News

Researchers made a key discovery about how childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) evolves and responds to targeted therapies suggesting that clinicians can start looking for precision treatments for a child’s cancer immediately after diagnosis, rather than waiting until the cancer has come back.

A new study by Dr. Paula Littlejohn discovers the connection between a lack of crucial micronutrients and the composition of gut microbiomes that could increase antibiotic resistance.

Dr. Paula Littlejohn is a postdoctoral research fellow co-supervised by Dr. Michael Kobor and Dr. Bruce Vallance at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute. Her research is aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the goal of developing new treatments.

Dr. Mariana Brussoni and PhD candidate and long-time outdoor teacher Megan Zeni have developed an online tool to help parents, caregivers and educators gain the skills and confidence to support outdoor play and learning in elementary schools from kindergarten through Grade 7.

BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute is pleased to congratulate the recipients of the 2023 Outstanding Achievement Awards and the Clinical & Translational Research Seed Grant. These programs, generously funded by the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, play a pivotal role in acknowledging and nurturing excellence within our research community.

Congratulations to the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute investigators and staff members who are recognized in the 2023 UBC Faculty of Medicine Awards!

One of the first national studies to describe RSV hospitalizations in Canadian pediatric hospitals with data from before and during the COVID-19 pandemic shows admissions increased in 2021-2022, with nearly half of hospitalizations in patients under six months of age.

On September 30, Canada will mark the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As we approach this date, we ask everyone to join us in reflecting on events like those that have come to light in recent days and take action to eradicate the Indigenous-specific racism that persists in our society today.

For the first time, Autistic individuals have been asked to share with researchers what they think and feel about genetic testing in the context of autism. Previous research has instead focused on the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of Autistic individuals' parents, caregivers, and health-care providers.

Children are often prescribed drugs formulated for adults. We talked to Dr. Bruce Carleton about the problems and potential solutions to providing safe and effective medication to kids.

Dr. Wendy Robinson has been awarded the 2023 Geoffrey L. Hammond Lectureship in recognition of her leadership and significant contributions to our understanding of genetic and epigenetic variation in prenatal development, as well as her passion and dedication to teaching and mentorship.

Read our first-ever mini Year in Review to see a snapshot of exciting research accomplished during the past fiscal year. 

Over the past two decades, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute has been bringing insight into the forefront of medical education to high school students through its remarkable Mini Med School program. As the program reaches its 20th year, the Research Institute is celebrating this milestone achievement and reflecting on its positive impact on inspiring future generations of health-care professionals.

For National Immunization Awareness Month we spoke to Dr. Julie Bettinger about her work and how her interest leads to a lifelong dedication to preventing infections and improving vaccine literacy.

PhD student Vriti Bhagat has been awarded a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her research into hormones related to diabetes.

Several major childhood allergies may share a common link to the community of bacteria living in our gut, according to a new study led by researchers at BC Children’s Hospital

Mother's mood — not antidepressant exposure — has the greatest impact on her child’s levels of anxiety, reports a recent paper by Dr. Tim Oberlander and Dr. Sarah Hutchison.

A recently published study by medical geographer Mielle Michaux and gastroenterologist Dr. Kevan Jacobson showed agricultural pesticides and fine particulate matter air pollution were related to a higher incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in B.C.

Antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections pose a significant challenge to health worldwide. Researchers in Dr. Manish Sadarangani’s lab say targeted vaccines are needed to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Congratulations to the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) and Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI) investigators and their teams who were awarded funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Spring 2023 Project Grant competition. Our research community received around $8 million in new research grants as principal investigators or co-investigators.