Local investigator-initiated research
Dr Field is leading a national trial examining treatment strategies for cerebral venous thrombosis. She is also engaged in collaborative research with the Pacific Congenital Heart Disease Clinic examining covert stroke and cognitive decline in adults with complex congenital heart disease, and with collaborators in computer science, machine learning-mediated strategies to assess cognition through analysis of speech and eye movements. Her research includes patient engagement strategies to better understand the needs of stroke survivors in clinical research. Her research is supported by the VGH Foundation, the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Alzheimers Society of Canada.
Drs Yip and Benavente are examining differences in clinicians’ treatment approaches to anticoagulation after embolic strokes. Dr. Van Gaal is examining machine-learning mediated analysis of administrative data to better track times for treatment of symptomatic carotid disease. Karina Villaluna, the principal Research Coordinator at the VSP, has recently completed a pilot study investigating home BP telemonitoring devices for hypertension management in stroke/TIA patients. This was supported by the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
Dr Field and Dr Yip are currently enrolling patients into the PROPHECY study. This pilot study is investigating holter monitor predictors of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PROPHECY) in stroke patients. Dr Yip and Dr Field are continuing research on data-driven strategies for quality improvement within the Vancouver Stroke Program. Dr Field conducts several additional pilot studies. These include research examining risk prediction for cerebral small vessel disease and a study investigating cognition in young stroke patients. Dr Mann is collaborating with the VGH ICU team in the RCVS-NIRS project which aims to evaluate the feasibility of using near-infrared spectroscopy to detect impaired cerebral autoregulation in RCVS.
Karina Villaluna, the principal Research Coordinator at the VSP, is also currently conducting a pilot study investigating home BP telemonitoring devices for hypertension management in stroke/TIA patients. All VSP stroke neurologists are participating as co-investigators in this study.
This pilot study is supported by a VCHRI Innovation and Translational Research Award funded by VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and is conducted in collaboration with Dr Kendall Ho from UBC’s Department of Digital Emergency Medicine and TEC4Home Heart Failure team.
Research is supported in part through a generous donation from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of British Columbia, which has established the Vancouver Stroke Program/Division of Neurology’s Clinical Trials Unit at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC. Dr Field is supported by a Mentored Clinican-Scientist Award through the generosity of TD Bank and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.