Dr. Patricia Mills, a Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute clinician-researcher, specializes in treating a condition that affects approximately 1 in 3 people who experience a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The condition, called problematic spasticity, is experienced as persistent muscle spasms that can result in a dramatic reduction in quality of life.

“For people with a spinal cord injury, problematic spasticity can be the biggest health challenge that they face.”

A new study co-authored by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Helen Tremlett finds people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have an elevated risk of acute myocardial infarction, or AMI. AMI is the medical term for heart attack, caused when blood flow to the heart is blocked. The study, recently published in the journal Neurology, reviewed large population data sets from BC and Manitoba. It compared rates of AMI among people with MS to those in a larger general population.

On March 1, 2019, Dr. David Granville was appointed to the position of Associate Director of the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI). In this role, he will oversee innovation and research activities within the VCH research community, including the internal awards program, medical animal facilities, Legacy Research Program, Centre for Heart and Lung Health and the Immunity and Infection Research Centre.

Aspiring health care professionals often hear that if you want a career in medicine, you can’t be squeamish about blood. But what about bad smells? For those who work in operating rooms (ORs) the odours that accompany surgeries can be more than a little off-putting. People use a variety of remedies to combat the bad smells, but there is little scientific evidence as to what is the most effective. A team of medical students, under the leadership of Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist and plastic surgeon Dr.

From blogs to news sites to WebMD, health information is everywhere on the internet. And while it is easy to believe there is conflicting information about diets or exercise routines, one would think information on serious conditions, such as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis—a type of lung disease that can affect one’s ability to take in oxygen—would be accurate. Unfortunately, Dr. Chris Ryerson—along with co-authors Drs. Jolene Fisher, Darra O’Connor, Alana Flexman and Shane Shapera—found that’s not the case.

Hearing loss is a condition often associated with aging. In fact, it is estimated that 65 per cent of people over age 70 have significant hearing loss, which can cause difficulties socializing and going about daily activities. Hearing aids are currently the best solution for most hearing loss, but their cost may be deterring some patients from following through with recommendations to wear them. 

As a kidney transplant pharmacist, Cindy Luo ensures that kidney transplant patients take the correct medication and dose after surgery. Yet, despite pharmacists’ and clinicians’ best efforts, many transplant patients do not take their medications as prescribed, and go on to develop health problems that can put their new organ and overall health in jeopardy.

“Globally, medication non-adherence has been identified as a major contributor to the loss of kidney function after a successful transplant surgery.”

Sometimes the best way to learn is by doing. For Chinese-Canadians with diabetes who participated in a Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) cooking class study, the proof was in the pudding—especially if it was made with traditional ingredients.

“We know that people of Chinese descent are at higher risk of developing diabetes, and we wanted to communicate with them in a culturally appropriate way.”

People often associate the signs of Parkinson’s disease with tremors in the hands or feet, but patients can experience a range of symptoms, from stiffness to difficulty moving and changes in mood and cognitive function.

A degenerative neurological disorder, Parkinson’s slowly takes away the body’s ability to produce dopamine—a neurotransmitter chemical responsible for carrying signals between nerve cells in our brain. This means that movement is not the only function to suffer the effects of the disease.