- Establish a multi-disciplinary collaborative research program by bringing together researchers working on climate change research at McMaster University and beyond, and to promote these research activities at national and international levels.
- Study the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, water resources, human health and society to improve our understanding of physical, biological and chemical processes and advance the predictive capabilities of Earth System models.
- To explore human perceptions of and responses to climate change and its likely impact on health and social activity.
- Promote graduate and undergraduate teaching and scholarships, focusing on the environment, climate change and their impacts.
- Enhance public outreach and provide scientific input to academic and public debates on environmental and climate change issues.
- Encourage the application of scientific knowledge for the sustainability and resilience of ecosystems, water resources, and infrastructure while developing public policies that will meet societal challenges caused by future climate change.
Expandable List
Our VISION
To create an enduring network of allergy and immune disease experts whose discovery and development efforts contribute to reductions in the impact of allergic and related immune diseases nationally and globally.
Our MISSION
To catalyze and support discovery, development, networking, capacity building, commercialization and knowledge translation that contribute to reducing the morbidity, mortality and socio-economic burden of allergic and related immune diseases.
Our GOALS
AllerGen’s innovative and inter-disciplinary research program will involve research partners in academic, public and private sectors, representing expertise in medicine, genetics, molecular biology (genomics and proteomics); environmental, occupational and population health; epidemiology; health economics, and health policy; ethics, psychology, sociology, and medical geography and anthropology, aimed at understanding both the physiological and psychosocial aspects of allergic and related immune diseases.
Given the emerging health crisis in allergy in Canada and globally, AllerGen’s goals are:
- To catalyze and support innovative research that contributes to the discovery of the causes of, and ways to prevent, control or eliminate allergic and related immune diseases.
- To create new opportunities for the training of highly qualified personnel in allergy research, patient care, innovation and the health system, and advance professional lay knowledge about allergic and related immune diseases.
- To catalyze and facilitate the development of new research platforms, tools, processes, products and services arising from discoveries, and promote their commercialization, their use and their influence on public policy.
- To develop and maintain networking and partnership arrangements that enable knowledge and technology exchange and exploitation (KTEE) and reposition Canada at the forefront of innovation.
- To provide responsible, cost effective and accountable management, administration and support to all aspects of AllerGen’s activities.
The Biointerfaces Institute at McMaster University is a state-of-the-art facility implementing high-throughput research pipelines to investigate the nature of the biological/material interface, or biointerface.
The institute is led by Dr. John Brennan, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry and Biointerfaces. Dr. Brennan is a world leader in the development of advanced sol-gel based biomaterials, biosensor technologies and high-throughput drug screening platforms.
The institute has ten additional core faculty members with expertise in high-throughput synthesis, surface characterization, polymer chemistry, bioassay development and opthalmic biomaterials, with backgrounds in Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.
CCAPNR evolved from the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation/Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CHSRF/CIHR) Chair in Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) Program. The CHSRF/CIHR Chair program was co-sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and was a 10 year award (2001-2011) with the mandate to increase Canada’s capacity of nurse researchers who will conduct applied research related to APN that serves the needs of the local, regional, provincial, national and international levels to address three key objectives: Education and Mentoring, Research, and Linkage and Exchange.
We are a group of multi-discipline, university-based researchers dedicated to creating new solutions for problems that challenge health and social services through the use of new models of care and evaluation.
The research team is based at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario and includes faculty from Dalhousie University, Ryerson University, Queen’s University and University of Montreal. Our stakeholder partners include the regional health and social service departments, social planning councils, district health councils, home care nursing services, health service organizations, and others.
The community partners include the regional health and social service departments, social planning councils, district health councils, home care nursing services, health service organizations, and others.
Canada’s first research unit dedicated to improving patient health through the effective use of advanced nursing roles in cancer care opened at the Juravinski Cancer Centre at Hamilton Health Sciences on April 28th, 2009.
As Senior Scientist in the APN Chair Program, and the founding Director of OAPN, I am thrilled to introduce the Centre of Excellence which builds on the research program conducted by myself over the past 5 years in partnership with advanced practice nurses (APNs), regional cancer programs, the Nursing Secretariat of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) and Esther Green, Provincial Head of Nursing and Psychosocial Oncology at Cancer Care Ontario.
While the number of oncology APN roles is increasing, Canada has yet to fully realize the full potential of these roles in the delivery of cancer services and several studies identify barriers to their effective development and integration. Growing international research suggests that expanded and more systematic approaches to the introduction of well designed oncology APN roles could significantly impact a number of priority health care issues that would benefit Canadians including:
- Improved access, coordination and continuity of care
- Improved patient and health care provider satisfaction
- Prevention or reduction of side effects and complications
- Improved health, functional capacity, quality of life and survival rates for high risk populations
- Lower acute care costs with a reduction in hospital lengths of stay and readmissions.
- Improved patient and health care provider uptake of evidence based practice.
The goal of OAPN is to provide a comprehensive, integrated national program of leading-edge research, education, mentorship and knowledge translation initiatves to support the effective use of oncology APN roles in cancer.
About CanChild
CanChild’s foundation is built on the following five core functions:?
- Take a leadership role in identifying emerging issues in research, practice, policy, and education.
- Conduct high-quality, innovative research that gives children and youth increased opportunities to thrive at home, at school, and in the community.
- Effectively transfer the knowledge generated by our evidence-based research into practice at the clinical and health systems levels.
- Educate the families and health care providers and share research findings to those who need it the most.
- Mentor students, post-doctoral fellows, junior researchers, and experts to build capacity for future researchers around the world.
Our Research
The overarching goal of CanChild is to maximize the quality of life and participation of children and youth with a variety of developmental conditions, along with their families, through evidence-based clinical and health services research.
CanChild’s research is about how children with a variety of developmental conditions develop, how to identify children and families at risk based on their needs, and how to best support these children over the lifecourse, in particular during health services transition points such as from hospital to home, from preschool to school and from child health services to adult services. At CanChild, our research measures and evaluates the processes of novel ways of health care delivery and its outcomes to ensure children and families do better of the lifecourse (best health, best care experiences, to the best cost).
Browse our Current Studies page to learn more about our most recent work or explore our Resources section to discover the amazing archive that our past work has generated.
