Category: newsroom

Health Research Speaker Series: Research Support Services at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (December 7, 2023)

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

Join us (virtually) for the first presentation in our Health Research Speaker Series on December 7th (3:00 pm – 4:00 pm), featuring Rabail Siddiqui, Research Development Coordinator at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.

Title: Research Support Services at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute
Date: December 7, 2023
Time: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Online event via Webex

Meeting link: https://bit.ly/HRSS-December-7
Meeting number (access code): 2340 835 0581
Meeting password: RS07
Alternatively, you may join the session by phone:
+1-647-484-1598 (long distance fees may apply)
Access code: 2343 229 3461

About the speaker:

Rabail Siddiqui has over five years of experience in research, ranging from basic sciences, to clinical and translational research. She has worked for the Orthopaedic Research Program at TBRHRI for the last three years and has been covering the position of Research Development Coordinator since May 2021. Rabail obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology and her Master of Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology from Lakehead University. She recently completed a Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) in Translational Research from the University of Toronto.

Health Research Speaker Series – Rabail-Siddiqui – December 7 2023

Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute Welcomes Returning Board Members at Annual Meeting

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) celebrated another year of success at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation on June 22, 2023.

Dr. Andrew Dean, returning as Board Chair, and Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, CEO of TBRHRI, congratulated all returning Board Directors for the coming term. Dr. Pamela Wakewich departed her role as Vice Chair and Director and was recognized for her commitment to the Board.

Dr. David Marsh was elected as Vice-Chair of the Board as well as Chair of the Science and Research Committee, and James Peotto will continue as Treasurer. Returning as Board Directors are Dr. Sheldon Tobe, Andrew Ross, John Dixon, Peter Bishop, Dr. Jocelyn Bel, and Dr. Erin Cameron.

Dr. Crocker Ellacott will continue to serve as an ex-officio Director along with Dr. David Marsh, Associate Dean, Research, Innovation and International Relations at NOSM University, Dr. Chris Mushquash, Vice President, Research at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) and Chief Scientist at TBRHRI, and Tim Larocque, Director, Applied Research and Innovation at Confederation College.

TBRHRI’s Annual Report was also released and highlights some of the successes of the 2022/2023 fiscal year. To download of a copy of the Annual Report visit https://bit.ly/2022-23-TBRHRI-AnnualReport

50/50 Draw Funds Revolutionary New Breast Cancer Screening Tool

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

Everyone who buys a Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket in the month of October will be contributing to a piece of Thunder Bay history. That’s because half of all proceeds will go directly to breast cancer including the new Radialis unit, a revolutionary alternative to X-ray mammography that was developed and will be manufactured right here in Thunder Bay.

Dr. Alla Reznik and her team have worked for about ten years developing this new technology from scratch. The technology detects breast cancer tumours using molecular imaging. That’s a much more precise and efficient method of diagnosing breast cancer for women who have dense breast tissue, which is about half of all women. And, it does all this without painful compression of the breast during imaging.

Radialis was not designed to replace mammography, but instead provide an alternative for those women who need it.

“Mammography saves lives. Mammography is the gold standard in detecting breast cancer. But mammography is efficient only for 50% of all women,” Dr. Reznik said. “For those women for whom mammography is not efficient, we need to offer another detection tool.”

Mammography is what Dr. Reznik called an indirect cancer detection tool – one that detects cancers based on expected density differences between a tumour and breast tissue. Tumours can be missed in some women because there isn’t enough contrast in the X-ray mammography between dense breast tissue and dense tumour tissue. Further, false positives or questionable results can trigger a number of other treatments and tests that can be painful and stressful. That’s something Dr. Reznik saw happen to a close friend.

“(The results she received were) suspicious but inconclusive,” she said. Thankfully, a biopsy revealed her friend didn’t have cancer. However with Radialis, she wouldn’t have needed a biopsy at all. Women who experience these painful tests after false positives are less likely to get mammograms in the future. “I don’t want anybody to experience false-positive results.”

Radialis can also be used to monitor treatments earlier and more effectively, allowing doctors to try something different if the initial treatment isn’t working.

“This is very much aligned with personalized medicine,” Dr. Reznik said. “It’s a game changer.”

