Chronic neuropathic pain affects millions of Canadians for which the government spends ~$6 billion a year on treatment. It is therefore imperative to find new therapies with few side effects and high therapeutic efficacy. This study will examine the therapeutic properties of cannabidiol (CBD), which is a non-intoxicating component of cannabis. Studies have shown that CBD has ant-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and pain-relieving effects.

The field of nuclear medicine relies on positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanners to visualize molecular processes in normal and disease states in the living human.

In rural regions of Canada, many patients live far from hospital emergency departments and specialty services. When urgent medical care is required due to a health crisis, access to pre-hospital care and the distance to an emergency department can have a major impact on morbidity and mortality. The primary objective of our study is to examine demographic patterns and clinical characteristics of medevac service use in the northern Newfoundland and coastal Labrador region accompanied by a strong knowledge mobilization plan.

In Canada, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for both sexes. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constitutes ~85% of lung cancer cases. Mutations in the KRAS and EGFR genes are two most common oncogenic drivers for NSCLC and responsible for ~30% and ~15% of NSCLCs, respectively. Unlike the EGFR-mutant type, KRAS-mutant NSCLC is currently undruggable and associated with poor prognosis. Our lab has recently demonstrated that Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a potent oncolytic virus against KRAS-mutant NSCLC.

Pascal Biosciences Inc. is a company developing immuno-oncology therapeutics to fight cancer. It was initially founded on ideas and research that originated from Dr. Wilf Jefferies’ laboratory at the University of British Columbia. Since then, the company has continued to collaborate with Dr. Jefferies and his team to forward the research, through direct sponsorship and through collaborative research partnerships. Pascal has a mandate to discover and develop targeted agents that enable the body's own immune system to recognize and attack cancers.

North America is experiencing an unprecedented opioid overdose epidemic driven by the proliferation of fentanyl and fentanyl-adulterated drugs. Based at the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) and in collaboration with the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), I will undertake an ethno-epidemiological study to evaluate the implementation, uptake, and effectiveness of a novel low-barrier hydromorphone distribution program via a secure automated medication dispensing system targeting individuals at high risk of fatal overdose.

In the current functional and structural neuroimaging project, we aim to identify functional and structural changes that correlate with disease presence and its severity (staging) and that can serve as a basis for future development of PD neuroimaging biomarkers. To achieve this objective we will use our expertise in functional neuroimaging of the cervical spinal cord (CSC), brainstem and brain (simultaneously), as well as in micro-structural neuroimaging of the spinal cord.

This project will use a breakthrough brainwave technology to track the recovery of patients who have serious brain injury after cardiac arrest. Doctors currently rely on behaviour-based tests at the patient’s bedside to measure their brain function, but this is not reliable. A better method is to measure brain function directly using brainwave information. We have created a new technology that can measure many different brain functions in a short time.

Approximately nine million Canadians live with vision loss that, even when wearing corrective lenses, impedes their ability to perform everyday tasks. Canadians with vision loss are at greater risk of social isolation and reduced community participation. Vision loss rehabilitation (VLR) is a multi-disciplinary service that includes orientation and mobility training, independent living skills and low vision technology. These services are effective for improving the lives of people with vision loss. However, these services are varied and lack coordination in Canada.

One in every five people will develop liver disease in their lifetime. Few people think about liver disease until the disease has progressed and has permanently damaged the liver. Fatty liver disease falls into this category with obesity as the most common cause. Given more than 50% of Canadians are overweight and 75% of obese individuals are at risk of developing a fatty liver, this is a widespread problem. Canadians with fatty liver and other liver diseases need a tool for detecting and monitoring their liver health. Analogous to blood pressure numbers, we need numbers for liver health.