Our Structure
CanChild has a succinct organizational structure. The centre is led by a Director who reports to Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences through the Associate Dean of the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. CanChild is also supported by two groups that advise on strategic matters: the Scientific Advisory Committee and the Advisory Board.
The Scientific Advisory Committee is composed of a core group of Scientists from within the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. The committee advises on the overall research objectives of CanChild and oversees its contribution and engagement in the world of academic research.
The Advisory Board is composed of leaders from the community and fundraising specialists that are external from CanChild. In 2015, we welcomed a parent Board members as well as young adult with a disability to represent the voice of families and youth. The board is charged with providing insights and guidance based on their expertise to ensure continued financial sustainability and ensuring what we do is meaningful to the local community and society at large.
ARiEAL, the Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics, is an interdisciplinary research centre housed within the Department of Linguistics and Languages, Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University. Recently founded in 2016, our goal is to investigate language, cognition and brain function by fostering collaboration across theoretical and applied disciplines. ARiEAL’s members demonstrate expertise in a number of areas from cognitive neuroscience and brain imaging to linguistics and speech language pathology
Objectives
ARiEAL, the Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics, has four key objectives:
- To build upon a history of research excellence and create a unique environment that will enable innovative, collaborative research in experimental, clinical, and applied linguistics, and the effective knowledge organization and transfer of this research to relevant academic, community and industry groups.
- To provide opportunities for interdisciplinary, experiential, and problem-based student learning and mentorship at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels, and to contribute to best practices in teaching and learning at McMaster University.
- To promote a meaningful international perspective on experimental, clinical and applied linguistics, and establish mutually beneficial research collaborations with international academic institutions in order to build research expertise and capacity both at McMaster University and at affiliated institutions.
- To expand the existing engagement with the broader community – including clinicians, educators, healthcare specialists, and the general public – on core research related to matters of literacy and literacy-related obstacles, first and second language learning and loss, acquired brain injury, and neurodevelopmental disorders
Research Areas
ARiEAL brings together a diverse yet cohesive collection of researchers with expertise in linguistics and languages, relevant clinical conditions, and key neurophysiological, neuroimaging, and behavioural measures in order to advance understanding of the neural, behavioural and social foundations of human communication. Our approach relies on integrated experimental and applied research that crosses disciplinary boundaries, but encompasses the following areas of inquiry:
- Mechanisms of normal and atypical reading behaviour informing practices and methods of adult literacy assessment and education
- Word recognition and speech comprehension across languages
- Language learning mechanisms emphasizing working memory’s role and its manifestation in neurocognitive outcome measures demonstrating neuroplastic changes related to learning and learned material
- Language, language structure, and bilingualism
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Second language learning, language documentation and revitalization
- First and second language and literacy acquisition and loss beginning in children and extending to aging populations
- Applications in brain injury, neurodevelopmental disorders, and speech language pathology
- Technical advances: Simultaneous recording of EEG and fMRI and EEG and eye movement activity for basic research on, for example, syntax and semantics, as well as phonological processing and its interaction with orthographic processing. Technical advances will result in applications in typical and atypical populations including individuals with reading problems, brain injury, and neurodevelopmental disorders. This work will lead to the development of machine learning tools to advance EEG signal analysis and for new applications in brain-computer interfacing that promise to enable communication in previously non communicative people.
Functional Genomics has emerged as a relatively new field within the area of genomic research. It presents a platform on which to investigate the biochemical and biological function of gene products, namely proteins. The function of specific proteins is governed by their enzymatic activity and biochemical properties. By determining their function, we can gain a greater understanding of protein participation at both the cellular and organismal level. From signal transduction to tissue development, the role of proteins in the functioning of all life forms may one day be realized. To fully analyze the protein products of genes, technological innovations such as bioinformatics and computational biology must be employed. However, there exists a lack of technology that would permit rapid identification of the biological role of specific genes. The central focus of the Centre for Functional Genomics, along with investigation into gene products, is to develop such technologies.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Centre for Functional Genomics is to develop new technologies and to exploit recent advances in gene expression profiling, bioinformatics, and proteomics to discover gene function. This knowledge will be integrated into the investigation of genetic pathways that regulate organismal development and physiology.
https://www.biology.mcmaster.ca/research/research-areas/bioinformatics-functional-genomics.html
CHEPA researchers have helped shape Canada’s health system for more than a quarter-century. They continue that tradition today, investigating pressing issues such as the relationship between doctors’ pay and health system costs; ethical concerns related to who gets what care and who has a say in it, and whether evidence supports the health decisions being made.
The centre was founded in 1988 by a group of health economics and health policy analysis pioneers – Greg Stoddart, Jonathan Lomas, Roberta Labelle, David Feeny, George Torrance and Amiram Gafni – to be a multidisciplinary centre with research, teaching and service activities that provide timely and relevant evidence to inform policy-making at all levels of the health-care system.
It continues this tradition today, working at the intersection of the health and social sciences, evaluating how Ontario’s health system is performing and supporting the development of policies to enhance the system’s effectiveness and sustainability. Evidence about what works and what could be improved derives from the study of how well policies achieve their objectives and the consideration of values such as fairness and patient-centredness.
Using the tools of economics, sociology, political science and ethics, CHEPA researchers address issues such as:
- Explaining and measuring the factors that cause social inequalities in health.
- Finding the best ways to pay health-care providers and manage human resources to achieve higher quality and better outcomes for the money spent.
- Researching the best methods for assessing new health technologies and treatments, as well as the social implications of these methods.
- Assessing the roles of values and ethical considerations in health policy.
- Using public and community engagement to learn about the health system.
- Finding ways to support evidence-informed policymaking.
CHEPA’s knowledge exchange program, which uses multiple strategies for communicating and sharing information, ensures the knowledge generated through the work of its members is effectively communicated to health system decision-makers and other stakeholders. Collaboration with those who use the research ensures that CHEPA’s work meets the specific needs of these individuals and groups. Complementary initiatives, such as a rapid-response evidence service and training, enables health system leaders to identify and act on evidence and values in a timely way.
The Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research (MODR) is focused on translating world leading basic science into clinical practice to improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases in children and adults across the lifespan.
