Skip to main content

Main menu

  • About Us
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Health and Economic Impact
    • Research Impact Video
    • Strategic Plan
  • Our Research
    • Research Focus
      • Brain Health
      • Cancer
      • Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence
      • Heart Health
      • Healthy Aging and Mobility
      • Immune System
      • Injury and Rehabilitation
      • Lung Health
      • Mental Health and Substance Use
    • Research Centres and Programs
      • BC Centre on Substance Use
      • Centre for Aging SMART
      • Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation
      • Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation
      • Centre for Lung Health
      • Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
      • Immunity and Infection Research Centre
      • International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries
      • M. H. Mohseni Institute of Urologic Sciences
      • Ovarian Cancer Research Centre
      • Community Research Program
      • Emergency Medicine Research Program
      • Hematology Research Program
      • Skin Research Program
      • Other Research Focus Areas
    • News and Stories
    • Researcher Directory
    • Events and Workshops
  • Research Services
    • New to VCHRI
      • Working at VCHRI
      • Regulations and Training
      • Membership with VCHRI
      • Learning and Development
    • Starting Your Project
      • Research Facilitation
      • Awards and Funding
      • Grant Management
      • Operational Approval
      • CST Cerner
    • Developing Your Project
      • Clinical Trials Administration
      • Clinical Research Unit
      • Research Privacy
      • Financial Policies and Procedures
    • Additional Support
      • Indigenous Health Research Unit
      • VCH-VCHRI AI Hub
      • Communications and Media Relations
      • Study Recruitment Support
      • Innovation and Industry Partnership
    • Internal Awards
    • Clinical Research
    • Indigenous Research
  • Participate in Research
    • Reasons to Participate
    • Participant Stories
    • Find a Study
    • Recruitment Support

User menu

  • Log in

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Participate in Research
  3. Substance Use

Substance Use

Participate in Substance Use studies at VCHRI.

Recruiting

Investigating spontaneous craving in cigarette smokers

The purpose of this study is to examine spontaneous (i.e., not cued or externally triggered) craving in cigarette smokers. The study team will present participants with craving probes while they watch a non-smoking related film. The goal is to examine the ability of this method to capture craving so it can be applied to brain imaging research.

Status
Recruiting
Principal Investigator
Christian Schütz
Age
21-40

Gamifying treatment for opioid use disorder

This study aims to explore the perspectives of patients with opioid dependence and health care providers (HCPs) who are involved in the care of individuals with opioid use disorder on how they would feel regarding a contingency management (CM) smartphone game for opioid agonist therapy (OAT). The study team will be obtaining information through focus groups with patients and semi-structured interviews with HCPs.

Status
Recruiting
Principal Investigator
Pouya Azar

Understanding the link between schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and heat

The purpose of this study is to understand the link between schizophrenia and heat. People with schizophrenia have died at disproportionately high rates in recent heat events. While there is some physiological and biomedical understanding of thermoregulation in people with schizophrenia, understandings of their social vulnerability is lacking. Through interviews with people with schizophrenia, as well as their caregivers and loved ones, the study team aims to get a fuller understanding of their experiences in extreme heat events.

Status
Recruiting
Principal Investigator
Liv Yoon

Evaluating the safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of 25mg of psilocybin versus a placebo in subjects with alcohol use disorder through analysis of the number of heavy drinking days over the eight-week treatment period.

Status
Recruiting
Principal Investigator
Christian Schütz
Age
18-70

Developing a strategy to prevent hepatitis C virus reinfection

The purpose of this study is to measure patterns of hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection after achieving an undetectable viral load at end of treatment on direct-acting aniviral therapy; to determine the threshold of risk reduction practices that protects against HCV reinfection after achieving an undetectable viral load; and to evaluate the potential impact of successful HCV treatment in terms of health care costs and resource utilization.

Status
Recruiting
Body Locations and Systems
Endocrine System
Kidneys and Urinary System
Age
19 and above

Examining the cognitive effects of cannabis on stress response

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of cannabis in people using recreational cannabis. This research will examine the cognitive and emotional effects of cannabis oil.

Status
Recruiting
Principal Investigator
Christian Schütz
Body Locations and Systems
Brain and Nerves
Age
19-35

Evaluating community-based antibiotic therapy

The purpose of this study is to provide real-life evidence for the role of community-based, low-barrier, short-stay facilities in providing care for patients struggling with substance use disorder and severe bacterial infection requiring a prolonged (approximately 2-6 week) course of antibiotics.

Status
Recruiting
Principal Investigator
Jan Hajek

Supporting mental health through phone texting

The purpose of this study is to assess whether a phone texting service will improve quality of care provided to the patients discharged from the Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre at Vancouver General Hospital. Providing additional support, via their mobile phones, and connection to a care navigator, especially after discharge from psychiatric inpatient units may help patients make a seamless transition from hospital to community-based care and can potentially reduce losses to follow-up and unplanned readmissions to hospital.

Status
Recruiting
Principal Investigator
Richard Lester
JJ Sidhu

Lung health benefits of e-cigarette cessation

The purpose of this study is to determine the lung and immune function benefits of stopping vaping for 72 hours in young adults who use e-cigarettes containing nicotine. The study also aims to determine if telling participants of their own personalized changes to their lung and immune function following the 72 hour abstinence period affects their motivation in quitting vaping.

Status
Recruiting
Principal Investigator
Christopher Carlsten
Body Locations and Systems
Smoking Cessation
Area
Vancouver
Age
19 - 35
Subscribe to Substance Use

Get updates!

Join our newsletter mailing list to stay up to date on features and releases.

Subscribe

Quick Links

  • News and Stories
  • Careers
  • Events
  • Media Enquiries

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • X
  • YouTube

© 2025 VCHRI. All rights reserved.

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy