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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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LONDON, ON – In 2019, a spate of vaping-related lung injuries occurred across North America, dominating headlines. While one in four high school students have tried vaping in the past 30 days, the full extent of the health effects are still being studied by clinicians and researchers.

On March 10, 2020, Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry are inviting the community to hear the latest about vaping research and policy from a panel of experts and to join the conversation about the health effects of vaping.

Lawson and Schulich Medicine & Dentistry experts are at the forefront of research into the effects of vaping and are actively contributing to the scientific and clinical knowledge around vaping-related lung injury.

This community event includes a series of small presentations followed by a panel discussion.

Panelists include:

• Dr. Karen Bosma was part of the team that published the first reported case of vaping-related lung injury in Canada. She is a Critical Care Specialist at London Health Sciences Centre, an Associate Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and an Associate Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. 
• Dr. Constance Mackenzie was part of the team that published the first reported case of vaping-related lung injury in Canada. She is an Assistant Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, a Respirologist and Toxicologist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London and the Assistant Medical Director at Ontario/Manitoba/Nunavut Poison Centre.
• Dr. Grace Parraga is a Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Lung Imaging, and a Scientist at Robarts Research Institute. 
• Suraj Paul, Aliana Manji, and Morgan Seabrook are high school students who are part of the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory Youth Advisory Council (HEALYAC) at Western. This group of young people used existing research and their own personal experience to inform a position paper on vaping that called for strict marketing rules and new safeguards on the online purchase of vaping products for anyone under the age of 19.
• Carly Weeks is a Health Reporter for The Globe and Mail who has extensively reported on the cases of vaping-related injury across North America. She’ll bring background and will moderate the panel discussion.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
• Location: Lecture Theatre, Museum London, London, Ontario 

The event is completely full to capacity. Members of the media are welcome to attend the panel discussion, but must contact Crystal Mackay to confirm attendance and to request interviews.

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MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
January 18th, 2022

 

LONDON, ON – Lawson Health Research Institute has ranked eighth in the country for the 2021 edition of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals List by Re$earch Infosource. This is the eighth consecutive year that Lawson has maintained this strong national position, which puts the institute within the top five in Ontario.

Lawson, the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, has also maintained the top ranking for research intensity among the large tier institutions with a little more than $600,000 of research spending per researcher.

“This is a validation of the extensive support from LHSC and St. Joseph’s, our hospital foundations, Western University and our staff and physicians,” says Lawson’s Scientific Director Dr. David Hill. “These strong partnerships make the hospital environment in London a nationally recognized centre of discovery and knowledge translation.”

Hospital-based researchers belong to a health system at the forefront of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With close proximity to patients and access to samples, they have mobilized to address COVID-19 in many different ways, and are making a difference around the world when it comes to advances and discoveries.

“The Province of Ontario designated health research as an essential service early in the pandemic,” explains Dr. Hill. “They understood that only science can get us through this, be it through vaccine development, surveillance and testing, evaluating new drugs to help patients in ICU survive, or studying the long-term health impacts. We have made substantial contributions of new knowledge through Lawson.”

The top 40 list analyzes hospital-based research institutes from across the country on several metrics, including total research income from the previous fiscal year. According to the report, Lawson received $121,888 million in research income in 2021.The ranking looks at funds received from all sources, including both internal and external, to support research at LHSC and St. Joseph’s.

Quick summary of Lawson’s ranking 

• Rank in Top 40 Research Hospitals 2021: 8 (same as 2020) 
• FY2020 research spending: $121,888 million  
• Percentage change 2019-2020: 2.6% 
• Research intensity: $618,700 thousand per researcher  
• Research intensity - percentage of total hospital spending: 7.0% 

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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.

For more information, please contact:      
Celine Zadorsky
Communications & External Relations
Lawson Health Research Institute
T: 519-685-8500 ext. 75664
C: 519-619-3872
@email
www.lawsonresearch.ca/news-events

LONDON, ON – In a newly published study, scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute have adapted PET/MRI technology to accurately image salt within the kidneys of patients with kidney disease.  

“Salt is very difficult to image in an MRI because the signal is much weaker than water,” explains Dr. Christopher McIntyre, Lawson Scientist and Nephrologist at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). “We wanted to find a way to look at the fundamental role of the kidney in getting rid of salt and water by using a functional MRI.”

Imaging salt within the kidneys has never been accurately accomplished in patients with kidney disease, but Dr. McIntyre and his team developed new technology and software that was adaptable to a PET/MRI machine at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. The new technology allowed the machine to image salt and water levels within the kidney.