Vision:
To use our multidisciplinary expertise, extending from cellular systems to patient populations, to develop new preventative and treatment strategies for chronic metabolic diseases.
Research:
The Centre includes research teams dedicated to furthering research efforts to develop new preventative and treatment strategies for chronic metabolic diseases.
To learn more about MODR, click this link to be re-directed to their website: https://healthsci.mcmaster.ca/metabolism-research
CMAS is a McMaster University Centre located in St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. CMAS provides state of the art facilities, education and training in minimally invasive procedures for surgeons and nurses.
CMAS promotes and supports world-class research into the outcome and development of new minimal access procedures in both applied and clinical research, promoting innovative surgical techniques and offering support and mentorship to participants.
Clinical Research projects included comprehensive clinical studies, multi year randomized trials and complex projects like the; “Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery for Treatment of Complicated Type 2 Diabetes in Obese Patients: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Pilot Study” being embarked upon in collaboration with St. Joseph’s Healthcare and Hamilton Health Sciences are among the clinical research projects currently being conducted at the Centre.
Applied Research conducted at CMAS includes telehealth and telerobotic initiatives, telementoring and research into the development and testing of novel surgical robotic devices that include the Image Guided Automated Robot (IGAR) systems currently being developed by the Centre for Surgical Invention and Innovation (CSii) for use in the early detection and treatment of diseases in the breast, lungs, liver, kidneys, spine, bone, etc.
The multidisciplinary centre provides skills training, produces educational seminars, special events and conferences, supports corporate and industry partnerships with information sessions, participation in product launches, demonstrations and tutorials.
The Centre for Peace Studies at McMaster grew from the shared concern of scholars and physicians at McMaster about the dangers of the Cold War. This collaboration initially led to the introduction of an undergraduate course in Peace Studies, and ultimately to the Combined Honours B.A. program and Minor in Peace Studies which are offered by the Faculty of Humanities. It also gave rise to public education initiatives, which have grown into two important annual lecture series, the Bertrand Russell Peace Lectures and the Mahatma Gandhi Lectures on Nonviolence, and other lectures and conferences on areas such as peace education and peace through health. The Centre for Peace Studies was formally established in 1989.
The Centre for Peace Studies continues to be distinguished by its strong connection to the Health Sciences and has developed expertise in researching and applying ways to build peace through health initiatives. In addition to collaboration with the Population Health Research Institute (formerly the Centre for International Health), peace scholars at McMaster work with the Bertrand Russell Archives, the Institute for Globalization and the Human Condition, and the Gender Studies and Feminist Research MA Program.
Vasu Chanchlani is an Indo-Canadian serial entreprenueur, philanthropist and trans-nations builder. He is co-founder of the Sigma Group of Companies and a founding member of the Canada India Foundation. He is best known for his efforts towards improving Canada-India relations through his philanthropic activities and engagement with Indian Diaspora to serve bilateral interests of both Canada and India.
Vasu and his wife Dr. Jaya Chanchlani have set up a $10 million fund (through $1 million seed) to set up the Chanchlani Research Centre. The Centre will encourage scientists to find environmental and genetic causes of cardio vascular diseases widely prevalent within South Asians and those of South Asian origin in Canada. He has also endowed $250,000 at McMaster to give every year the Chanchlani Global Heath Research Award along with $25,000 for the best global research for heart and diabetes among South Asians.
Background
CLARITY’s commitment to research and education reflects a strong, unified vision. We are always refining and expanding our projects so that we are constantly moving forward and looking ahead.
This section of the CLARITY website is divided into three sub-categories. Simply click on one of the links and scroll down.
Team Vision
As CLARITY, we all share a vision of undertaking rigorous, socially responsible research, education and practice.
Changing Medical Practice
- Evidence-based medicine Education (EBM Education)
- Knowledge translation
Clinical Research
- Surgery
- Orthopaedics
- Trauma
- Critical Care
- ARDS
- Organ donation medicine
- Probiotics
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Sepsis
- Blood test utilization
- Perioperative Care
- Myocardial injury
- Bleeding
- Renal insufficiency
- Infection/sepsis
- Internal Medicine
- COPD
- Rehibilitation
- Cardiology
- End of Life Care
- Chronic pain
Health Policy Research and Activism
- Medical student lecture series
- Research on health care delivery
Methodological Research
- Systematic Reviews and practice guidelines
- GRADE
- Network Meta-analysis
- Expertise-Based Randomized Trials
- Adjudication of outcomes
- Missing patient data
- Subgroup analysis
- Early stopping in randomized trials
- Trial monitoring
- Patient-reported outcomes
- Survey methods
The Collaboratory for Research on Urban Neighbourhoods, Community Health and Housing (CRUNCH) began as an internationally-unique, five-year chair to examine the complex effects of housing, neighbourhood-level, population-based interventions on health and its determinants, particularly for children. The Chair is funded until 2014 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The Collaboratory is an extension of the Chair’s activities, and will enable continuing innovation in neighbourhoods housing and health research, operating under Dr. Dunn’s supervision.
Since 2009, the research program has reviewed existing evidence on the health effects of neighbourhood interventions from Canada and other countries, developed and refined methods to investigate the effects of neighbourhood interventions on health, and conducted an ambitious program of primary research evaluating the health effects of housing and neighbourhood interventions.
CRUNCH provides:
- Leadership in the development of a knowledge base for action;
- Facilities for innovative research, including software and hardware for surveys, and equipment for video-based neighbourhood research
- Training and mentoring for current and future practitioners of neighbourhood-based intervention research; and
- Knowledge mobilization for effective use by decision-makers, practitioners and the community.
The central focus of CRUNCH is understanding how complex, population-based interventions focusing on urban residential neighbourhoods may have positive effects on the health of residents. We believe that successfully applying interventions across contexts requires an understanding of how interventions work, for whom and under what conditions, not simply if they work.
Officially launched as a joint McMaster University – Hamilton Health Sciences Research Institute in September 2011, the Escarpment Cancer Research Institute (ECRI) is committed to making a difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families through research, education and collaboration.
VISION
ECRI will be the national leader of innovative and sustainable solutions that put research into action for the benefit of people affected by cancer.
MISSION
Dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by cancer, the ECRI research strategy includes clinical advancements, systems innovations, and knowledge translation.
