Clinical Research Ethics Symposium 2024

Research Ethics BC in collaboration with Clinical Trials BC is excited to invite you to Clinical Research Ethics Symposium 2024.

 

Date: December 3 – 4, 2024

Cost: Free

Location: Online event – please register via Zoom 

 

The symposium is an opportunity for research ethics professionals and broader research community interested in clinical research ethics and clinical trials to discuss ethical topics of interest in British Columbia and beyond.

 

 

Session 1: Tuesday, December 3 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PST

 

• Facilitator:

Karen Medler

Research Ethics Coordinator, Island Health

 

Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

 

Aaron Orkin is a physician and scientist at the University of Toronto. His medical practice focuses on emergency medicine, public health, and deliberate strategies to integrate clinical practice and population health. His research centers on health equity and the redistribution of care practices in communities. While some of his work has succeeded, he also takes pride in his many epic fails. Currently, he is starting a new research thread on how failed research can be handled and reported rigorously.

 

Presentation title: So your study got hit by a bus?  Handle and report it rigorously and ethically.

 

 

Carolyn Szostak is an associate professor in Psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO). She is also chair of the UBCO Behavioural Research Ethics Board. Her research focuses on rural mental health, related services and climate change.

With recent events, including diverse climate change, economic downturn and COVID-19, mental health needs in rural/remote communities have grown. Unfortunately, many people still struggle to get the services they need because of existing gaps and barriers.

Her lab is exploring the experiences of rural adults with mental health concerns. The team is also exploring the professional and personal experiences of mental health service providers, including how recent climate change events have impacted these providers and the services that they provide.

 

Presentation title: Effects of climate change events on the mental health of rural communities: Implications for conducting research in rural BC.

 

The session will present findings from research (including two studies that are on-going) that examines the mental health-related experiences of rural community members and mental health service providers. The discussion will focus on ethical implications for conducting research in rural BC.

 

 

Corinne is the Head and a Professor in UBC’s Department of Emergency Medicine, a Scientist at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, and Associate Member of UBC’s School of Population and Public Health. She completed her MDCM and FRPC at McGill University and Masters training in Epidemiology at UBC. Corinne practices Emergency Medicine at Vancouver General Hospital and focuses her research on patient safety, health systems innovation, and innovative trials. In 2020, she became Chair of the Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network, significantly contributing to the pandemic response. This network became the largest active research network in Emergency Medicine in Canada. In 2022, she received the Dr. Ian Stiell Researcher of the Year Award from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians.

 

 

 

Session 2: Tuesday, December 3 | 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. PST

 

 

Alison Orth is a Portfolio Director, Research Programs at Michael Smith Health Research BC. She has over 25 years of experience leading organizations, programs and multi-disciplinary teams in both the private and public sectors.

In her role as portfolio director Alison provides leadership for the Clinical Trials BC, Research Ethics BC and REACH BC teams along with provincial system change initiatives. More recently Alison led the development of a vision for clinical trials in British Columbia. She serves on several provincial and national committees dedicated to advancing clinical trials and improving the clinical trial experience for participants

 

 

Jean Smart is a Regulatory Affairs and Quality officer with over three decades of experience. She has participated in numerous global regulatory initiatives and is currently active on national and international project committees, teams, and boards. Her education and specializations are in global health and international development studies in research policy and governance. She has an interest in research program development, training and growing clinical trial research culture in advancing regions.

 

• Speaker:

 

Michel Shamy is an associate professor of Neurology at the University of Ottawa, an attending neurologist at The Ottawa Hospital, and a scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He holds a BA in history (Yale) and MA in the history and philosophy of science (Calgary). He earned his MD from Queen’s University then completed residency in neurology at the University of Toronto, where he was chief resident. He was a fellow in the neurovascular / neurocritical care program at the University of California San Francisco and then a research fellow in the Calgary Stroke Program. His clinical work focuses on the care of patients with cerebrovascular disease. His research revolves around questions of epistemology (what we know) and ethics (what we should do), particularly as they relate to randomized clinical trials. He has published over 120 manuscripts and has been awarded multiple grants from national and international agencies including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

 

 

 

Session 3: Wednesday, December 4 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PST

 

 

 

Ali Hosseini is a certified clinical research professional with over a decade of experience in academic and hospital-based research. He has coordinated clinical trials spanning various therapeutic areas, including pulmonology, nephrology, cardiology, critical care, and infectious diseases. Currently, at Fraser Health, Ali manages observational studies and randomized controlled trials across multiple phases at the Surrey Memorial Hospital. As a member of the N2 Public Engagement Committee, he contributes to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in clinical research. Ali is dedicated to fostering an inclusive research environment where diversity drives innovation and enhances the quality and accessibility of healthcare.

 

 

Deborah Parfett began her journey in healthcare as a medical office assistant, then transitioned to community health work, before deciding to go into nursing. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Victoria, she started her nursing career in an oncology unit. From there, she shifted into research, working as a clinical research coordinator in a cardiology-focused organization and eventually moved up to a manager role. Today, she is the clinical research manager at Island Health Research, leading a dedicated team of twelve in supporting clinical trials and advancing health research.

 

 

Dustin Mackay grew up in the northern rural community of Fort Nelson, British Columbia. He started working as a registered nurse at BC Cancer in Prince George in 2017. Over the last six years he has trained in multiple departments including systemic therapy, radiation therapy, pain and symptom management and clinical trials. He completed a BC Cancer research challenge project looking at the patient’s experience of witnessing the ringing of the celebratory bell while receiving cancer treatment. He has completed extra accreditation with the Canadian Nursing Associations specialty training in Oncology. He currently works as the clinical trials nurse coordinator having helped open the first systemic chemotherapy study available to northern BC patients in Prince George.

 

 

Gayle Carney entered the healthcare field as a registered nurse 20 years ago after completing her BScN at UVic.  Her bedside nursing career spanned 12 years with positions in General Medicine, Cardiac Medicine, and finally Intensive Care for the last nine years.  Fortunately, she was working in an Intensive Care Unit, where Clinical Trials were being conducted and became very interested in the work.  She was excited to step into a research nurse coordinator position when the opportunity became available.  A few years ago, the Clinical Trials Unit recognized the need to provide support for their research staff and management, which led to the development of the clinical research nurse educator role.

In her spare time, Gayle Carney enjoys gardening, knitting, skiing (soon!!) and spending as much time with my grandkids as possible.

 

 

 

After registering, you will receive confirmation from Zoom via email. Please add the sessions to your calendar.

 

Certificates for continuing education units are available upon request.

 

If you have any questions, get in touch with us at researchethicsbc@healthresearchbc.ca 

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

On behalf of the Clinical Research Ethics Symposium 2024 Planning Committee, we look forward to seeing you at this event:

• Dorothy Herbert, Interior Health

• Hanna Jones-Eriksson, Research Ethics BC

• Jessica Chu, Research Ethics BC

• Karen Medler, Island Health

• Pia Ganz, University of British Columbia

• Rachel Chan, Research Ethics BC

• Raman Kaur, Northern Health

• Sara O’Shaughnessy, Fraser Health

• Honourary mention: Clinical Trials BC, Health Research BC

View recordings from Clinical Research Ethics Symposium 2022.