Concussions are a leading injury associated with skiing and snowboarding, yet most helmets are not designed to prevent them. Research led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) researcher, Dr. Peter Cripton, could bring about a game-changing re-evaluation of how snow sport helmets are tested and designed.
“A main focus of our study is to establish new testing standards that mimic real-world scenarios,” says Cripton. “This can inform the design of a helmet that protects the wearer from a concussion, along with other traumatic head injuries.”
The immunotherapy based on antibody research being developed by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Dr. Horacio Bach could provide short-term protection against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. To date, COVID-19—a disease that largely affects the respiratory system—has claimed the lives of over 870,000 people worldwide.
“One of the challenges we face with regards to a potential COVID-19 vaccine is that we do not know if it could offer long-term protection against reinfection,” says Bach.
Vaccination is the best line of defense against meningitis, and determining whether three vaccines used to protect against a leading type of the disease are equally effective is the focus of research being conducted by Dr. Manish Sadarangani, a Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher. His clinical trial aims to inject additional clarity into the administration of meningococcal C vaccines across Canada.
Even the most seasoned weightlifters will feel the burn after pumping iron for a few sets. Their muscles cue their brain to take a break and relax, but for spinal cord and brain injury patients, that muscle-brain connection may be damaged or severed. This disconnect can lead to a painful condition called problematic spasticity, when muscles fire involuntarily and relentlessly.
People with insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes may benefit from meeting with their general practitioner (GP) regularly, even when their symptoms seem to be under control. This recommendation stems from a nationally representative research study out of Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) that found visiting a GP at least once per year significantly reduced in-hospital time.
Survival rates for prostate cancer patients are high, but a diagnosis often comes with life-changing decisions and consequences for men and their loved ones. A new joint research study on peer navigation could give more prostate cancer patients, as well as their support system, the opportunity to be paired with a prostate cancer survivor or caregiver who can provide emotional and informational support.
The Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation – Centre d’Innovation Cardiovasculaire (CCI-CIC) is a new research centre at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute that gives B.C.’s cardiovascular researchers the chance to develop research projects aimed at improving patient care. Launched with the inclusion of 47 cardiovascular co-investigators, CCI-CIC investigates 16 major domains within cardiovascular medicine including arrythmia, coronary and structural heart disease interventions, surgery, congenital heart disease, pediatrics, heart function, basic science and imaging.
For more than two decades, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Anthony Phillips’s research on the brain’s dopamine system has dovetailed with his extensive work investigating plant-derived chemical compounds called tetrahydroprotoberberines (THPBs).