“Salt within the kidneys have only been imaged in pre-clinical models, and low weight, healthy volunteers,” says Dr. McIntyre. “Since the kidney is further away from the MRI coils, and the organ moves when a person breathes, it is definitely very hard to image.”

This was the first study to use MRI to look at salt within the kidneys with a wide range of participant with different body types (10 healthy volunteers), as well as patients with kidney disease (five patients). The research team also imaged patients who had a combination of kidney disease and heart failure, because it is especially important for those patients specifically to be able to release salt and water as part of their treatments.

Currently clinicians rely on kidney biopsies to measure salt levels, but Dr. McIntyre says that method isn’t as accurate or effective as it could be.

 “The problem is that the biopsies are painful, they have risks, and because it is a small sample of the kidney, we don’t get an accurate perspective of the kidney as a whole,” Dr. McIntyre explains. 

The study, which is published in Radiology has now opened the door to new possibilities when it comes to clinical care for patients with kidney disease.

“Salt is very toxic in patients with kidney failure,” adds Dr. McIntyre. “This will now allow us to diagnose and manage both chronic and acute kidney disease. It is a significant step forward.”

The next steps for the research team will be to compare salt MRI’s to biopsies, while also examining potential new therapy developments. 

“We are hoping we will have a higher degree of certainty moving forward to predict what will happen within the kidneys of these patients, with the possibility of using new targeted and effective treatments in the future,” notes Dr. McIntyre.
 

Study found unique blood biomarkers in patients with post-COVID-19 condition

LONDON, ON – Published this week in Molecular Medicine, researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute have found that patients with post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) have unique biomarkers in their blood. The team is now working on developing a first of its kind blood test that could be used to diagnose long COVID. The discovery could also lead to new therapeutics for this condition.

Long COVID occurs when someone experiences symptoms like fatigue, cognitive issues, shortness of breath and gastrointestinal issues after an initial COVID-19 diagnosis. It can sometimes take up to 12 months for the condition to occur.

“It’s estimated that 30 to 40 per cent of patients with COVID-19 will develop long COVID,” says Dr. Douglas Fraser, Lawson Scientist and Critical Care Physician at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). “Physicians currently rely on symptoms alone to diagnose the condition, but our research offers a unique profile of blood biomarkers that could be used in a clinical test.”

The researchers studied 140 blood samples from participants at LHSC and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, including St. Joseph’s Post-Acute COVID-19 Program. Participants were those with presumed long COVID, hospital inpatients with acute COVID-19 infection and healthy control subjects.

“We chose to study blood vessels that link all the body systems together to look for changes after an acute infection,” explains Dr. Fraser, who is also a Professor at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

The team found that blood vessels of those with presumed long COVID were changing rapidly after a confirmed COVID-19 infection. They also found that patients with long COVID had 14 elevated blood biomarkers associate with blood vessels. With the help of machine learning, they discovered that two biomarkers called ANG-1 and P-SEL could be used to classify long COVID with 96 per cent accuracy. 

“Long COVID is a relatively new condition and we have much to learn about it,” says Dr. Michael Nicholson, Associate Scientist at Lawson, Respirologist at St. Joseph’s and Associate Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. “This research advances our understanding of long COVID with the potential to improve diagnosis and patient care.”

The advantage of biomarkers is that they not only help diagnose a disease but also provide insight into potential treatments. The team is now focused on using their findings to create a clinical diagnostic test with a goal of also exploring therapeutics.

“With a point-of-care diagnostic test, we could confidently diagnose long COVID and eventually develop targeted therapeutics against these blood vessel changes that we have discovered,” says Dr. Fraser. “The ultimate goal is to improve patient outcomes following a long COVID diagnosis.”

This research was supported by funding from London Health Sciences Foundation, London Community Foundation and the AMOSO Innovation Fund. It builds on a growing body of COVID-19 research from scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute. 
 

LONDON, ON - The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tangible impact on the mental health and wellbeing of Canadian health care workers, who have faced challenges that include increased workloads, resource constraints and fears of exposure to COVID-19.

Announced today, researchers out of Lawson Health Research Institute's MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre, have received $2.8 million in funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to launch a project that will support the mental health and wellbeing of Canadian health care workers. The project is titled “Promoting Resilience and Mental Health: Adapting Canada’s Department of National Defence Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) Program to Support Canadian Health Care Workers.”

The project will adapt the current Road to Mental Readiness Program, created for the Canadian Military. The aim is to identify mental health and wellness barriers in health care institutions, and create a streamlined framework that will build and promote supportive environments within institutions across the nation. 

