Research News

	First patient in Canada treated with phage therapy for artificial joint infection March 14, 2024 - A research team lead by Dr. Marisa Azad at The Ottawa Hospital has treated the first patient in Canada with bacteriophage (phage) therapy for a chronic artificial joint infection.
	From Naval Officer to award-winning researcher February 23, 2024 - Meet orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Paul E. Beaulé
	What’s the best way to prevent blood clots after hip or knee replacement surgery in people with chronic kidney disease? December 15, 2023 - Surgery comes with a risk of blood clots, especially joint replacement surgery, so patients are given blood thinners to prevent clots from forming.
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	Made-in-Ottawa virtual reality system helps with planning complex surgeries December 15, 2023 - A virtual reality system developed by medical physicists and researchers at The Ottawa Hospital is now being widely used to plan complex surgeries, following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
	Do anesthesiology consults before surgery improve patient outcomes? December 6, 2023 - More patients are seeing an anesthesiologist before surgery as the surgical population ages and faces more complex health issues.
	Catching cancer at its sneakiest moment November 9, 2023 - Dr. Rebecca Auer is receiving the Chrétien Researcher of the Year Award from The Ottawa Hospital for her research on cancer surgery and immunotherapies
	Exercise before surgery? This cancer survivor is a believer April 4, 2023 - Find out why he credits a “prehab” study for his quick recovery
	Routine preoperative medical consultations don’t improve surgery outcomes March 27, 2023 - A large observational study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that most patients do not medically benefit from consultation with a medical specialist before their surgery.
	Why more patients are taking a front seat in medical research January 27, 2023 - After undergoing surgery herself, Gurlie Kidd was so interested in work on a team studying “prehabilitation” for frail patients undergoing surgery, that she got involved.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Marisa Azad aims to improve care for artificial joint infections January 18, 2023 - Infectious disease physician Dr. Marisa Azad sees patients whose artificial knees or hips have become infected nightmares. These periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) are rare but devastating, and often result in additional surgeries and repeat infec
	New scientist profile: Dr. Hesham Abdelbary’s translational research program tackles implant infections January 4, 2023 - As an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in complex cases, removing slimy layers of bacteria growing on prosthetic joints is one of Dr. Hesham Abdelbary’s toughest challenges. Unfortunately, these periprosthetic joint infections are not uncommon afte
	Does “prehab” before surgery improve patient outcomes? Pilot sets the stage for national trial October 5, 2022 - A home-based prehabilitation or “prehab” program designed to help older adults with frailty recover from cancer surgery has shown promise in a randomized pilot trial, particularly for patients who had a high level of adherence to the program.
	Arginine supplement prevents cancer spread after surgery in mice, but more research in humans is required September 1, 2022 - Two new papers from Dr. Rebecca Auer’s group are shedding light on how cancer spreads after surgery and how we might stop it.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 19 CIHR grants worth more than $12 million July 20, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, autism, Kabuki Syndrome, kidney disease, patient engagement, blood transfusions, sepsis, surgery, anesthesia, plasma donation, muscle
	Study fills knowledge gaps about surgery outcomes for Inuit in Canada May 3, 2022 - A team of Canadian researchers, including Inuit and other Indigenous researchers, have published the first study of Inuit surgical outcomes today in CMAJ Open.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded five grants for high risk, high reward and interdisciplinary research April 4, 2022 - The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2021 Exploration competition has awarded $25 million to support 102 research teams across Canada that bring diverse disciplines together in pursuit of breakthrough ideas and high-reward outcomes.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Derek Roberts aims to save life and limb of people with peripheral artery disease March 17, 2022 - As a vascular and endovascular surgeon who has seen too many patients lose toes, legs, or their lives due to peripheral artery disease, Dr. Derek Roberts wants to improve care and outcomes for this treatable condition.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 18 CIHR grants worth more than $11 million February 5, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as tuberculosis, blood disease, prostate cancer, heart disease, muscle repair, sleep apnea, brain cancer, medical imaging, virtual care, prehab, intellectual disability, sarcoma, CA
	Bioluminescent bacteria enable translational research on hip implant infections February 2, 2022 - A team has developed a unique rat model of an infected prosthetic hip which can help researchers better understand and treat this challenging problem
	Virtual care with remote monitoring catches drug errors and reduces patient pain November 4, 2021 - The use of take-home technology by patients following non-elective surgery resulted in significantly greater detection and correction of drug errors, and reduced pain, according to a study published in The BMJ.
