OHRI Overview

With experts working together across the full spectrum of health research, we are making breakthroughs, saving lives and reshaping the future of health care.

The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) is the research engine of The Ottawa Hospital and an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa.

Our research spans the full spectrum of health science from discovery to clinical research to implementation.

In between these domains, we conduct translational research to develop and manufacture new therapies and move research findings into clinical care.

Discovery

Studies normal biology and disease processes, often in laboratory models

Clinical research

Research involving people, such as clinical trials to evaluate new treatments

Implementation

Closes the gap between what is known and what is done, ensuring that patients get the best care

With experts from across the full spectrum of research working together, we are making breakthroughs, saving lives and reshaping the future of health care.

The development of made-in-Canada CAR-T therapy for cancer, shown in photos below, is just one example:

Dr. Natasha Kekre, a blood cancer specialist, wanted all her patients to have access to a groundbreaking new immunotherapy called CAR-T. She also wanted Canada to be a leader in CAR-T research.
Dr. Kekre worked with laboratory scientist Dr. John Bell and others to develop the first made-in-Canada CAR-T therapy using a genetically engineered virus.
Experts at The Ottawa Hospital’s Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre played a critical role in manufacturing the new therapy for clinical trials.
Dr. Kekre collaborated with methodological experts such as Dr. Dean Fergusson and Dr. Manoj Lalu, as well as patient partners, to design a clinical trial to test the novel CAR-T therapy in patients.
Patients like Camille Leahy, who had exhausted all other treatment options, were invited to enroll in the trial.
More than four years later, Camille and many other patients who participated in the trial are living well and have a second chance at life.
The Canadian-Led Immunotherapies Collaborative (CLIC) research team has grown to include clinicians, laboratory scientists, biomanufacturing experts, patient partners, implementation scientists and other experts and stakeholders across the country. They continue to develop and test novel cellular immunotherapies and work towards broader implementation into the health-care system.

What we believe

We believe that research is care and that discovery is our hope for a better future.

What we do

We put patients and families at the heart of our research and provide a supportive environment for all our researchers, trainees and staff.

We make groundbreaking biomedical discoveries, develop innovative new therapies and lead practice-changing clinical trials and studies while always striving to translate our research into benefits for patients and society.

How we are doing

We rank among the top hospital-based research institutes in Canada, with more than $150 million in research funding, 750 active clinical trials and 2,000 publications per year.