The first round of clinical trials has already successfully completed at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto with a second round about to begin. Clinical trials are planned to start in Thunder Bay in April 2023 to test how well the unit can be used for monitoring certain breast cancer treatments. Dr. Reznik said that she is also in discussions with other hospitals including one in the United States to build systems.

Radialis has received FDA clearance and will begin manufacturing its molecular imaging units right here in Thunder Bay. That has always been an important goal for Dr. Reznik and her team, she said.

“If we just sell our technology to a manufacturer, then the manufacturing will be moved out of Thunder Bay. But we are committed to our region and even if Radialis is at some point purchased by a larger company, manufacturing will stay in Thunder Bay.”

Some of the proceeds of October’s Thunder Bay 50/50 draw will go directly to building prototypes needed for testing and clinical trials including purchasing component parts.

“Every ticket you buy will help fund research that will benefit hundreds of patients in Thunder Bay with a direct way to diagnose breast cancer and a direct way to follow up with their treatment,” Dr. Reznik said.

You can help make Thunder Bay medical history! Buy your Thunder Bay 50/50 tickets and see what this month’s jackpot is up to at: ThunderBay5050.ca

Canadian researchers using cutting edge technology to investigate long-COVID

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

In a multi-site study funded by the Ontario COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund, scientists discovered a clue into the cause of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), also known as long-COVID.

Led by Grace Parraga, Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair at Western University, researchers used novel lung imaging techniques to investigate gas exchange in the lungs of people suffering from long-COVID. This exploratory study used hyperpolarized xenon-129 magnetic resonance imaging (HP 129Xe MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans to visualize the flow of oxygen through the lungs and where it is blocked.

The use of the HP 129Xe MRI technology is based on the technique co-invented by Mitchell Albert, Lakehead University—Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute Research Chair in Molecular Imaging and Advanced Diagnostics. As a graduate student at The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Albert co-invented this powerful diagnostic technology that allows you to see how the lungs are functioning in real time. Since then it has been applied to several important biomedical areas, including this study.

“It’s really gratifying to see that after 25 years, our invention now is turning out to be important in the use of discovering what is happening in patients with post-acute COVID-19,” says Albert. “Not a lot is known about long-COVID yet. People have these lingering symptoms lasting months and months, and no one really understands why this is. This study starts to shed light on what is happening in the lungs, what the problem is, and the fact that there is indeed a physical problem.”

Albert is referring to the fact that for people with long-COVID can suffer from symptoms including shortness of breath, brain fog and fatigue, where traditional methods of assessing the lungs (i.e. pulmonary function tests, CT scans, chest x-rays) may not indicate there is an issue in the lungs. Using HP 129Xe MRI changes that.

“You can think about hyperpolarized xenon like a tracer that allows you to see how the gas behaves within the lungs. So by using the HP 129Xe, we are able to trace the pulmonary gas exchange and literally see how oxygen is transferred into the bloodstream,” explains Yurii Shepelytskyi, post-doctoral researcher in Albert’s lab. “In this study, we looked at post-acute COVID-19 syndrome to see how the gas transfer changes in subjects who had COVID-19 and who were previously hospitalized over those people not hospitalized. We found that the amount of gas transferred into the blood is significantly smaller in subjects who had COVID-19, indicating a gas transfer impairment.”

Albert’s team at Lakehead University / Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute is one of five sites conducting research for this study. In this collaborative study, the impaired pulmonary transfer has been correlated to pulmonary vascular changes detected by CT scanning. This initial discovery is important as in order to develop treatment options for patients with long-COVID, the source of the issue must be identified.

“Next steps are to continue the research and follow up with the patients to determine if they have fully recovered, or if their symptoms persist. This information will be useful to health care providers to provide guidelines for treating patients with long-COVID,” says Albert. “We are very excited to be a part of this groundbreaking study that will help people all across the province and beyond. Thank you to TBRHRI for allowing us use of the 3T MRI, and to Lakehead University for providing seed funding that allows us to do this incredible work right here in Northwestern Ontario. Finally, I am grateful to the Ministry of Health for making this research possible and to Grace Parraga, the study leader, for inviting us to participate.”

Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute Welcomes Returning Board Members at Annual Meeting

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) celebrated another year of success at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation on June 23, 2022.

Dr. Andrew Dean, Board Chair, and Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, CEO of TBRHRI, congratulated all returning Board Directors for the coming term.

