Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Research News

	ELEVATE seed grants help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital launch new ideas and collaborations March 3, 2025 - The grants, worth a total of $198,000, will advance research on muscle disease, stroke, ovarian cancer and scleroderma.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 16 CIHR grants worth more than $8 million February 3, 2025 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are leading 16 new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through the most recent operating grant competition.
	Researchers develop “field guide” to 22 ovarian cancer mouse models February 14, 2024 - Researchers use mouse models of ovarian cancer to better understand the disease and develop new treatments. However, it can be difficult to know which model is best for a particular experiment.
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	New scientist profile: Dr. David Cook surveys cellular diversity in ovarian cancer to find better treatments January 26, 2024 - “In addition to helping patients with ovarian cancer, I’m fascinated by the science of this disease, and how much we still have to learn."
	Novel DNA-targeting drug shows activity in patients with breast, ovarian cancer October 13, 2022 - A clinical trial led by Dr. John Hilton shows that a novel drug called CX-5461 is active in patients with advanced solid cancers with DNA repair deficiencies. The phase I trial enrolled 40 patients at The Ottawa Hospital and two other centres.
	Tweaking the ovary’s immune system may help prevent ovarian cancer October 5, 2022 - The diabetes drug metformin prevents fibrosis in the ovaries by adjusting the organ’s immune cells, according to a study in mice published in Science Advances.
	Ottawa researchers recognized with international awards for reproductive biology and health April 29, 2022 - Ottawa’s reproductive biology researchers took the lead in international recognition this year, receiving three of 12 prestigious awards from the Society for the Study of Reproduction.
	Meet cancer researcher Dr. Taylor Jamieson-Datzkiw April 25, 2022 - When she’s not studying to be a doctor or in the lab working on cancer-killing viruses, Métis researcher Dr. Taylor Jamieson-Datzkiw can be found mentoring the next generation of scientists and health-care providers.
	Meet cancer researcher Dr. Meshach Asare-Werehene April 22, 2022 - “I feel like I’m at that place where I could lend a hand to fighting cancer. The work I’m doing is going to touch lives. Although I’ve had challenges, I didn’t allow those challenges to overcome who I want to be.”
	Cancer-fighting viruses soften up their victims before attacking April 7, 2022 - A research team based at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa has developed a virus that infects and kills cancer cells without harming normal cells, while also sending out signals to prepare nearby uninfected cancer cells for viral attac
	How a simple question as a child in Ghana led to award-winning discoveries in ovarian cancer November 15, 2021 - Meet Dr. Meshach Asare-Werehene — winner of the Worton Researcher in Training Award
	Researcher blazes a trail in ovarian cancer November 12, 2021 - Dr. Meshach Asare-Werehene is receiving the Worton Researcher in Training Award from The Ottawa Hospital in recognition of his cutting-edge discoveries and extraordinary leadership
	50 ways to repair an ovary? Study suggests multiple pathways can create stem-like ovarian cells August 17, 2021 - Approximately every 28 days, hundreds of cells die and disintegrate on the ovary’s surface as an egg breaks through and begins its journey. Ovaries have become masters at repairing this damage, but exactly how they do this remains a mystery.
	Researchers work towards the development of targeted therapies for ovarian cancer August 9, 2021 - Researchers have made great strides in developing targeted therapies for many cancers, but the treatment options for ovarian cancer remain limited. Motivated by a desire to help these patients, Dr. Johanne Weberpals and her colleagues conducted a det
	Harnessing artificial intelligence and nanophotonics to fight ovarian cancer May 12, 2021 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have been awarded $150,000 from the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Brain Canada Foundation to harness artificial intelligence and nanophoto
	Research reveals potential approach to make ovarian tumours ‘hot’ September 23, 2020 - In recent years, researchers have begun to recognize that some tumours are naturally “hot”, meaning they contain lots of immune cells that are actively fighting the cancer cells. Other tumours are “cold”, meaning, meaning they have little to no immun
	Rock star researcher uses big data to answer big questions September 18, 2020 - Growing up, David Cook knew he was going to be a rock star. Little did he know it would be as a researcher answering big questions with big data.
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded six CIHR grants worth $2.6 million September 7, 2020 - Could a common diabetes drug help prevent ovarian cancer? Can a tailored screening program help prevent eye disease in immigrants? Is sepsis different in females versus males, and if so, can this help us develop better treatments? These are just a fe
	Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden wins uOttawa Award for Excellence in Research March 4, 2020 - Distinguished Professor Barbara Vanderhyden has won the highly-coveted University of Ottawa Award for Excellence in Research in the Sciences stream for 2019-2020 academic year.
	Margaret's Gift February 20, 2020 - Ovarian cancer claimed Margaret Craig’s life. Now her generous gift is opening new doors to preventing the disease. Margaret knew research would ultimately provide the solution to ovarian cancer. Her donation through her will is opening new doors to
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded nine grants worth $5.6 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research February 3, 2020 - How can we treat depression when nothing else is working? How can heart growth be both good and bad? How can we increase patient participation in clinical trials? These are just a few of the big questions that researchers at The Ottawa Hospital will
	Researchers find potential biomarker to detect ovarian cancer earlier November 27, 2019 - The protein gelsolin may help doctors detect ovarian cancer earlier, according to a preliminary study led by Dr. Benjamin Tsang. Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage because there is no reliable screening test to catch it early.
	“Wild idea” opens possible new frontier for preventing ovarian cancer October 9, 2019 - A laboratory study published in Clinical Cancer Research offers a new hypothesis about how ovarian cancer forms and suggests how it might be prevented. The study is the first to show that the natural stiffening of the ovaries called fibrosis occurs w
	Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden receives international award for mentoring the scientists of tomorrow April 12, 2019 - Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden received the 2019 Trainee Mentoring Award from the Society for the Study of Reproduction for her profound impact on the next generation of reproductive biology researchers.
	Researchers get $788,000 boost from NSERC November 21, 2018 - Four scientists from The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, were successful in the recent discovery grant competition from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden and Da
	Estrogen and ovarian cancer: study provides first molecular link July 11, 2018 - Estrogen therapy can relieve symptoms of menopause in some women, but it also slightly increases the risk of ovarian cancer. New research from Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden's team provides the first possible molecular explanation for this link. Using cells
	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
	Tender Loving Research working to cure ovarian cancer September 2, 2015 - The latest edition of our Tender Loving Research blog features Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden explaining her motivation to find better ways to detect and treat ovarian cancer. Dr. Vanderhyden notes that ovarian cancer research is a pressing need since the

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Ardolino, Michele PhD	Senior Scientist (CR)	Blood cancer, Brain cancer, Breast cancer, Cancer, Colorectal cancer, Head and neck cancer, Liver cancer, Lung cancer, Ovarian cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Prostate cancer, Skin cancer, Soft tissue sarcoma	Basic research, Cancer immunotherapy, Cell therapy, Clinical research, Disease models, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Model organisms, Molecular and cellular biology, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research
Auer, Rebecca MD, MSc, FRCSC	Senior Scientist (CR)	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
Cook, David PhD	Scientist (CR)	Cancer, Ovarian cancer	Artificial intelligence and data science, Basic research, Big data, Bioinformatics, Biomarkers, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Cell therapy, Drug development, Epigenetics, Gene expression, Genomics, Imaging, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, RNA sequencing, Systems biology, Translational research
Ilkow, Carolina PhD	Senior Scientist (CR)	Breast cancer, COVID-19, Ovarian cancer, Pancreatic cancer	Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Gene therapy, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Translational research, Viral therapy
Islam, Shahidul MD, PhD, FRCPC, FCAP	Clinician Investigator (CR)	Cancer, Endometrial cancer, Lung cancer, Ovarian cancer, Thyroid cancer
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
Tsang, Benjamin PhD	Senior Scientist Emeritus (ICD)	Infertility, Ovarian cancer	Artificial intelligence and data science, Basic research, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Translational research
Vanderhyden, Barbara PhD	Senior Scientist (CR)	Cancer, Infertility, Ovarian cancer, Women's health	Basic research, Bioinformatics, Biomarkers, Cancer biotherapeutics, Disease models, Drug development, Epigenetics, Gene expression, Genomics, Immunotherapy, Model organisms, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Stem cells, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research, Viral therapy

Related Resources

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Cancer Research Program

The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Program

Clinical Trials

The following list of clinical trials is pulled from ClinicalTrials.gov using the search terms "Ovarian cancer” and “Ottawa Hospital.” More advanced search options are available. If you find a clinical trial that interests you, you can bring the information to the next appointment with your care team and ask if you are eligible for the study. If so, they may be able to refer you to the study team. Visit ohri.ca/patients to learn more about participating in research and clinical trials.

Note that ClinicalTrials.gov is hosted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and is only available in English. Please note that we cannot guarantee a response from the person listed in the ‘Contact’ column.

Publications

The following research publications are pulled from PubMed using the search terms "Ovarian cancer" and "Ottawa Hospital", with publication date of 2020 or later. More advanced search options are available. Note that PubMed is hosted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and is only available in English.

View more on PubMed