VALUES
- Evidence based
- Multidisciplinary
- Committed to community
- International in research
ECRI brings together scientists representing many disciplines, including anatomical pathology, clinical chemistry, nuclear medicine, immunology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, gynecological oncology, nursing, psychology, health policy, cancer epidemiology, and biostatistics. ECRI has an integrated research agenda which encompasses translational research, clinical trials, quality health care and knowledge translation, all focused on the rapid transfer of research to patient care, system design and health care policy.
The Hamilton academic community has a rich history of innovation in education, multidisciplinary health research and a commitment to evidence based practice. ECRI scientists build on this foundation of innovation by collaborating with cancer researchers across McMaster University and around the world, with policy makers and decision makers interested in building a sustainable and transformative cancer system, and, most importantly, with patients and families challenged by cancer.
ECRI is co-located with the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC) at Hamilton Health Sciences, on the spectacular Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The JCC is one of the largest academic regional cancer centres in the country. Serving a regional population of 1.3 million, the cancer centre is a natural partner for ECRI, and the region it serves a natural laboratory within which to identify the most pressing cancer patient, provider and systems issues, and to design, test and evaluate solutions to these issues that will be meaningful to the community and applicable to other cancer programs provincially, nationally and around the world.
The Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute is an integrated group of clinical and basic scientists dedicated to understanding the causes of chronic digestive diseases. The institute is focused on developing new strategies for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of intestinal diseases such as Crohn’s disease and colitis, which will have global benefits.
Our Mission
- Understand the causes of chronic gastrointestinal diseases that are prevalent in society, and develop new strategies for their diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
- Provide a productive and innovative training environment.
- Maintain excellence in research at an international level.
There are 16 full members of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute. These members conduct their primary research within the institute’s facilities. There are 12 associate members who conduct collaborative research with the institute’s members. There is a strong focus on the role of the intestinal microbiota in health and disease and the Institute contains Canada’s only gnotobiotic laboratory, a metagenomics platform and a microbiology laboratoryspecializing in the culture of human commensal bacteria. There is a clinical research centre within the institute that conducts clinical trials, meta-analyses epidemiological studies conducted in affiliated hospitals as well as on a national and international basis. The institute has a large complement of technical staff, graduate students and research fellows as well as administrative staff.
The Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health (FIRH) is based out of St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and is affiliated with McMaster University. Clinical, research and educational activities are integrated and largely collaborative within the FIRH. The intent of this institute is to provide optimal patient care through clinical practice, translational research and the training of health care professionals.
FIRH conducts research to increase understanding of respiratory health and disease through collaborative basic and clinical investigations with the expectation of improving patient care. Research is wide-ranging, from basic studies of animal models of lung disease (asthma, COPD, fibrosis) to clinical trials and epidemiological studies such as the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development Study (CHILD) birth cohort study, for which the FIRH is hosting the coordinating center. Specialized facilities have been established at the FIRH, such as the Sputum Research Laboratory and the Aerosol Research Laboratory. Scientists at the FIRH are performing studies of bone marrow progenitor cells, airway peptide challenges, electrophysiological studies of airway smooth muscle cells, chronic allergen challenges, preclinical models of lung injury and repair, and more. The research productivity of FIRH is attested to by the high quality and impact of the peer-reviewed publications.
Notable achievements by FIRH scientists in the respiratory field
- FIRH methodologies have become the international standard in the development of indirect methods to study airway inflammation by non-invasive techniques.
- Firestone scientists developed the most widely used methods of bronchial provocations using inhaled histamine, methacholine and allergens.
- The Aerochamber™ valved holding chamber for MDI aerosols, used internationally to improve delivery of inhaled medication, was developed by FIRH faculty.
- Firestone scientists (in 1989) developed the first Canadian guidelines for the treatment of asthma; these subsequently had a significant impact on the development of international guidelines.
The Gilbrea Centre is an interdisciplinary research hub that is dedicated to address issues of aging through collaborative and policy relevant research.
Based on a collaborative undertaking by outstanding researchers and educators, the Centre produces and communicates socially-relevant knowledge which helps to broaden understandings of aging, the challenges that exist, and the suggested directions for change.
Our vision is to address the needs of an aging society through research that is grounded in community partnerships, and knowledge exchange with target groups including students, faculty, community organizations, decision-makers, and older people.
Created as a major step forward in addressing contemporary issues of aging, the Centre’s work on aging extends beyond McMaster’s campus through partnerships and collaboration with National and international research teams, and partners in the public, private and non-profit sectors. ‘
Objectives:
- Foster inter- and trans-disciplinary research on aging that supports the education and service mission of the University
- Leverage success and attract financial support for research and knowledge exchange from the public and private sectors
- Ensure that our research is grounded in the community and responsive to real needs and concerns of individuals, families and societies
- Support and promote the University’s strategic plan by building on the study of aging as an area of excellence at McMaster University
- To support and promote research on three broad programs: Aging and Independence; Aging and Social Inclusion; and Aging and Mental Health
The Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research brings clinical and biomedical researchers together in one place where the focus is to improve the lives of patients with chronic kidney disease through leading-edge research. The scope of the problem we are addressing is huge: approximately one million Canadians live with moderate to severe kidney disease of which more than 23.000 patients are on dialysis and 16,000 patients require a kidney transplant to remain alive. Sadly, patients with chronic kidney disease have anywhere from 3-20 times the risk of death compared to the general population. Less than half of individuals who start dialysis live 5-years; worse than those diagnosed with colorectal or breast cancer. Our patients suffer not just from the lack of kidney function, but a high rate of premature cardiovascular disease. Their quality of life is low and they suffer from many symptoms; from the direct effects of poor kidney function, and in the case of patients on dialysis, the effects of dialysis itself. Helping these and future patients by developing treatments to prevent or delay the onset of kidney disease and improve the quality of life of those already suffering from chronic kidney disease are the major research thrusts of the Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research.
Our Vision: Canada’s public health system is one in which organizations and individuals incorporate the best available evidence into decision making to promote optimal health among populations.
Our Mission: To make evidence easily accessible while developing organizational and individual capacity for evidence-informed public health decision making.
