the interventions used prevented homelessness in 95 per cent of cases. 

The researchers are now taking a solution proven to have worked in the mental health units and applying it in selected medical departments at LHSC. Through the study, the services will be available to all patients in those units who are at risk of homelessness. There have already been 17 patients who have accessed this support since the project got underway this summer. 

Three community partners from London are supporting implementation of the strategy - Canadian Mental Health Association Middlesex, Ontario Works in the City of London and the Salvation Army’s Housing Stability Bank. They will provide assistance in areas like securing appropriate private-sector housing, provision of income and employment supports, and financial assistance. 

“In many ways London, Ontario is the high water mark of solving and tackling homelessness. This community has a lot of be proud of given the way that the municipality is stepping up to the plate and how many different organizations are working together towards a common goal,” says Parliamentary Secretary Vaughan. 

This kind of collaboration showcases the important partnership between the Canadian Government, research-intensive hospitals and community organizations to translate innovative solutions from the research stage to the front line of care. 

“The hope is that the findings will be even more robust, leading to the development of a best-practice model of hospital discharge that can be adopted throughout Canada. This will reinforce the need for a systemic change in the way hospital discharges occur and ensuring the person is transitioning to a secure housing arrangement,” says Dr. Forchuk. 

Learn more about the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy. 

News Coverage

• CBC London - Helping medical patients in London avoid homelessness when they leave hospital 
• CTV London - Expanded research hopes to break the cycle of homelessness that psychiatric patients sometimes face when discharged
• Global News, AM 980 - Program that finds housing for homeless patients in hospital gets $223K in federal funding
• London Free Press - 'Brilliant approach' to homelessness gets federal grant
   

On January 10, 2020, the Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London, joined London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), Lawson Health Research Institute and the Ontario Hospital Association for a research tour at LHSC’s University Hospital. 

This tour was organized to afford the Minister the ability to see first-hand how research-intensive hospitals like those in London are helping to deliver high quality and efficient patient care to people across the province and beyond.

At University Hospital, Drs. Matthew Teeter and Brent Lanting are leading clinical research in hip and knee replacement that is reducing the time patients are in hospital following surgery. They are utilizing wearable technology to better assess how patients are doing, flag issues and predict outcomes, while partnering with industry to develop the next generation of implants. 

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 Dr. Brent Lanting shows samples from the Implant Retrieval Lab, led by Dr. Matthew Teeter, which images and studies thousands of failed hip, knee and shoulder implants. 

Dr. Teeter leads one of Canada’s only Implant Retrieval Labs, which stores thousands of failed hip, knee and shoulder implants retrieved from patients. Surgeons and scientists from all over the world send implant specimens to London to be imaged and studied. 

As the research institute of LHSC and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, Lawson’s researchers and their teams are helping people live their life to the fullest by minimizing the effects of injury, disease and disability. Research is done within hospital walls and can be directly implemented into patient care. 

This includes ground breaking work in minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgeries let by Dr. Michael Chu and the cardiac surgery team. They have helped patients like Maria Bruno who shared her experience as a patient, and the impact on her own life and that of her family. 

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 Maria Bruno, patient of Dr. Michael Chu, sharing her experience as a patient and the impact of life-saving, minimally invasive cardiac surgery that was performed in London thanks to the innovative cardiac surgery team.                                         

“Today, my heart is in perfect condition,” shares Maria. “The ability to perform this procedure is unique in Canada. I’m forever grateful to this hospital and Dr. Chu for being able to repair it. I’m a huge advocate for continued research because there are many, many patients who could benefit.” 

As an active clinician researcher, Dr. Chu also investigates augmented reality image guidance in minimally invasive valve surgery, experimental transcatheter technology and complex aortic reconstruction. In 2019, Dr. Chu along with colleagues from University Health Network published a high-impact finding that women are more likely to experience poorer outcomes following aortic surgery. 

Dr. Mandar Jog is a world leader in his field, revolutionizing treatment for people with movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. Last year, his work on spinal cord stimulation was covered by BBC World News. 

Patients Real Beaulieu and Guy Alden who have been involved with the team’s clinical trials told the Minister about the dramatic improvements in their quality of life 

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 Members of the research team for the London Movement Disorders Centre, led by Dr. Mandar Jog, gather wth research patients and those attending the tour.

