Research Centres
Research at Providence Health Care is directly aligned with our priority care programs.
Our Research Centres
Research at Providence is directly aligned with the priority care programs of Providence Health Care: heart and lung, renal, HIV/AIDS, healthy aging, urban health and addictions and mental health. Providence Health Care and Providence Health Care Research Institute support active clinical research programs intersecting many therapeutic areas and is home to several major hospital research centres.
Centre for Heart Lung Innovation
Based at St. Paul’s Hospital, the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation is a UBC Senate-approved centre unique to British Columbia. The Centre is supported collaboratively by the Faculty of Medicine of UBC and the Providence Health Care Research Institute. The Centre for Heart Lung Innovation is home to over 250 personnel working towards solving the problems of heart, lung and blood vessel diseases.
- The Institute for Heart and Lung Health
In 2008, Providence Health Care Research Institute established the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital to unite all of Providence’s heart and lung research, education and care programs under one umbrella. In 2010, the Providence Heart and Lung Institute partnered with the Centre for Lung Health and other community groups to form the Institute for Heart + Lung Health bringing together experts in heart and lung research and care from across several British Columbian organizations.
BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is based at St. Paul’s Hospital and is Canada’s largest HIV/AIDS research and treatment facility. The rapid incorporation of research results into clinical practice ensures that HIV/AIDS patients receive a continually evolving standard of evidence-based care. The BC-CfE distributes antiretroviral therapy to the province of British Columbia and monitors HIV-related outcomes as part of its mandate.
Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity
The Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE) is an academic research centre hosted by Providence Health Care and affiliated with UBC, SFU, and beyond. CGSHE has a mandate to advance gender and sexual health equity among marginalized populations in BC, Canada, and globally through leadership in research, policy and practice.
Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences
The Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) produces the high-quality evidence needed to make informed changes to the health care system. Bridging the gap between data, research, and care, CHÉOS is a collaboration between cross-disciplinary scientists and expert research staff evaluating the effectiveness of health interventions at the population level. From assessing the cost-effectiveness of a new drug or treatment option, to informing policy decisions that change how care is delivered, CHÉOS seeks to improve health outcomes for all with a focus on our most vulnerable populations. CHEOS also provides services to clinician scientists and oversees the CTN.
· CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN)
Since 1996, St. Paul’s Hospital has housed the headquarters of the National Centre of the CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN). The CTN is an innovative partnership of clinical investigators, physicians, nurses, people living with HIV, and others that facilitates HIV and related co-infection clinical trials of the highest scientific and ethical standards.
BC Centre on Substance Use
The BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) is a provincially networked organization with a mandate to develop, help implement, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and addiction. Building on the extensive efforts of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, the BCCSU’s vision is to transform substance use policies and care in BC by translating research into education and evidence-based care guidance.
Research Programs at Providence Health Care
Providence Health Care Research Institute provides support to the research programs below. These programs are central to PHCRI’s success. In addition to conducting outstanding research, PHCRI’s scientists work towards excellence in teaching and mentoring students, trainees and post-doctoral fellows.
Prevention of Organ Failure Centre of Excellence
Established in 2008, the PROOF Centre is a National Centre for the Commercialization of Research. The PROOF Centre is a leader in discovering practical yet profitable solutions to the expanding burden that vital organ failure imposes on Canadian society. The PROOF Centre team is researching disease risks; the development of biomarkers of occurrence, severity and progression to organ failure; and the development of an accelerated, personalized approach to chronic disease management by targeting disease mechanisms.
BC Centre for Improved Cardiovascular Health
The BC Centre for Improved Cardiovascular Health (ICVHealth) was created to understand and improve the cardiovascular health of British Columbians through the generation and application of high-quality outcomes evidence. As part of BC’s growing research strength in cardiovascular disease, ICVHealth aims to not only create new knowledge, but also work closely with policy makers, clinical leaders and patient groups to facilitate the application of new information to improve health.
Centre for Heart Valve Innovation
The Centre for Heart Valve Innovation at St. Paul’s Hospital is an internationally recognized centre pioneering in innovative, minimally invasive heart valve replacement procedures. The Centre is the first in North America to perform a transatherer heart valve implantation and continues to educate and train health professionals around the world on the procedure.
I HEART Centre (Indigenous Health Education Access Research Training)
The I-HEART Centre was established in 2017 to improve cardiovascular health and well-being for Indigenous Peoples. Led by Dr. Jeff Reading, inaugural First Nations Health Authority Chair in Heart Health and Wellness at St. Paul’s and SFU, the I-HEART Centre adopts a holistic approach to serving its patient population, working closely with community-informed research networks across health professions to improve access, education and training for Indigenous health care.