“This program has been a personalized approach with the military, and we are now adapting it to focus on Canadian health care workers,” explains Dr. Anthony Nazarov, Associate Scientist at Lawson and the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. “We want to educate institutions to create an environment that supports wellness not just at the individual level, but at the institutional level as well.”

The project, which will span 14 months, will assist in the planning, adaptation and testing of the health care focused Road to Mental Readiness Program.

“One of the main reasons we felt this was necessary stems from a recent study our team conducted that focused on moral distress and the mental health of Canadian health care workers,” says Dr. Don Richardson, Lawson Scientist and Director of the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre at St. Joseph’s. “Our preliminary study results found that many Canadian health care workers have been negatively impacted by the pandemic with conditions such as; posttraumatic stress disorder, stress and depression.” 

Once the research team has adapted the current Road to Mental Readiness Program, they will test it with health care workers to confirm its efficacy.

“We hope to have this type of resiliency program adopted by health care organizations across the country,” explains Dr. Richardson. “If proven effective, this would provide additional tools to health care workers to help them cope, improve their resiliency and hopefully mitigate future staff shortages.”

The funding is part of the federal 2021 budget which has committed an investment of $50 million over two years to support projects that address posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma in frontline and essential workers, and others affected by the pandemic. The nine projects announced, totaling an investment of $28.2 million, is the first round of projects being supported through this Budget 2021 commitment.

LONDON, ON – As part of an initiative called the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research (GCCR), scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University are studying the sudden loss of smell in COVID-19 patients. They are asking individuals with confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19 worldwide to participate in a survey to better understand this symptom.

A sudden loss of smell, called anosmia, has been widely reported as a marker of COVID-19. More research is needed but emerging evidence suggests that more than 60 per cent of COVID-19 patients experience anosmia and that it is often the first symptom of the disease. 

“While a sudden loss of smell is relatively rare, it is most commonly caused by an upper respiratory tract infection. It therefore stands to reason that COVID-19 could be causing anosmia,” says Dr. Leigh Sowerby, Associate Scientist at Lawson and Associate Professor at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “Colleagues in the United Kingdom first made note of this with a surge of patients presenting with sudden loss of smell and many of these patients went on to develop COVID-19.”

In the new study, patients with loss of smell will answer questions through a publicly accessible survey. They will be asked about their experiences with COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. An immediate goal is to better understand the association between anosmia and COVID-19, and determine if loss of smell is the same in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The team also hopes to determine if loss of smell happens before other symptoms of COVID-19 as it could allow for earlier self-isolation advice.

“As a sinus surgeon, I see many patients who have lost their sense of smell. It really is the forgotten sense; we don’t appreciate smell until it’s gone,” explains Dr. Sowerby, who is also an Otolaryngologist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. “Smell is a very important part of taste. Imagine if all food tasted like cardboard, and all you could do was make that cardboard taste spicy, salty, sweet or bitter. It can also be a safety concern if you cannot smell a gas leak, burning food or smoke.”

While there are existing therapies that can aid in regaining a sense of smell, it’s currently unknown whether they are effective for COVID-19 patients. 

“We don’t yet know the long-term consequences of anosmia in COVID-19 patients and that’s why this research is important,” adds Dr. Sowerby. “I encourage anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or another respiratory illness to complete our survey if able.”

The GCCR survey is currently available in 10 languages at www.covidandsmell.com. 

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Dr. Leigh Sowerby

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LONDON, ON – Researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute have launched a pilot study and pilot project called Queer in the Classroom, to examine the benefits of a proactive, inclusive approach within the education system for those who are part of the 2SLBTGQIA+ student community.

“The Queer in the Classroom initiative is so important because when we look at the data, youth in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are 14 times more likely to die by suicide,” says Dr. Arlene MacDougall, Lawson Scientist, Director of MINDS and Psychiatrist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. “We need to be focusing on this population who are also experiencing a higher degree of isolation, stigma and substance use.”

The pilot project focuses on professional development for teachers and staff to help create an environment that is tailored to best support 2SLGBTQIA+ students through the additional stress they face as a minority group. 

“This project is about connecting with school boards and teachers to help develop the knowledge and skills to create spaces that go beyond tolerating differences,” explains MacDougall. “The focus is to create an environment that is more affirming, that is more responsive and more proactive rather than reactive.”

The foundation for the pilot project came from a scoping review of existing research on this topic conducted by the research team through the Mental Health INcubator for Disruptive Solutions (MINDS), that looked extensively at how teachers themselves can create a classroom that embraces all students. 