	A glimpse inside the mind of neurosurgery expert, Dr. Fahad Alkherayf August 18, 2021 - Dr. Fahad Alkherayf is the Director of the Clinical Research Program in the Neurosurgery Division of The Ottawa Hospital. As a neurosurgeon, he specializes in minimally invasive surgeries, which use much smaller incisions than traditional surgeries
	New scientist profile: Dr. Paul E. Beaulé aims to improve hip surgery August 18, 2021 - As an orthopedic surgeon specialized in preserving and replacing hips, Dr. Paul Beaulé has seen first-hand how these surgeries can dramatically improve his patients’ quality of life. An overarching motivation for his research is understanding wh
	Hold the ice: study shows no benefit during kidney cancer surgery May 19, 2021 - A clinical trial shows that contrary to popular belief, renal hypothermia doesn’t actually improve kidney function after kidney cancer surgery.
	Canadian researchers work to understand and improve health for Indigenous Peoples after surgery May 17, 2021 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa are building a research program to better understand Indigenous Peoples’ experience of surgery in Canada. Their latest study, published in CMAJ, is the first to analyze all available sur
	App provides patients with their personalized risks after surgery February 17, 2021 - Patients who used a made-in-Ottawa app to calculate their risk of complications, hospitalization and death after surgery understood these risks better than patients who received standard care, according to a study published in the Canadian Journal of
	Spinal or epidural anesthesia associated with increased survival compared to general anesthesia for leg artery bypass surgery November 25, 2020 - A new study published in The BMJ shows that people who had surgery to improve blood flow in their legs under spinal or epidural anesthesia were less likely to die than those who were given general anesthesia. General anesthesia involves using drugs t
	Can virtual care after surgery reduce patient returns to hospital? Research study now open in Ottawa June 10, 2020 - COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of all kinds of virtual health care, from phone and video appointments to tools that monitor symptoms remotely. The Ottawa Hospital continues to be at the forefront of this trend with the launch of an innovative
	Ottawa a “hotbed of patient partnerships in research” September 27, 2019 - The Ontario SPOR Support Unit’s summer newsletter showcases how Ottawa has become a “hotbed of patient partnerships in research.” Three stories demonstrate how researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are partnering with patients and caregivers to improve
	From surgery to discovery: innovative tissue collection process to fuel breakthroughs September 26, 2019 - The Ottawa Hospital is rolling out “Global Tissue Consenting and Collecting” (GTC). As part of the operative consent process, surgeons will ask all patients if they agree to have their surplus tissue from the OR used for research. This new streamline
	A Canadian First: Ottawa orthopaedic researchers win top clinical research award three years running September 13, 2019 - For the third year in a row, researchers from the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery have won The Canadian Orthopedic Foundation’s top clinical research award, worth $20,000.
	New research chair to lead cutting-edge work in liver and pancreatic cancer September 10, 2019 - The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Guillaume Martel as the first Arnie Vered Family Chair in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Research.
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded 13 grants worth $11.2 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research July 26, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have been awarded 13 grants worth a total of $11.2 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The new projects focus on areas such as cancer immunotherapy, hepatitis C infection, blood clots, ar
	Golfer credits Ottawa study for quick recovery after lung cancer surgery June 4, 2019 - Marie Lapointe took part in a pilot study at The Ottawa Hospital aimed at testing whether a home-based exercise program could help older people better prepare for surgery
	The Department of Surgery celebrates its 40th Annual Collins Surgical Day May 23, 2019 - On May 10, the Department of Surgery hosted its annual resident research day at the University of Ottawa Skills and Simulation Centre
	Researchers honoured for outstanding work in Parkinson’s, critical care and surgery April 11, 2019 - A number of outstanding researchers and research teams were recognized at The Ottawa Hospital’s Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 11. They include the Parkinson Research Consortium, the Operating Room Black Box® Research Program and ICU resear
	Clinicians at The Ottawa Hospital launch 14 innovative projects to improve health-care delivery, thanks to funding from TOHAMO and The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute March 22, 2019 - The Ottawa Hospital Academic Medical Organization (TOHAMO) has awarded $1.169 million in Innovation Grants to 14 teams, with supporting funds provided by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
	Researchers use leading-edge technology to study teamwork and communication in the operating room February 15, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa are studying whether improving teamwork and communication among operating room staff can make surgery safer for patients. Studies suggest that over half of surgery complications can be l