Our Goals:
- to provide a best in class resource of high quality evidence to support public health decision making
- to improve organizational and individual capacity for evidence-informed public health decision making
- to contribute to the growing body of evidence on how to facilitate and support evidence-informed decision making in public health
The Health Information Research Unit (HIRU) conducts research in the field of health information science and is dedicated to the generation of new knowledge about the nature of health and clinical information problems, the development of new information resources to support evidence-based health care, and the evaluation of various innovations in overcoming health care information problems.
Our Mission…
…is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of health care by providing innovative evidence-based information products and systems to health professionals, patients, policy makers, and the public.
We help researchers, funders, sponsors, policymakers, and other stakeholders in global health navigate through ethical issues that impact work across the innovation lifecycle: discovery, development, delivery and policy & advocacy. Our aim is to:
- Enable programs by emphasizing the ethical aspects that enhance their quality and efficiency
- Anticipate and address ethics-related challenges and ethics-related risk, including reputational risk
- Be respective and inclusive of the perspectives of those most affected by programs and interventions
We take a multidisciplinary approach and use mixed methods to understand the problems and develop solutions –conceptual and qualitative analyses, landscape, systematic and policy reviews, and syntheses. Importantly, we work collaboratively with stakeholders and decision-makers to ensure translation and uptake of our research and the solutions we propose.
The Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging (LCMA) ?was created in 2016 to facilitate and amplify research initiatives that mitigate the risk and consequences of declining mobility with age. Situated within the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA), and built on the groundwork supported by the Labarge Optimal Aging Initiative and the Labarge Foundation, the Centre fosters interdisciplinary research approaches to all aspects of mobility in aging, including:
- Biological and physiological contributors;
- Behavioural, cognitive and psychosocial influences;
- Biomedical, clinical and technological innovations;
- Availability of prevention, rehabilitation and management strategies for mobility challenges; and
- Environmental components, such as social, economic, policy and physical/structural factors.
Through the generosity of Suzanne Labarge, McMaster’s strength in aging research has been magnified with the aim of developing evidence-based interventions that will impact the lives of today’s aging population.
https://mira.mcmaster.ca/research/research-centre/centre-for-mobility
The mission of the McMaster Centre for Climate Change is to promote and facilitate education, research activities and collaborations to study and model processes of Earth’s climate system and the impacts of climate change on the environment, ecosystems, water resources and human health.
The McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research (MCTR) is an academic research group whose mission is advancing transfusion science through innovative methodology and collaborative research to improve patient health outcomes. MCTR brings together clinical, methodological, and translational experts to perform cutting-edge research; foster collaborations; and train future leaders in Transfusion Medicine.
MCTR was officially established as a Centre at McMaster University in July 2015 and is built on the foundation of an internationally-acclaimed research program formerly known as the McMaster Transfusion Research Program (MTRP), which was formed in 2001 as a joint collaboration between Canadian Blood Services (CBS) and McMaster University. Over the past 16 years, the program has produced research outputs with local, national, and international impact.
MCTR now supports 7 core faculty and 8 associate faculty investigators, employs 11 staff including research coordinators, research assistants and biostatisticians, and occupies renovated space at McMaster University. Leveraging infrastructure support from CBS, the Centre has been successful at obtaining peer-reviewed grants, Ministry of Health funding, and industry grants to conduct a broad range of research projects in Transfusion Sciences. The Director, Dr. Donald M. Arnold, is a mid-career investigator who is recognized internationally as a leader in hemostasis and Transfusion Sciences. Prof. Nancy Heddle is the Research Director for the Centre. The strengths of MCTR are its highly skilled faculty and staff with complementary expertise and its unique translational approach to patient-focused research.
https://healthsci.mcmaster.ca/mctr
The McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences Education Research, Innovation and Theory (MERIT) Program (fromerly known as Program for Educational Research and Development (PERD)) is a component of the Academic Services unit of the Faculty of Health Sciences, dedicated to the advancement of research and scholarship in health sciences education in the faculty, the university and beyond.
The McMaster Health Forum’s goal is to generate action on the pressing health-system issues of our time, based on the best available research evidence and systematically elicited citizen values and stakeholder insights. We aim to strengthen health systems – locally, nationally, and internationally – and get the right programs, services and drugs to the people who need them. Through Forum+, we are expanding our work to include social systems.
We can help you to:
- learn how to make decisions based on the best available research evidence;
- find evidence through our own products and the best available sources of pre-appraised, synthesized research evidence;
- spark action through stakeholder dialogues, citizen panels and more;
- embed supports for evidence-informed decision-making, by institutionalizing promising and proven approaches; and
- evaluate innovations in supporting evidence-informed decision-making.
The McMaster GRADE center provides assistance and leadership for international organizations requiring support with GRADE related activity, guideline methodology and guideline implementation. MacGRADE is a go-to centre for the many groups at McMaster University that focus on systematic reviews when requests for integrating systematic reviews with guidelines. The McMaster GRADE centre provides methodological support and expertise in processes that involve guideline development. This includes support for numerous organizations around the world including the lead for McMaster guideline development activities such as for the World Allergy Organization, the National Hemophilia Foundation and the American Society of Hematology. The centre is responsible for the Cochrane GRADEing Methods Group and is closely affiliated with the Cochrane Canada Centre at McMaster and the McMaster WHO Collaborating Center for Evidence-informed policy making.
The mission of the McMaster Immunology Research Centre is to investigate, create and implement approaches utilizing the delivery of genes as therapeutic agents in the treatment of human and animal disease. The Centre is focused on developing novel cures for cancer, inflammatory diseases and infectious diseases using state-of-the-art gene transfer technology coupled with the most recent information derived from the application of genomics.
The McMaster Indigenous Research Institute (MIRI) is a world-class facility recognized for its leadership in the field of Indigenous research.
MIRI is a trusted resource undertaking and facilitating research initiatives with multiple partners by building upon and enhancing existing relationships between McMaster and community networks. MIRI supports interdisciplinary research across McMaster and serves as a gateway to partnership building with Indigenous research collaborators for the faculties of Business, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences, as well as for McMaster’s other institutes and centres.