“We further conducted our own research based on a series of interviews of 2SLGBTQIA+ students at both elementary and secondary schools in Ontario, and their parents and teachers. We focused on not only their safety in school, but also being celebrated for who they are,” says Iylah Neves, Lawson Research Assistant through MINDS.  “We drew on all of this research to best inform the practices we are using with the Queer in the Classroom initiative.”

Currently the Queer in the Classroom project is being rolled out on a ‘by-request’ basis. However, the research team is working with a couple of school boards within Ontario to discuss the possibility of wider implementation.

“Queer in the Classroom has been driven by the voices of students with personal experiences who feel there is a deep need for this type of innovation,” says Neves. “It is our responsibility to make those changes so that students can access a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment.”

LONDON, ON – Researchers in London have been awarded $1.345 million over five years through the second phase of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), announced today as part of Canada’s national dementia strategy. CCNA is a collaborative research program tackling the challenge of dementia and other neurodegenerative illnesses. 

Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso, Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute, is world renowned for his findings on the relationship between cognition and mobility in the elderly, and gait as a predictor of frailty and dementia. He leads the Mobility, Exercise and Cognition (MEC) Team in London, comprised of top researchers in the areas of mobility, exercise and brain health.

“Evidence from other countries with national dementia strategies shows that coordinated, targeted efforts at the national level improves results for all aspects of dementia care and also for research,” says Dr. Montero-Odasso, also a geriatrician and Director of the Gait and Brain Lab at Parkwood Institute, a part of St. Joseph’s Health Care London. 

CCNA was purpose-built to synergize dementia research within the Canadian context. Phase I saw the creation of infrastructure fostering collaboration amongst Canadian researchers, and there are now 20 teams built around important research topics. 

“This kind of effective national collaboration by scientists and clinicians from many disciplines gives the CCNA a cutting edge in research, prevention, treatment and management of all forms of dementia,” explains Dr. Montero-ODasso. “We created a national network of researchers form west to east coast with a high level of expertise to deliver lifestyle interventions to improve cognition and slow down progression to dementia. I feel privileged working with such excellent investigators and leading this important endeavour locally.” 

The MEC team has several projects in the works, but the majority of the new funding is to complete the SYNERGIC Trial, SYNchronizing Exercises and Remedies on Gait and Cognition. 

This first-in-the-world clinical study is testing a triple intervention aimed at treating Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and delaying the onset of dementia. The SYNERGIC Trial incorporates physical exercises and cognitive training, along with vitamin D supplementation to determine the best treatment for improving mobility and cognition. 

“We are looking at how interventions will work together and targeting cognitive decline at its earliest stage – individuals with MIC,” explains Dr. Montero-Odasso. “Both physical and cognitive exercises have shown promising effects for maintaining cognition, while vitamin D deficiency is associated with cognitive decline.” 

A professor at Western University’s Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Dr. Montero-Odasso partners with researchers from across the city including Dr. Rob Bartha, imaging scientist at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and Robarts Research Institute at Western University, and Dr. Kevin Schoemaker who leads the Laboratory for Brain and Heart Health. 

Study participants in the SYNERGIC Trial are asked to complete an individualized and progressive routine of exercises and cognitive training three times a week for six months, with one final assessment at 12 months. The main site for the study is Parkwood Institute with the physical exercises taking place at the Labatt Health Sciences Building on the Western campus.

“Our preliminary analysis is giving us a strong indication that a multimodal approach, combining physical exercise, cognitive training and supplementation, has a synergistic effect. It seems the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” says Dr. Montero-Odasso. 

To date, 138 research patients has been recruited across multiple sites in Canada. Individuals over 60 years old with mild cognitive impairment without dementia are eligible for this clinical trial. Those interested in participating are encouraged to contact a Lawson research coordinator at 519-685-4292 ext. 42910. 

Dr. Montero-Odasso adds that “as our population ages, a comprehensive strategy is vital to ensure the growing number of those living with dementia receive the care and support they deserve. Over half a million Canadians are currently living with dementia. By 2031, this number is expected to nearly double.” More than one third of dementia cases might be preventable. 

'In CCNA’s Phase II, researchers are working on analyzing the overall health of every patient in a large clinical cohort study, COMPASS-ND. This information will be used to enhance understanding of how changes in the brain affect dementia severity and ways to reduce and prevent this through lifestyle changes. Lawson is the leading recruitment site for COMPASS-ND and the London team will be instrumental in the larger lifestyle interventions moving forward.

CCNA is funded by the Government of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and other funding partners. 
 

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