BC SUPPORT Unit Northern Centre
What is the BC SUPPORT Unit?
The BC SUPPORT Unit (Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials) is a multi-partner organization created to support, streamline and increase patient-oriented research throughout BC. The Unit is one of 11 SUPPORT Units established across the country as part of Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research led by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It is also part of the Michael Smith Health Research BC, with the network’s board providing governance and oversight. A provincial hub located in Vancouver coordinates activities across BC.
The Unit has two main roles:
- Providing services to patients, researchers, health care providers and health system decision makers.
- Facilitating initiatives identified as provincial priorities.
About the Northern Centre
The Northern Centre is one of four regional centres of the BC SUPPORT Unit. It’s the go-to resource for patient-oriented research within the geographic area served by Northern Health. The Centre serves the communities of Northern British Columbia from Quesnel north to the Yukon border, and Haida Gwaii east to the Alberta border.
The Northern Centre operates as a partnership between Northern Health and the University of Northern British Columbia through the Innovation and Development Commons.
Our staff
Leana Garraway
UNBC Co-Lead / Manager, Health Research Institute
leana.garraway@unbc.ca
Marcelo Bravo
Northern Co-Lead
marcelo.bravo@northernhealth.ca
Bree Loeffler
Administrative Assistant
bree.loeffler@unbc.ca
Questions and answers
What is Patient-Oriented Research?
Research that is done in partnership with patients,answers research questions that matter to patients, and aims to improve health care.
Who is a Patient?
Anyone who has experience of the health care system and/or personal experience of a health issue, and informal caregivers, including family and friends.
I’m a patient; how can I get involved with health research?
REACH BC platform is a joint initiative of the health authorities and university partners in BC that connects volunteers with health researchers across the province. Researchers can post their studies to find interested participants across BC.
We can support you to connect with patient partner opportunities on research teams looking at health issues of interest to you. For inquiries, please email hri@unbc.ca.
Funding opportunities
Developing Northern Research Collaborations Award
The BC SUPPORT Unit, Northern Centre has dedicated funding to provide the opportunity for researchers, health care providers, decision makers, and patient partners to develop collaborations for person, family, and community centred research. The Developing Northern Research Collaboration Awards are expected to catalyze patient-oriented research that aligns with CIHR’s SPOR Capacity Development Framework and the SPOR Patient Engagement Framework.
The total amount available for this competition is $50,000, enough to fund 5 awards. The maximum amount per award is $10,000 per year for up to one year.
Past funded teams and individuals
Title: Understanding engagement in care by patients who access opioid agonist therapy
Term: April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021
UNBC Researcher: Erin Wilson
Health System Partners: Kristine Roswell, Healen Bourque, Jennifer Hawkes
Patient/Community Partner: George Sears
Title: Exploring Children's Independent Mobility in Northern BC
Term: April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021
UNBC Researchers: Chelsea Pelletier, Caroline Sanders
Health System Partners: Gloria Fox
Patient/Community Partners: Stacey Pickering, Jenessa Ellis, Erica McLean
Title: Preventing RhD Alloimmunization in Northern BC
Term: September 2018 - June 2020
UNBC Researcher: Trina Fyfe
Health System Partner: Christorina Taruc
Patient/Community Partner: Jennifer Hawkes
Title: Envisioning Health with Nadleh Whut'En
Term: March 2018 - June 2020
UNBC Researcher: Sarah De Leeuw
Health System Partner: Kelly Gunn
Patient/Community Partner: Carolyn Hilbert
Title: Optimizing the Patient Experience in Medical Travel
Term: September 2018 - May 2020
UNBC Researcher: Denise Jaworsky
Health System Partner: Dave Sohi
Patient/Community Partners: Howard & Judy Chafin
Graduate Studentship Award
The Graduate Studentship Program is designed for candidates who are enrolled in a full-time thesis-based Masters or PhD program at the University of Northern BC (UNBC) who are interested in undertaking patient-oriented research. The amount that each successful applicant receives is $10,000 per year for up to one year.
The objectives of the studentship are to:
- Support and train thesis-based graduate students in the principles and practice of patient-oriented research;
- Provide patient-oriented training activities to develop capacity through an interdisciplinary approach that fosters collaboration between research partners (e.g, applicants, thesis supervisors, clinicians, patient partners, and community team members);
- Create opportunities for research partners to work together, from conceptualization of the research questions through to dissemination and implementation of results; and
- Demonstrate the impact of the studentship for graduate students and their research.
Past funded teams and individuals
Title: Effectiveness of an Intervention: Impact of the British Columbia Emergency Health Services Community Paramedicine Program on Chronic Condition Management in Rural and Remote British Columbia
Term: April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021
UNBC Graduate Student: Andrew Schulz, Health Sciences
Title: The Impact of Structures and Systems Present in Everyday Home Care Nursing Work on the Nurse-Patient Relationship in Northern British Columbia
Term: April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021
UNBC Graduate Student: Rebecca Stent, Nursing
Title: The Rehabilitative Effects of Vodder’s Manual Lymphatic Drainage on Patients Experiences with Concussions
Term: June 1, 2019 - May 31, 2020
UNBC Graduate Student: Alex Douglas
Title: Community Pharmacy Providers’ Experiences of Over the Counter Codeine Product Sales in British Columbia
Term: June 1, 2019 - May 31, 2020
UNBC Graduate Student: Erika Belanger
Education and training opportunities
BC SUPPORT Unit Northern Centre
The BC SUPPORT Unit Northern Centre offers the Foundations in Patient-Orientated Research courses. These 1 or 2 day face-to face training include modules on patient-orientated research, fundamentals of health research in Canada, and building partnership and consolidating teams. To request a course, or to find out about upcoming workshops, please email hri@unbc.ca.
N2 Network and Networks
The Network of Networks (N2) is a not-for-profit incorporated organization and on alliance of Canadian research networks and organizations working to enhance national clinical research capability and capacity. The Northern Centre offers free clinical research training courses through N2 for anyone engaged in clinical research. To register for courses, contact Leana Garraway (leana.garraway@unbc.ca). To register for the N2 newsletter, visit their website.
Clinical Trials BC facilitates membership for 20 academic and health authority research institutions, UNBC being one of them. For access, please contact Leana (leana.garraway@unbc.ca).
Who we are
BC SUPPORT Unit
We provide services to researchers, patients, health care providers and health system decision makers, and facilitate initiatives identified as provincial priorities.
Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research
We’re one of 11 SUPPORT Units across the country, all part of Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, led by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Michael Smith Health Research BC
We're part of the Michael Smith Health Research BC which brings together the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the BC Academic Science Network.