Systemic incompatibilities between Western and Indigenous knowledge and ethics have been a barrier to research within an Indigenous Knowledge framework. MIRI facilitates and promotes increased visibility of Indigenous Knowledge and methodologies, creating space for dialogue between Western research approaches and Indigenous research collaborations, supporting both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, ethics boards, and decision makers in the area of Indigenous research.
OBJECTIVES
MIRI’s focus is enhancing existing areas of interdisciplinary expertise and priority as identified by McMaster’s Indigenous scholars and community, including health, environment, language and culture, gender, peace studies and conflict resolution. These areas align with the majority of areas of strategic research importance to the University as well as McMaster’s Strategic Mandate Agreement with Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. MIRI continually endeavours to meet the aspirations of Indigenous scholars, students and communities with respect to research that supports self-determination, collaboration, and Indigenous values.
The five core objectives of MIRI are to:
i. Lead and inform Indigenous research reform at McMaster University as well as across multiple universities and community environments.
ii. Build and enhance the existing research infrastructure and trusted relationships both at McMaster University and within the region through the sharing of research expertise, helping advance understanding of working by and with Indigenous communities, and by bringing together faculty and researchers across multiple disciplines. It is envisioned that MIRI’s initiatives will bring together expertise from across foundational and applied disciplines, Faculties, and affiliated institutions.
iii. Create opportunities for innovative interdisciplinary research, experiential, problem-based student learning, mentorship for undergraduates, graduates and post-doctoral students. The benefits to this include both the building of Indigenous research capacity and recruitment of new researchers and faculty to McMaster by using monies made available by national granting agencies and philanthropic efforts.
iv. Enhance knowledge translation capacity though the building of a digital portal that can be used to help educate McMaster staff and local community on reconciliation and Indigenous Knowledge,provide meaningful support to researchers, and create best-in-class protocols, practices and policies for research, teaching, and learning at McMaster and beyond.
v. Create and mobilize an information clearinghouse focusing on Indigenous research, enhance understanding of Indigenous Knowledge and reconciliation amongst both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and position McMaster as a leading authority on Indigenous research and Indigenous Knowledge, and as a resource for post-secondary Universities across the country and around the world.
MIMM features LIVE, our Large Interactive Virtual Environment, a unique 100-seat performance laboratory with the ability to mimic specific acoustic environments ranging from a concert hall to a subway platform. This unique facility helps researchers to explore areas as diverse as hearing impairment and the development of better hearing aids, tinnitus, autism and how people learn to play music, among other exciting research.
The McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind (MIMM) is an interdisciplinary group of researchers including psychologists, neuroscientists, music theorists, musicians, dancers, media artists, mathematicians, kinesiologists, health scientists, and engineers.
At the institute, scientists, researchers, and musicians study questions about the physical structure, evolution, neural processing, performance, and perception of music, dance and media arts. Specific questions concern how the auditory and motor systems interact to produce music, how performers synchronize with each other, how people encode and recognize music, and how groups in society are defined by the music they play.
Welcome to MIRA, McMaster University’s cross-Faculty research institute for advancing the science of aging. Aging is a social force worldwide, and the rising age of our population profoundly impacts individuals, families, communities, and health and social care systems. While the growing population of older adults in Canada should be celebrated as a success, there are also challenges in developing policies and solutions that consider the older adults and citizens who will be most impacted.
MIRA’s approach is to conduct research in cross-Faculty teams and engage the older adult community, their families, healthcare providers and other key stakeholders through every stage of our activities, from research to evaluation and implementation of interventions and technologies. The input of multiple perspectives and complementary areas of expertise will ensure that our research is, from the outset, optimized to create useable, practical, older adult-centred solutions that promote aging in place.
OUR STORY
MIRA grew out of recognition that the best way to tackle the complex issues facing an aging population was as an organized, interdisciplinary team that integrates the input of older adults and multiple perspectives. MIRA has mobilized researchers at McMaster to coordinate their efforts to enhance the University’s research strengths in aging. Please explore this website for more details about MIRA’s approach.
MISIIE was established in 2005 as an University Institute to enhance collaboration among researchers and investigators from Faculties Health Sciences, Engineering, Sciences, and the Business school. The primary goal of MISIIE was to capitalize on the success and international recognition of McMaster investigators from the Center for Minimal Access Surgery (CMAS) in the field of Minimally Invasive Robotic and Telerobotic Surgery. MISIIE was able to successfully apply for a number of large grants including a $2 million from Ontario Ministry of Innovation in 2007, and later (2009) a $14.8 million grant from the National Centers of Excellence CECR program. The latter grant allowed MISIIE to establish a non-for-profit incubator (Center for Surgical Invention and Innovation: CSii) to support the R&D of IP generated by MISIIE researchers in the field of Medical Robotics and related technologies.
While CSii has focussed on development and commercialization of novel medical robotic technolgies, the investigators at CMAS have continued to expand on research studies to evaluate and promote new innovative minimally invasive approaches. This report summarizes the research and educational programs supported by MISIIE through it various component centere: CMAS and CSii and CORA.
The MITL is a non-profit organization of private and public sector partners who work together to improve the efficiency of transportation systems and the competitiveness of the logistics and manufacturing sector. Addressing the challenge of climate change, this group recognizes that climate change and environmental emissions are intertwined with economic prosperity and must be considered for the future sustainability of both industry and the planet. MITL is supported by its partners in industry, government and academia.
Through St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) and Hamilton Health Sciences, the McMaster Institute of Urology Division provides specialty urological care for Hamilton and the surrounding communities. This Division of Urology is noted for its education, research and clinical centres of excellence at each of its teaching sites. St. Joseph’s Healthcare, the regional centre for hemodialysis, nephrology and renal transplantation, has hosted over 1000 major urologic procedures and is recognized as one of the busiest minimally invasive urologic surgical centres in Canada.
In addition to providing innovative clinical services, the division features the 14,000 square feet McMaster Institute of Urology, located in our Mary Grace wing. Designed to provide full sub-specialty urologic care to patients throughout Ontario, the multi-million dollar infrastructure is home to an interactive learning centre, its own urology library, research offices, a conference room and twelve exam rooms. By streamlining the referral process and educating patients about sub-specialty care, the newly implemented education and referral model for patients and family physicians, guarantees patients a higher quality of care at a faster rate. Resources available to patients and physicians include access to web-based information, computer models, counseling and clinicians.