Dr. Pamela Wakewich was elected as Vice-Chair of the Board as well as Chair of the Science and Research Committee, and James Peotto will continue as Treasurer. Returning as Board Directors are Peter Bishop, John Dixon, Andrew Ross, Sheldon Tobe, Erin Cameron, and Jocelyn Bel.

Dr. Crocker Ellacott will continue to serve as an ex-officio Director along with Dr. David Marsh, Associate Dean, Research, Innovation and International Relations at NOSM University, Dr. Chris Mushquash, Vice President, Research at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) and Chief Scientist at TBRHRI, and Tim Larocque, Director, Applied Research and Innovation at Confederation College.

TBRHRI’s Annual Report was also released and highlights some of the successes of the 2021/2022 fiscal year. To download of a copy of the Annual Report visit https://bit.ly/2021-22-TBRHRI-Annual-Report

Exceptional Care for Every Patient, Every Time: Hospital and Health Research Institute Launch New Strategic Plan 2026

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

With much anticipation and celebration, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) released Strategic Plan 2026 today – a plan that will guide both organizations along a path of growth and continued success for the next four years.

“I am so pleased to see the official launch of Strategic Plan 2026,” says Gord Wickham, Board Chair for TBRHSC. “This blueprint for our success is the result of input from 120 engagement sessions with more than 700 stakeholders, including community and regional partners, staff from TBRHSC and TBRHRI, Indigenous communities, patients, families and caregivers, and so many more. Our Patient and Family Centred Care philosophy will continue to guide us as we set out to accomplish our strategic plan, which focuses on enhancing the overall patient experience through patient partnership and improving care coordination, all while embedding the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.”

“Strategic Plan 2026 will drive our post-COVID-19 recovery,” says Dr. Andrew Dean, Board Chair for TBRHRI. “We’ll be incorporating innovation and inspiration into every decision we make, which is key to advancing health care for the people of Northwestern Ontario and beyond. Strategic Plan 2026 will shape the future of health care through cutting edge research and education.”

The new Strategic Plan 2026 is available for download at https://bit.ly/TBRHSC-TBRHRI-StrategicPlan2026.

Strategic Plan 2026 builds on the successes of the previous strategic plan, with focused strategic directions identified during stakeholder consultations, including: Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Patient Experience, and Staff Experience. A clear emphasis on Research, Innovation, & Learning will help prioritize and integrate research efforts, build research capacity and create an environment that better supports research, innovation, teaching and learning. The strategic enabler, Sustainable Future, is critical to the organizations’ financial health and future success, and includes supporting expansion of digital health, creation of a clinical services plan, advancing partnerships and system integration.

“The past two years have seen our amazing teams at the Hospital and Health Research Institute adapt, pivot and go above and beyond their everyday practices and duties,” says Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and Chief Executive Officer of TBRHSC and Chief Executive Officer of TBRHRI. “Strategic Plan 2026 seeks to address the needs of the people of Northwestern Ontario, supports community and regional partnerships and is a roadmap to our COVID-19 recovery. I am excited to lead both of our organizations forward into a positive and promising future.”

NOSM / TBRHSC / TBRHRI Associate Scientist awarded national Fellowship in Health Systems Resilience

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

Dr. Brianne Wood, Associate Scientist at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) / Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI), has been awarded the Fellowship in Health Systems Resilience by the Health Research Foundation of Innovative Medicines Canada. Dr. Wood was selected by the foundation’s committee of leading Canadian life sciences experts to receive $450,000 over three years.

As an Associate Scientist in Social Accountability and Learning Health Systems, Dr. Wood’s research aims to improve health care in Northern Ontario by building a system that reflects the health needs of communities. She will investigate how communities and health systems can better generate knowledge and understanding to help inform policy both in times of emergency and for the future of health system improvement.

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity this fellowship provides, and for the trust the foundation places in me to advance my research. My vision is to improve health and health care in Northern, rural, and remote communities. Partnerships, shared strategies and resources between education, research, health services and communities are essential to create meaningful impact. This fellowship will enable me to better prepare underserved health systems to meet the needs of their health workforce and the communities they serve,” says Dr. Wood.