	Researchers to advance science and improve health with new CIHR funding February 14, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, are playing a lead role in nine new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). These projects will advance science and improve health in areas su
	Sending knee replacement patients home early is safe and could be expanded January 16, 2019 - New research led by Dr. Geoffrey Dervin builds on The Ottawa Hospital's leadership in helping joint replacement patients recover safely at home. Dr. Dervin and his team were among the first to show that sending appropriate patients home the day of th
	Radioactive seeds for breast cancer surgery: better for patients and the health-care system August 30, 2018 - Tiny breast tumours are difficult for surgeons to find and remove during surgery. For years, the only way to do it was to insert a wire (known as a harpoon) into the breast to mark the tumour during pre-surgical imaging. But the wire was uncomfortabl
	Urologists reduce unnecessary prostate cancer surgery in Eastern Ontario July 5, 2018 - A growing number of patients in Eastern Ontario are being saved from unnecessary prostate cancer surgeries, according to a study led by Dr. Luke Lavallée and Dr. Luke Witherspoon published in CMAJ Open. While prostate cancer is the most common cancer
	Sex, viruses and cancer: Erectile dysfunction drugs and flu vaccine may work together to help immune system fight cancer after surgery May 17, 2018 - A new study suggests that a common treatment for erectile dysfunction combined with the flu vaccine may be able to help the immune system mop up cancer cells left behind after surgery. The study, published in OncoImmunology, shows that this unconvent
	Unique research database to improve care for thoracic surgery patients April 18, 2018 - Dr. Andrew Seely is helping lead a national project to greatly enhance quality improvement and clinical research in thoracic surgery. This Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons Quality Improvement Program was awarded $727,900 by the Canadian Pa
	Aspirin as good as blood thinner for preventing blood clots after hip and knee replacement surgery April 6, 2018 - Drs. Paul Kim, Wade Gofton, Phil Wells, Marc Rodger, Marc Carrier and Doug Coyle co-authored a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that found aspirin to be just as good as the blood thinner rivaroxaban for preventing blood clots after a hip
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded $12.7M for research, double the national CIHR success rate January 30, 2018 - Sixteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $12.7 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a success r
	Does this liver surgery patient need a blood transfusion? New tool can help doctors decide September 21, 2017 - Health care providers now have a new tool to help decide whether a liver surgery patient needs a blood transfusion, thanks to a study led by Drs. Guillaume Martel and Dean Fergusson. Liver surgery often involves major bleeding, and about one in fou
	The Ottawa Hospital Emergency Surgery Study: A World Leader in the Delivery of High Quality and Efficient Surgical Care July 10, 2017 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa are tackling the often-overlooked issue of delayed emergency surgeries. Emergency surgeries are those needed quickly to treat serious injuries or life-threatening conditions, such as a
	Researcher aims to make surgery safer for frail patients September 29, 2016 - Anesthesiologist and scientist Dr. Daniel McIsaac is doing research to better understand why some older patients recover quickly after surgery while others do not. As Canada’s population ages, more older patients are coming to hospital for sur
	$150,000 grant to help researchers test whether exercise before surgery can help elderly patients recover August 17, 2016 - Dr. Daniel McIsaac and his team were awarded $US 150,000 by the International Anesthesia Research Society to test whether home-based exercise training before cancer surgery can improve the outcomes of frail elderly patients. This population is at
	Frail patients more likely to die in the year after surgery February 24, 2016 - While all surgeries come with risks, a recent study led by Dr. Daniel McIsaac found that frail, elderly patients are more likely to die in the year after surgery than other patients. The study published in JAMA Surgery reviewed the health records

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Auer, Rebecca MD, MSc, FRCSC	Senior Scientist (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, Colorectal cancer, Ovarian cancer, Pancreatic cancer	Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Cell therapy, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Peri-operative medicine, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Translational research, Viral therapy
Boet, Sylvain MD, PhD	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	COVID-19	Anesthesiology, Behaviour, Clinical trials, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Patient engagement, Psychology, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Systematic reviews, Translational research
Breau, Rodney MD	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Cancer, Kidney disease, Prostate cancer	Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Imaging, Patient decision aids, Patient engagement, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Systematic reviews, Transfusions
