Research News


The Folic Acid Clinical Trial “FACT” Study is now published!
November 29, 2018
The Folic Acid Clinical Trial “FACT” Study is now published! This study was based out of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and had 70 participating obstetrical centres in five countries (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom). BC Women’s Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital participated under the direction of Drs. Julie Robertson and Valerie […] Read More >


Drs Gina Ogilvie & Marette Lee receive on of MSFHR’s new Implementation Science Team Program Development Grants.
September 26, 2018
Drs Ogilvie & Lee have received a Micheal Smith Foundation for Health Research new Implementation Science Team (IST) Program Development Grant for their project “At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening & Strategies To Enhance Engagement With The Care Pathway For Under-Screened Populations“. The new IST Development program is designed to address a gap in understanding how research findings and […] Read More >


Featured Researcher – Dr. Merry Gong
August 28, 2018
What is your day job? I am a fellow in urogynecology. My work is divided between clinical care, research, and resident and medical student education.  What is your primary research focus? Research opportunities are endless in the field of urogynecology. I’m at the beginning of my career, and I’m open to all research opportunities that […] Read More >


Giving Voice to Women’s Silent Health Issues
July 25, 2018
The VCRI summarizes “Her Health Dialogue”—a public health talk they hosted on June 25, 2018. Read more about the presentations by Drs Marette Lee, Paul Yong and Lori Brotto and patient advocate, Lana Barry. Read More >


Gillian Hanley: MSFHR Scholar Award recipient for her Health Services project “Population-based ‘big data’ research to improve women’s health”.
July 23, 2018
One June 13, 2018 the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) announced the recipients of the 2018 Scholar Award competition. Dr. Gillian Hanley, an Assistant Professor, in the Division of Gynaecology was one of 17 Scholars funded for her Health Services Research project “Population-based ‘big data’ research to improve women’s health”. Gillian continues to […] Read More >


Dr Beristain awarded a CIHR Catalyst Grant : Sex as a Variable in Biomedical Research
July 11, 2018
In May 2018 CIHR awarded Dr Alexander G Beristain and his Co-Investigator, Dr Wendy Robinson $149,020 over two years  to study the “Effect of trophoblast sex on uterine immune cell function.” Drs Beristain and Robinson plan to examine how placenta cells of either male or female sex differ from each other with respect to the genes they express […] Read More >


Featured Researcher – Dr. Chelsea Elwood
July 9, 2018
Chelsea Elwood is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the department of OBGYN – her research focus is the vaginal microbiome. What is your day job? I am a general OBGYN within the Department of Gynecologic Specialties, sub-specializing in reproductive infectious diseases.  I also have a strong research component within my practice.  I split my time […] Read More >


Understanding the associations between operative vaginal delivery and obstetric trauma and birth trauma
July 3, 2018
Q&A with lead author, Dr. Giulia Muraca. Our group has been working for the last six years to compare mom and baby outcomes in deliveries for which an uncomplicated vaginal delivery is no longer an option and intervention by forceps, vacuum, or cesarean delivery is required. These analyses included data from hundreds of thousands of […] Read More >


Listening to the silent pain of endometriosis
June 13, 2018
Dr Paul Yong is featured in the VCHRI Research Insider, discussing recent research into endometriosis. Read More >


Dr Marette Lee is featured in the VCHRI Research Insider
May 30, 2018
Read the VCHRI Research insider story, “Shaking the Gendered Stigma of HPV”, where Dr Lee talks about the stigma and misperceptions that surround HPV. Read More >