Her research comes at a critical time, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight ongoing health-care inequities in Northern Ontario. Rural and remote communities in the region face health workforce shortages, burnout, fewer resources, and more complex population health issues compared to the rest of Ontario. The Fellowship will examine the resilience of Northern Ontario’s health system—specifically to strengthen the system’s capacity to adapt to crisis, emergencies and change—while maintaining and improving health care service.

“Through initiatives such as the Fellowship in Health Systems Resilience, our industry makes valuable contributions to public policy and helps Canadians prepare and be equipped to face our next public health crisis. I believe that Dr. Wood and her work will help Canada curb the impact of future pandemics and other health threats, especially in vulnerable communities,” says Pamela Fralick, President, Innovative Medicines Canada.

About the NOSM Centre for Social Accountability
The Centre for Social Accountability (CFSA) is the first of its kind in Canada. It is a model for multidisciplinary, community-led, and community-prioritised health and public health multidisciplinary research. The NOSM CFSA is advancing social accountability research globally and locally by working and collaborating with diverse stakeholders in the broad areas of health professional education, health system transformation, health human resources, social and population health, and social determinants of health. The Centre is home to two research networks, NORTHH and MERLIN, which focus on building capacity and providing tools for change.

About the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is an award-winning socially accountable medical school renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research. With a focus on diversity, inclusion, and advocacy for health equity, NOSM relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples and communities of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote, and underserved communities. NOSM’s graduates, faculty, learners, and staff are changemakers who lead health-system transformation in Northern Ontario. The School is a recipient of the Charles Boelen International Social Accountability Award from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and the prestigious ASPIRE award, which recognize international excellence in social accountability and medical education.

About the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
TBRHSC is a state-of-the-art, 375 bed, acute care facility serving the health care needs of people living in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. The organization is focused on providing patient and family centred care in an academic learning environment. To fulfill its teaching and research strategic goals, the TBRHSC supported (in 2007-08) the creation of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) as a not-for-profit and independent research corporation. TBRHRI is the research arm of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, a leader in Patient and Family Centred Care and a research and teaching hospital proudly affiliated with Lakehead University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Confederation College.

For further information, please contact:

Kim Latimer
Communications and External Relations
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Phone: 807-621-4303
Email: klatimer@nosm.ca

Marcello Bernardo
Communications and Engagement
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Phone: 807-684-6011
Email: bernarma@tbh.net

NOSM, TBRHSC and TBRHRI collaborate on the appointment of a joint Associate Scientist focused on social accountability and health education systems

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), in partnership with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), announce Dr. Brianne Wood as the inaugural joint Social Accountability and Learning Health Systems Associate Scientist for a two-year term.

Dr. Wood will focus on the development, implementation, and evaluation of learning health systems research in Northern Ontario and support the integration of educational and health systems research. She will assist in the development of data infrastructure, evaluation processes and strategies that support health system education and foster sustainable research collaborations. This new role will be situated within the research mandate of the Centre for Social Accountability at NOSM and the Academic mandate at TBRHSC.

With a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Ottawa, Dr. Wood specializes in integrated knowledge translation and person-centered cancer screening. While completing her PhD, Dr. Wood worked as a health system epidemiologist in Northern Ontario. Her experience includes health equity impact assessments, health system performance measurement, and primary health care capacity.

As Associate Scientist, Dr. Wood will support primary health care research, quality improvement, and capacity-building in Northern Ontario and serve as the Director of NORTHH (the NOSM Research Toward Health Hub—a practice-based research network for primary health-care providers) also within NOSM’s Centre for Social Accountability. Aligned with TBRHSC’s aim to provide the highest quality of care, Dr. Wood’s work will help ensure patient and population needs guide continuous improvement initiatives, education and research.

“Brianne Wood is an established, well-respected academic leader who specializes in both health systems research and health professions education research in Northern Ontario. A key strength is her in-depth knowledge of socially accountable research best practices,” says Dr. Erin Cameron, Academic Director of the Centre for Social Accountability at NOSM. “The aim of her new role is to guide applicable, socially accountable, community relevant health research efforts that will inform research, education, and health service delivery.”

NOSM’s new Centre for Social Accountability (CFSA) is the only one of its kind in Canada. The Centre will result in improved health of Northern Ontarians while extending beyond NOSM’s commitment to being socially accountable in our education and research programs and advocating for health equity. The CFSA’s integrated approach in the areas of policy leadership and advocacy; research and innovation; education; and community impact will produce a deeper and broader understanding on a range of issues affecting population health outcomes inside and outside the medical system. In this way, the Centre’s social accountability research defines and strengthens the School, making NOSM and its partners more effective in the achievement of this critical mission.