The Division of Urology is also home to one of Canada’s newest urological residency programs, granted by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2002. The Division facilitates the education of 11 residents and 1 fellow, providing the optimum material for training residents in a comprehensive program complimented by availability of urologists and scientists to provide the infrastructure for research training as well as post training fellowships. By combining research and clinical expertise the division provides for its residents and fellows state of the art, cutting edge treatment modalities that are evolving on a regular basis, ensuring knowledge translation of all new technologies.
https://www.stjoes.ca/hospital-services/kidney-urinary-services/mcmaster-institute-of-urology
The centre will focus on research activities consistent with the Centre’s mission and vision including improving maternal child outcomes, advocating for health service provision for families and newborns, and advancing health professional education.
Our Research Focus
The Centre’s research focuses on clinical and educational topics in the field of maternal child health and midwifery. Specifically, the Centre’s research areas of focus include:
- Health Services & Access to Care
- Health Outcomes
- Midwifery Education
Organizational Structure
The Centre is led by the Scientific Director, who together with the Managing Director oversee daily operations and ensure adherence to the aims and objectives and business plan as developed in collaboration with the Centre’s advisory committee.
The reporting structure for the Centre is in keeping with the University guideline for governance as illustrated in the figure.
The McMaster Nuclear Reactor, the first university-based research reactor in the British Commonwealth, began operations in 1959. It now serves a core group of researchers exploring the smallest structures of matter, developing new probes for medical diagnostics and studying radiation safety. It also is one of the world’s largest suppliers of the medical radioisotope iodine-125 which is used for the treatment of prostate cancer.
The McMaster Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE) is a state-of-the-art, exercise research and training centre affiliated with the University’s world-renowned Department of Kinesiology. Our scientists, students and staff are devoted to studying and improving health and well-being among older adults and people with chronic disease or disability. PACE activities focus on excellence and leadership in research,education, community engagement, and knowledge translation.
The McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute (SCC-RI) will investigate the parallels between the behavior of human stem cells and the initiation of human cancer. This research has the potential to alleviate the suffering of patients-and save lives-through the development of therapies to repair or replace healthy cells damaged by disease and by studying human stem cells in pre-clinical models that include the testing of new cancer drugs. The fundamental stem cell research being conducted at the SCC-RI will also open up exciting possibilities for biomedical applications including new gene and drug discovery, particularly for conditions such as Leukemia and other cancers, Parkinson’s, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and spinal cord injury.
Medicinal cannabis has been legal in Canada since 2001 but research has not kept with up with its use, and there are significant and concerning gaps in our understanding of its risks and benefits. To address these research and information gaps and help ensure safe and effective medicinal use of cannabis, and thanks to generous support from philanthropists Michael G. DeGroote and the Boris family of Hamilton, McMaster University launched the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research in 2017. The Centre is dedicated to conducting research on medical cannabis, curating, analyzing and sharing evidence-based information, and creating an active and productive network of medical cannabis scientists.
The Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) at McMaster University is a world-leading centre of transdisciplinary infectious disease research.
Since its inception in 2007 through an unprecedented gift from Hamilton businessman Michael G. DeGroote, the IIDR has brought together a successful team of over 30 principal investigators and 300 trainees, all of whom are committed to delivering new knowledge and solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in infectious disease. Our members span a variety of disciplines ranging from medicine and biochemistry to mathematics, anthropology, and engineering, among others. Through collaborative research that spans the lab and the clinic, our team is dedicated to finding new treatments and preventions to control infections that have devastating impacts on health.
McMaster University’s cutting-edge genomic, imaging, Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) and animal facilities enable the IIDR’s fundamental and applied research initiatives. The IIDR’s core supporting infrastructure – the Centre for Microbial Chemical Biology – is a 7,000-square-foot laboratory that features six integrated labs, allowing chemical biology research to be conducted in one central location.
Our Research
The breadth of research initiatives at the IIDR is large, reflecting the complexity of global challenges in infectious disease research and clinical practice. Further, the IIDR continually advances its research objectives to align with the evolving infectious disease landscape. Such initiatives fall into three general categories:
1) Microbial Research – Including fundamental research into the causation, detection and treatment antibiotic resistance, the discovery of new antibiotics and antibiotic alternatives, and the study of microbial physiology and microbial evolutionary biology;
2) Host-Pathogen Interaction Research – Including the study of immunity and pathogenesis, microbiome research, and the mathematical modelling of infectious disease from the level of molecules to populations;
3) The Discovery and Development of New Technologies – Including novel inventions and innovations in drug discovery, diagnostics, vaccinology, and materials science.
Over the last decade, the IIDR has made significant contributions within these fields – our members have published their findings in top scientific journals, invented novel technologies, and developed multiple spinout companies in the areas of drug discovery, genomics, and bioinformatics. As such, the IIDR has built an international reputation as an institute synonymous with commitment and innovation.
Pain is central to many medical conditions and ailments, and has a tremendous impact on quality of life, health care costs and economic productivity. However, the causes of pain, and pathways to new and more effective therapies, are still shrouded in mystery.
As a result of the DeGroote family gift, a world-class institute has been created at McMaster University to focus the clear, piercing light of science and medicine on this age-old problem. Encompassing an array of technologies, disciplines and specialties, the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care (IPRC) is exploring the causes of a number of different types of pain, developing new strategies for its prevention, diagnosis and management, and innovative care for patients.
The institute places a special emphasis is on thalamic pain. This type of pain is centred in the thalamus of the brain and may cause sufferers to experience numerous forms of discomfort. Michael DeGroote himself has suffered from a severe form of thalamic pain after experiencing a stroke.
The institute’s medical director is respected clinician Dr. Akbar Panju, chief of the Department of Medicine of the Hamilton Health Sciences hospitals. Scientific director of the institute is Dr. Norm Buckley, Professor, Department of Anesthesia. Dr. Buckley is also director of the associated Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre. The National Pain Centre draws on McMaster’s expertise in evidence-based medicine to develop guidelines for the treatment of chronic pain, complementing the clinical and basic research arms of the institute.
The Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre (MGD NPC) was established in 2010 through a generous gift from Michael G. DeGroote. The centre draws on McMaster’s expertise in evidence-based medicine to identify, collate, review, revise, update and develop clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of chronic pain. Guidelines will then be disseminated, using best practice techniques of knowledge translation.
Mission
The mission of the MGD NPC is to improve the management of pain through the dissemination of best practice information.
Vision
The vision for the MGD NPC is to be an integral pillar of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care; a world leader in resolving the problem of chronic pain through basic science, clinical care and education.
Goals
- To become a repository for high quality best practice guidelines in pain management.
- To disseminate existing best practice guidelines for managing pain.
- To contribute to the development of new guidelines where knowledge gaps exist.
- To participate in local, provincial, national and international networks for the translation of best practice knowledge into practice.
- To partner as appropriate with government funding agencies, regulatory bodies and pharmaceutical companies to guide research and development in pain management.
- To maintain a dedicated website that enables the knowledge translation of best practices for managing chronic pain.
The Canadian Guideline
As its first major activity, the Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre at McMaster University has accepted responsibility for stewardship of the Canadian Guidelines for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids in the Management of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain (the Canadian Guideline). These have been developed over the past several years by the National Opioid Use Guidelines Group (NOUGG), a subcommittee of the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada (FMRAC). This stewardship will include updating of the guideline as new evidence becomes available and continuing knowledge transfer to practice. The mission of the centre also includes further updating and development of other guidelines for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), including a wide range of treatment modalities. McMaster will foster collaboration and partnerships for knowledge transfer and exchange, building on the partnerships and networks established by NOUGG.
To support optimal aging in Ontario, a new OSSU Research Centre in Aging, MIRA | Collaborative for Health & Aging, brings together world-class researchers from the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) and the McMaster School of Nursing’s Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU). The mandate of the collaborative is to build capacity and advance Ontario’s health care system by using an integrated, coordinated, and people-centered approach. The collaborative seeks to strengthen Ontario’s capacity in patient-oriented research and improve health system performance and patients’ experiences by advancing the science of patient engagement and methods and tools in patient-oriented research in aging. By addressing the unique needs of older adults and their caregivers through resources, consultation supports, data access, and technical services, the collaborative will position Ontario as a leader in patient-oriented research in aging.
https://mira.mcmaster.ca/research/research-centre/mira-collaborative-for-health-aging
The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT), hosted by McMaster University’s School of Nursing, is one of six National Collaborating Centres funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The mission of NCCMT is to improve access to and use of evidence-based methods and tools in public health policy and practice.
The Nursing Education Research Unit (NERU) began in January 1995 and is a part of the McMaster University School of Nursing. Their purpose is to promote, foster and conduct educational research, in particular, nursing education research in order to enhance the teaching and learning process.
The Nursing Health Services Research Unit (NHSRU) is a collaborative project of the University of Toronto, Faculty of Nursing and McMaster University, School of Nursing that has been recognized internationally, nationally, and provincially for their comprehensive team approach to problem identification and resolution.
The Offord Centre for Child Studies is researching why some young people are able to overcome enormous obstacles and grow up to be well-adjusted and productive adults whereas others cannot. The Centre is also developing, implementing and assessing a number of promising, cost-effective, early interventions to treat and prevent destructive emotional and behavioural problems in our children and youth.
Faculty of Science
Located within the Department of Kinesiology, the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE) is a state-of-the-art, exercise research and training centre. There, scientists, students and staff work together to improve the health and well-being among older adults and people with chronic disease or disability through such programs as McMaster Cardiac Rehabilitation, Mac Seniors and MacWheelers. PACE focuses on conducting cutting-edge exercise research and translating the results into knowledge products, tools and programs for use in the community.
The Population Genomics Program (PGP) mobilizes McMaster’s expertise and resources in population health, genomics, clinical trials and health-research methodology to investigate the influences of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions on disease. It fosters interdisciplinary collaborations among clinical researchers and basic scientists to marshal new insights and discoveries in the burgeoning field of population genomics at McMaster.
The Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) provides a forum for the conduct of large international clinical trials, population health studies, and studies in outcomes research. While its primary role is to provide leadership in international health research, the PHRI also plays an active role in the education of individual researchers, and in building capacity internationally for the development of global research programs.
Cancer Care Ontario’s internationally recognized Program in Evidence-Based Care (PEBC) role is to improve the quality of cancer care by helping to apply the best scientific evidence in practice and decisions.
The PEBC does this by leading the development of evidence-based guidance documents in all major disease areas and across all clinical programs. Guidelines span the areas of screening, diagnostic assessment, treatment and supportive care. Over 200 clinicians and other experts are involved in the multidisciplinary panels, who develop and assess these guidelines, and over 1,000 additional reviewers are available to participate in the process through external review.
The PEBC’s evidence-based guidelines and standards are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as on CCO’s web site. Cancer Care Ontario built on the PEBC’s well-established expertise in producing clinical guidelines for the care of individual patients to include the development of organizational and system standards that set expectations for organizations delivering cancer services in terms of personnel, expertise, facilities and services.
The PEBC also researches the best ways to implement guidelines and apply evidence to clinical practice.
The PEBC is linked academically to the Department of Oncology at McMaster University, an internationally recognized leader in evidence-based medicine and health care.
The Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOURCE) was founded in 1996 when a need was recognized to increase the amount and quality of surgical outcomes. SOURCE currently has 39 members from four Hamilton hospitals, and is providing research assistant resources for start-up projects for its members. Other SOURCE activities include an evidence-based surgery article series published in the Canadian Journal of Surgery and the evidence-based surgery training workshops.
The System Linked Research Unit is a group of university-based researchers and community partners dedicated to creating new solutions for problems that challenge health and social services. The research team is based at McMaster University. The Unit was launched in 1991, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health (now Health and Long-Term Care), to test out new and innovative ways of delivering health and social services for vulnerable people.
The Thrombosis & Atherosclerosis Research Institute (TaARI) (formerly the Henderson Research Centre) was established in 1988 as a joint initiative of the Hamilton Civic Hospitals (now part of the Hamilton Health Sciences) and McMaster University. Its mission is to conduct research into the pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thrombosis and vascular disease and to provide a resource for key areas of research as outlined in the mission statement of the Hamilton Health Sciences.