Coutu, Daniel PhD	Scientist (Regenerative Medicine)	Aging, Arthritis, Autoimmune disease, Bleeding disorders, Blood cancer, Bone and joint degeneration, Bone and joint injuries, Chronic disease, Musculoskeletal conditions, Osteoporosis	3D printing, Basic research, Bioinformatics, Biomaterials, Cell therapy, Gene expression, Gene therapy, Genetics, Genomics, Imaging, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Proteomics, Regenerative medicine, Stem cells, Surgery, Systems biology, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research
Lavallee, Luke MDCM, MSc, FRCSC	Associate Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Cancer, Kidney disease, Population health, Prostate cancer	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health professional behaviour change, Imaging, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Patient decision aids, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Systematic reviews
Martel, Guillaume MD, MSc (Epi), FRCSC, FACS	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Anemia, Bleeding disorders, Colorectal cancer, Liver cancer, Liver disease, Pancreatic cancer	Anesthesiology, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Peri-operative medicine, Surgery, Systematic reviews, Transfusions
Matache, Bogdan MD	Clinician Investigator (Clinical Epidemiology)	Musculoskeletal conditions	Clinical trials, Surgery
McIsaac, Daniel MD, MPH, FRCPC	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Aging, Frailty, Health in older peoples, Pain, Population health	Anesthesiology, Artificial intelligence and data science, Big data, Biostatistics, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Digital and mobile health, Epidemiology, Health services research, Patient engagement, Peri-operative medicine, Public health, Quality Improvement, Risk assessment, Surgery, Systematic reviews
Nessim, Carolyn MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS	Clinician Investigator (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, Colorectal cancer, Gastric cancer, Gastrointestinal disease, Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), Soft tissue sarcoma, Skin cancer	Biomarkers, Clinical trials, Gene expression, Immunotherapy, Surgery, Translational research, Viral therapy, Clinical research, Immunotherapy
Ramsay, Timothy PhD	Senior Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Addiction, Alzheimer's, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Anxiety, Ataxia, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Colorectal cancer, Concussion, Cystic fibrosis, Dementia, Depression, Dystonia, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, HIV, Immigrant and refugee health, Influenza, Kidney disease, Lung cancer, Macular degeneration, Men's health, Multiple sclerosis, Muscular dystrophy, Myasthenia gravis, Obesity, Ovarian cancer, Parkinson's, Pulmonary hypertension, Septic shock, Spinal cord injury	Artificial intelligence and data science, Behaviour, Biomaterials, Biostatistics, Cell therapy, Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Drug development, Emergency medicine, Epidemiology, Health professional behaviour change, Health promotion, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Palliative care, Patient decision aids, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Prevention, Psychology, Psychometrics, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Regenerative medicine, Rehabilitation, Risk assessment, Shared decision making, Surgery, Surveys, Systematic reviews, Transfusions, Translational research, Transplantation, Viral therapy
Sachs, Adam MD, MA, FRCSC	Associate Scientist (Neuroscience)	Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Spinal cord injury, Parkinson's	Artificial intelligence and data science, Clinical trials, Imaging, Neuro-stimulation, Surgery
Santos, Marlise MD (FRCPC), MSc, MPH	Clinician Investigator (Clinical Epidemiology)	Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Ataxia, Autoimmune disease, Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, Blood cancer, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Brain cancer, Cancer, Chronic disease, Concussion, Dementia, Depression, Global health, Head and neck cancer, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Infectious disease, Intellectual disabilities, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Population health, Sickle cell anemia, Spinal cord injury, Stroke, Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Thrombosis / thromboembolism, Traumatic brain injury, Traumatic injuries, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Artificial intelligence and data science, Basic research, Behaviour, Biostatistics, Cancer biotherapeutics, Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Imaging, Patient safety, Pragmatic trials, Prevention, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Shared decision making, Surgery, Surveys, Systematic reviews
Schramm, David MD SM FRCSC FACS	Associate Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Cochlear implantation, Hearing loss	Biostatistics, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Epidemiology, Neuro-stimulation, Patient safety, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Systematic reviews
Seely, Jean MDCM, FRCPC	Clinician Investigator (Clinical Epidemiology)	Breast cancer, Cancer, Health equity, Population health, Women's health	Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Health technology, Imaging, Patient engagement, Public health, Quality Improvement, Surgery
Singh, Sukhbir MD, FRCSC, FACOG	Associate Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Chronic pain	Clinical trials, Health services research, Surgery, Surveys

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