Research Excellence Clusters

In 2023, the QHS Research Office launched the Research Excellence Cluster (REC) program to develop team-based areas of research strength in QHS to enhance collaborations, provide mentorship for Early Career Researchers (ECRs), and increase funding success in large grant applications and Tri-Agency funding. Our goal is for RECs to be recognized as the top 5 nationally in their research area of focus.

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Here are the eighteen currently active Research Excellence Cluster (RECs):

Advancing Global Cancer Control Excellence (GCCE)

Focus on advanced (1) Access to care (2) Quality of Care and (3) Value of Care for people with cancer, provincially, nationally and globally to reduce incidence, morbidity and mortality of cancer.

Leads: Timothy Hanna, Christopher Booth, Fabio Ynoe de Moraes

Aging in Communities

Focused on describing and understanding communities and neighbourhoods and the characteristics that support (or impede) older adults as they age. They investigate how demographic shifts related to aging change communities, and how communities can respond to, guide, or leverage that change for the well-being of individuals and communities.

Leads: Catherine Donnelly, Vincent DePaul

Blood Research and Innovation Dynamic (BRAID)

Engaged in research on pathologies affecting the hemostatic system (thrombotic and bleeding disorders), blood cancers, transfusion medicine and large data analysis to answer key questions in disease management and discover novel diagnostic strategies and therapies for benign and malignant diseases.

Leads: Jeannie Callum, David Lillicrap

Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy

Leading efforts in defining immune dysfunction in cancer, identifying/testing new targets, defining predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy responders, and building a more cost-effective platform to deliver Canadian-made CAR T cells to cancer patients.

Leads: Andrew Craig, Tricia Cottrell

CORE (Critical Care Outcomes Research Excellence) Collaborative

Embrace radical collaboration to bring together an inter-disciplinary team of clinicians, basic scientists, rehabilitation specialists and patient partners to focus on improving intensive care unit (ICU) patient outcomes and understanding the long-term consequences of critical illness.

Lead: John Muscedere

Explore Human Diseases Using Functional Genomics

Aims to study human diseases by investigating the functions and interactions of genes or proteins within a genome to identify novel biomarkers and molecular mechanisms underlying disease. Techniques used include genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and high-throughput functional genetic screens combined with computational approaches to allow the simultaneous study of many biological molecules within a cell, tissue, or organism.

Lead: Xiaolong Yang

International Centre for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation (ICACBR)

ICABR’s vision is a world where all people with disabilities are included in their communities and experience full human rights and equal opportunities. They apply community-based rehabilitation and community based inclusive development principles to partner with people with disabilities, their families, and their communities to develop, implement and evaluate activities that build capacity, support policy, generate new knowledge, and deliver services.

Lead: Heather Aldersey

Mitochondrial Deep Phenotyping in Health and Disease

Investigate abnormal mitochondrial dynamics that are shared by many disease states (including pulmonary arterial hypertension, numerous cancers, cardiometabolic disease, COVID-19, etc.) to provide novel insights into disease and identify new therapeutic targets.

Lead: Stephen Archer

Molecular Pathology

Focus on the identification and development of molecular biomarkers and their associated clinical tests, particularly as they relate to cancer; and make the job of moving molecular biomarkers from research into the clinic easier, faster, and more transparent.

Leads: Harriet Feilotter, Scott Davey

Neurotechnology - Neural and Machine Systems

Utilizes a technology-driven approach to understand cognitive and motor function (and dysfunction) of the nervous system at all levels, from single cells to entire networks that mediate complex behaviours. They aim to understand the computational and neural basis of behaviour by integrating experimental, analytic, and theoretical techniques to study brain function in health and disease.

Lead: Gunnar Blohm

NHP Models of Health and Disease

Advancing research using non-human primates (NHPs) to study healthy and diseased states. Investigations into brain circuitry, the development of NHP models of disease (e.g., stroke, Alzheimer’s Disease), and immunogenicity studies for vaccine development aim to expedite the translation of biomedical research, leading to new knowledge about brain function in health and disease, and pre-clinical assessment of novel therapeutic interventions in the closest animal model to the human condition.

Leads: Doug Munoz, Susan Boehnke

Pain and neuroimmunology

Aim to create a discovery to commercialization research program that develops new analgesic therapies for patients experiencing chronic pain.

Leads: Alan Lomax, Stephen Vanner

Queen’s Surgical and Metabolomic Advancement Research Team (Q SMART)

Focus is on Integrative Molecular & Metabolomic Characterization for Precision-based Intra/Peri- and Post-Operative Management of Breast and Brain Cancer with the scope ranging from scientific discovery by molecular extraction from tissue and fluidic engineering; to new mass spectrometry and AI-based computational methods to better screen, detect and treat breast and brain cancers.

Leads: Christopher Nicol, John Rudan

Queen's Vascular Health Research Cluster (QVasC)

Brings together experts from cardiology, emergency medicine, nephrology, surgery, obstetrics, psychiatry, and computer science to provide meaningful insights and solutions to improve vascular health. Key themes include strategies to treat and prevent cardiovascular emergencies, female vascular health, the relationship between brain/vascular/mental health, and addressing equalities in access to cardiovascular care in Indigenous communities.

Leads: Amer Johri

Strengthening Primary Care Through Research

Aim to enhance primary care and improve co-ordination and integration of primary health care with other parts of the health and social-care system using a health equity lens to address four main research pillars: 1. Access to care, including access to team-based models of care; 2. Providing data support to primary care partners across the province; 3. Virtual care and digital health; and 4. Health human resource planning.

Lead: Michael Green

Student Mental Health Translational Research

Aim of building capacity in translational education and mental health research to improve student well-through the development of a cohesive set of evidence (e.g., informed educational and mental health promotion and prevention approaches) that effectively support student mental health and guide standards and policy in both the university education and wellness sectors.

Leads: Anne Duffy, Nathan King

Tissue Inflammation & Regeneration

Aim to investigate how the immune system, and its interaction with cells across various organs, shapes tissue injury pathogenesis, inflammation, regeneration, and their return to homeostasis. Deciphering the molecular, cellular, and systemic mechanisms controlling these shared processes in the context of injury and disease will inform novel therapeutic strategies to modulate immunity and resolve inflammation.

Leads: Nader Ghasemlou, Mark Ormiston

WCARE: Women’s and Children’s Advancement in Research Excellence Cluster

To foster interdisciplinary collaboration for researchers and trainees from biomedical, clinical, health services, and population health pillars to facilitate groundbreaking research, and advance the wellbeing of women’s and children’s health across the lifespan, in Canada and globally.

Leads: Maria Ospina, Maria Velez, Graeme Smith

Research Excellence Clusters

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