“With the tremor, I was at the point where I couldn’t write, I couldn’t get a key in the key hole. I couldn’t function normally in life and it was embarrassing for me,” remembers Real. “After the treatment with Dr. Jog, it was a huge turnaround for me and how I could live my life.” 

Hospital-based research is critical to supporting health care in Ontario. “Health research is a necessity in order to provide the best care for patients and ensure the health system is sustainable. Researchers, clinicians, staff and trainees working at hospital sites across the city are driving important discoveries that continually improve patient care,” says Dr. David Hill, Lawson Scientific Director and Integrated VP, Research for LHSC and St. Joseph’s Health Care London. 
 

St. Joseph’s Health Care London and Lawson Health Research Institute have announced plans to move forward with clinical trials testing a drug that could potentially be used to prevent and treat COVID-19. St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation will accelerate the creation of the studies by providing seed funding to get the research started through donor support. Based on the immediate need, The St. Joseph’s Health Crisis Fund has been created by St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation to enable these and other research studies currently in development through Lawson, the research arm of St. Joseph’s. 

While supporting urgent COVID-19 clinical trials will be an immediate focus, The St. Joseph’s Health Crisis Fund will also support critical patient care equipment and care and comfort items for healthcare staff and volunteers working on the frontlines of the pandemic across St. Joseph’s.

Led locally by Dr. Michael Silverman, Medical Director of St. Joseph’s Infectious Diseases Care Program, one trial will assess the safety and efficacy of using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to prevent COVID-19 in health care workers recently exposed to the virus. This trial will also assess the drug as a treatment for non-hospitalized patients with mild cases of the illness. St. Joseph’s will be one of many participating sites in the trial, which is being led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

“There is much debate surrounding the drug hydroxychloroquine. We do not yet know whether it’s safe or effective, and it should not be routinely recommended until we do,” says Dr. Silverman, also a Lawson Associate Scientist and city-wide Chair/Chief of Infectious Diseases. “We plan to carefully study the drug through a randomized controlled trial and assess whether it can help combat COVID-19.”

Dr. Silverman is also partnering with Dr. Michael Borrie, Geriatrician at St. Joseph’s and Lawson Scientist, on a prevention trial to test the safety and efficacy of the drug for patients and residents at Parkwood Institute who have been exposed to COVID-19. They are at a higher risk of infection, as well as serious complications and potential admission to acute care.

“There are two critical goals with this prophylactic trial,” explains Dr. Borrie. “First, we want to see if the drug, taken for five days, is safe for the participants in the study. We will then look to see whether it is effective to prevent illness or lessen symptoms and complications.” 

They are testing whether HCQ may inhibit the coronavirus similar to how the antiviral drug Tamiflu is used to prevent influenza after exposure. The research team will recruit patients and residents who have been accidentally exposed to the virus by a confirmed or presumed case of COVID-19, but who aren’t yet experiencing symptoms. In addition to cardiograms and blood tests for safety, they are collaborating with Dr. Saman Maleki, Lawson Scientist and Immunologist, to analyze the blood for a variety of indicators including the presence of antibodies and immune response. They will collect clinical data and information on common health conditions to gain insights into why some vulnerable individuals get the disease and others don’t.

“We are aware of two small studies that were published rapidly last week, one in France and the other in China, testing the use of chloroquine for potentially treating COVID-19. Further studies are greatly needed,” adds Dr. Borrie. “This study at Parkwood Institute is a good start and we hope to have other Canadian sites join us in recruiting participants so that we can offer statistically significant results as soon as possible.”  

Those interested in donating to St. Joseph’s Health Crisis Fund are asked to visit St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation’s website to learn more at sjhcfoundation.org. Donations can be made online, through direct mail submissions or by calling the Foundation directly at 519-646-6085. 

“The Sisters of St. Joseph, who founded our organization, faced contagious diseases and other pandemics at different times in our 150+ year history,” says Michelle Campbell. “Today, it’s a different time, and a new disease. Now, more than ever, we ask our community to help us address the crisis facing us all.” 

In the news:

• Global News - London, Ont., researchers to study hydroxychloroquine’s potential to prevent, treat coronavirus
• CTV - London researchers testing drug to prevent COVID-19 spread in long-term care homes
• The London Free Press - New fund set up to help bankroll London research into COVID-19 drug

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 

• Expanded No Fixed Address strategy houses half of those in danger of homelessness   
• Funding for unique strategy to prevent homelessness after hospital discharge