Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Research News

	Blood removal before major liver surgery cuts transfusions in half December 9, 2024 - Removing 10 per cent of a patient’s blood before major liver surgery and giving it back afterwards reduced transfusions by half, according to a large clinical trial published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
	Blood transfusions for brain bleeding: Large trial in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients adds to debate about optimal threshold December 9, 2024 - Blood is one of the oldest drugs in the world, but after many decades of research, it is still not always clear when a blood transfusion should be given. A large trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine is adding to the debate for patie
	Dr. Dean Fergusson receives Canadian Blood Services Lifetime Achievement Award December 5, 2024 - “Over my career I’ve dedicated myself to optimizing the blood products that we give patients and ensuring that they’re safe and effective.”
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	After major traumatic brain injury, more blood transfusions could mean better outcomes June 13, 2024 - "By improving oxygen transport to the brain during the acute phase of care, it may be possible to save more nerve cells in the days following a traumatic brain injury, preventing secondary brain damage."
	ELEVATE seed grants to help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital improve prevention and care for kidney disease February 21, 2024 - The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute is awarding five ELEVATE seed grants to kickstart innovative kidney research projects.
	Big blood savings: large trial in JAMA shows taking less blood for lab testing reduces transfusions in intensive care October 12, 2023 - A world-first clinical trial published in JAMA could provide an easy way to save tens of thousands of units of blood every year in Canada and much more worldwide. The trial, which involved more than 27,000 patients in 25 adult intensive care units (I
	Sex of blood donor has no effect on recipient survival April 12, 2023 - A large clinical trial of more than 8,700 patients published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the sex of a donor has no effect on the survival of recipients of red blood cell transfusions.
	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
	Infusing new life into blood transfusion research November 15, 2021 - Meet Dr. Dean Fergusson — winner of the Grimes Career Achievement Award
	Making every blood transfusion count November 12, 2021 - Dr. Dean Fergusson is receiving The Ottawa Hospital’s Grimes Career Achievement Award for trailblazing research that is saving lives and blood around the world
	Hold the blood: world-first clinical trial could cut transfusions nearly in half for blood cancer patients September 23, 2020 - Regular red blood cell transfusions are a reality of life for many people with blood cancer. But now, a world-first clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has found that blood cancer patients don’t need nearly as many blood tran
	Could blood plasma shore up our COVID defenses? June 5, 2020 - A team led by Dr. Alan Tinmouth and Dr. Dean Fergusson is part of a collaboration aiming to settle the long-standing question of whether “convalescent” blood plasma from recovered patients can be used to treat actively sick ones.
	Clinical trial to test plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients as possible treatment April 28, 2020 - Researchers, clinicians and patients at The Ottawa Hospital will be contributing to the global effort to determine if plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 (called convalescent plasma) could be an effective treatment for actively infect
	Older blood just as good as fresh in critically ill children January 10, 2020 - A large international clinical trial conducted in critically ill children has shown that fresh red cell transfusions (stored for seven days or less) are no better than older red cells (stored for up to 25 days).
	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
	Clinical trials offer strong foundation for better patient care May 16, 2019 - Clinical trials are an important step toward developing new treatments and learning more about diseases and conditions. In honour of International Clinical Trials Day, read how some of the researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are making huge contribut
	Guidelines can help patients avoid unnecessary blood transfusions April 15, 2019 - Dr. Dean Fergusson played a lead role in an important set of guidelines for patient blood management published in JAMA.
	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.
	World’s largest transfusion study in cardiac surgery changes practice globally September 18, 2018 - A massive study led Drs. Dean Fergusson, David Mazer and Richard Whitlock found that using lower hemoglobin thresholds to transfuse red blood cells during and after heart surgery is just as safe as using traditional thresholds. Hemoglobin is a protei
	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 awarded 18 research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, worth $10.7 million May 19, 2017 - Eighteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded nearly $11 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a suc
	Researchers find unexpected association between younger donor age, female sex and transfusion outcomes July 11, 2016 - A large Canadian study has shown a link between blood donor characteristics and transfusion recipients’ outcomes. This is the first study to suggest that red blood cell transfusions from young donors and from female donors may be associated with
	Old blood as good as fresh in patients with life threatening illnesses March 17, 2015 - Just like milk and many other foods, blood used for transfusions is perishable. But contrary to popular belief, new research shows that blood stored for three weeks is just as good as fresh blood — findings published today in the New England Journal

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Allan, David MD FRCPC	Scientist (CR)	Blood cancer, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Cell therapy, Regenerative medicine, Stem cells, Systematic reviews, Transfusions, Translational research, Transplantation
Breau, Rodney MD	Senior Scientist (ACR)	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
Castellucci, Lana MD, FRCPC, MSc	Scientist (ICD)	Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Patient engagement, Systematic reviews, Transfusions
Fergusson, Dean PhD, MHA, FCAHS	Program Director and Senior Scientist (MIR)	Cancer, COVID-19, Kidney disease, Septic shock, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Clinical trials, Health services research, Health technology, Patient engagement, Pragmatic trials, Surveys, Translational research, Biostatistics, Clinical research, Cluster randomized trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Health research methods, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Systematic reviews, Transfusions
Martel, Guillaume MD, MSc (Epi), FRCSC, FACS	Senior Scientist (ACR)	Anemia, Bleeding disorders, Colorectal cancer, Liver cancer, Liver disease, Pancreatic cancer	Anesthesiology, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Peri-operative medicine, Surgery, Systematic reviews, Transfusions
McIntyre, Lauralyn MD, MHSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ACR)	Septic shock	Cell therapy, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Critical care, Patient engagement, Pragmatic trials, Stem cells, Transfusions, Translational research
Presseau, Justin PhD	Senior Scientist (MIR)	Chronic pain, COVID-19, Diabetes, Health equity, Hepatitis C, Immigrant and refugee health, Inflammatory bowel syndrome, Retinal disease, Vision	Artificial intelligence and data science, Health services research, Patient engagement, Psychometrics, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Rapid reviews, Transfusions, Transplantation, Behaviour, Psychology, Health professional behaviour change, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Health promotion, Cluster randomized trials, Surveys
Ramsay, Timothy PhD	Senior Scientist (MIR)	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, 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
Tinmouth, Alan MD, FRCPC, MSc (Clin Epi)	Senior Scientist (ICD)	COVID-19, Sickle cell anemia, Thalassemia	Clinical trials, Epidemiology, Transfusions
Wilson, Kumanan MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (MIR)	COVID-19, Global health, Infectious disease, Newborn and child health, Population health	Artificial intelligence and data science, Big data, Biomarkers, Clinical research, Digital and mobile health, Epidemiology, Health services research, Health technology, Immunization, Public health, Transfusions, Translational research

Related Resources

The Ottawa Hospital Centre for Transfusion Research