About the Northern Ontario School of Medicine

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is an award-winning socially accountable medical school renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research. With a focus on diversity, inclusion, and advocacy for health equity, NOSM relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples and communities of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote and underserved communities. NOSM’s graduates, faculty, learners and staff are changemakers who lead health-system transformation in Northern Ontario. The School is a recipient of the Charles Boelen International Social Accountability Award from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and the prestigious ASPIRE award, which recognizes international excellence in social accountability and medical education.

About the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC)

TBRHSC is a state-of-the-art, 375 bed, acute care facility serving the health care needs of people living in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. The organization is focused on providing patient and family centred care in an academic learning environment. To fulfill its teaching and research strategic goals, the TBRHSC supported (in 2007-08) the creation of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) as a not-for-profit and independent research corporation. TBRHRI is the research arm of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, a leader in Patient and Family Centred Care and a research and teaching hospital proudly affiliated with Lakehead University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Confederation College.

About the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI)

TBRHRI seeks to lead research to improve the health outcome of the people of Northwestern Ontario and beyond. In partnership, the TBRHRI and TBRHSC are advancing the academic research mandate and strengthening our collective role as a leader in health innovation. Both NOSM and TBRHRI/TBRHSC are strongly committed to equity and diversity within our community, while simultaneously developing an inclusive work environment that reflects the diversity of the broader populations that we serve.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute Appoints Two New Board Members

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, June 24th.

Board of Directors Chair Dr. Andrew Dean and Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO of TBRHRI, welcomed Dr. Erin Cameron and Jocelyn Bel as new Board Directors serving 3-year terms. They will join Dr. Dean as well as James Peotto, Dr. Sheldon Tobe, Dr. Pam Wakewich, Andrew Ross, John Dixon, and Peter Bishop who are continuing with the Board.

“Our team is expanding the fields of research and breakthroughs in some amazing fields,” said Dr. Andrew Dean. “From detecting neurodegenerative diseases at the earliest of stages, advancements in mammography for those with breast cancer to smart home-based monitoring systems for patients – the research being conducted in Thunder Bay is ground-breaking and game changing.”

The meeting also say Dr. Pamela Wakewich elected as Vice-Chair as well as Chair of the Science & Research Committee, and James Peotto as Treasurer.

“The research taking place in Thunder Bay is not only going to help the lives of patients and families in our region, but on a global scale,” said Dr. Crocker Ellacott. “Our team is recognized internationally for their innovation, intelligence and dedication to science and medicine. Great things are happening in Northwestern Ontario.”

Dr. Crocker Ellacott will continue to serve as an ex-officio Director along with Dr. David Marsh, Associate Dean, Research, Innovation & International Relations, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Kelly Meservia-Collins, Executive Vice President, Research, Quality & Academics, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and Tim Larocque, Director, Applied Research & Innovation, Confederation College.

The Health Research Institute’s Annual Report was also released and highlights some of the successes of the 2020/2021 fiscal year. To read it, please visit http://tbrhri.ca/2020-2021AnnualReport/.

Help Bring Discovery to Life By Joining Our Board

Posted on by Marcello Bernardo

The Board of Directors invites interested Northwestern Ontario residents to consider serving as members of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute Board of Directors. Successful candidates will be expected to participate actively for a three year term.

As a skills-based Board, we are seeking to fill 2 vacancies with interested volunteers who:

  • are willing to promote our Vision of “Bringing Discovery to Life”, our Strategic Directions as well as our role as the research arm of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre;
  • commit to advocating for our Mission to be an international leader in health technology research and other strategic health innovation, that improves the health of the people of Northwestern Ontario and beyond;
  • demonstrate teamwork, community leadership, multicultural awareness, financial acumen and are representative of the population in this region;
  • can commit the time necessary to be productive Board members.

Applicants with understanding of population health or clinical research are encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should forward a resume and letter of interest by Friday, March 19th, 2021 to:

Chair, Board of Directors c/o Lisa Niccoli
Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute
980 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 6V4

niccolil@tbh.net

www.tbrhri.ca

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