Research

The Research Office coordinates all research activities at St. Mary's General Hospital through staff and physician-led studies and partnerships with institutions across Canada. The Research Office supports research activities that align with St. Mary's key areas of care and mission, vision, and values.

Research Priorities
Research at SMGH aligns with the key Areas of Care, including the following key areas:
1. Cardiac
2. Respiratory & Thoracic
3. Ophthalmology
4. Infectious Diseases
5. Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence
6. Professional Practice
7. Medicine

Ethics
All research at St. Mary's undergoes rigorous ethical review from an external body to ensure the dignity, rights, and welfare of research participants is upheld. All clinical trials are reviewed by Clinical Trials Ontario (CTO). All other studies are reviewed by the Tri-Hospital Research Ethics Board (THREB).

Clinical Trials Ontario
CTO provides ethics review for multi-site research programs across Ontario. CTO reviews all clinical trials at St. Mary's.

Visit the CTO website for more information.

Tri-Hospital Research Ethics Board
The THREB is a shared research ethics board serving St. Mary’s General Hospital, Cambridge Memorial Hospital and Grand River Hospital. THREB reviews all research involving human subjects at these hospitals, except for research reviewed by an alternate Research Ethics Board of Record for one of the hospitals (e.g. the Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board).

Visit the THREB website for more information.

For patients
During your stay, you may be approached to participate in a clinical trial. As a Regional Centre for both our cardiac and chest programs, this is not uncommon.

For researchers
Staff and credentialed physicians interested in conducting research activities at St. Mary's must do the following:
1. Obtain administrative approval and authorization from the St. Mary's Research Committee
2. Complete all required research training, which may include:
   o TCPS2
   o ICH GCP
   o Health Canada Division 5
   o St. Mary's Privacy training
3. Obtain ethical approval from the THREB or CTO, if conducting research on human subjects
4. Have a fully executed contract, including study budget, if applicable

For partners
St. Mary’s welcomes collaborations with students, industry sponsors and other collaborators on health research that aligns with our mission, vision and values, and key areas of care. Those interested in partnering with St. Mary’s on a research project can contact a known staff member or physician with privileges or contact the Research Office at research@smgh.ca.

Contact Us
research@smgh.ca
519-580-9186