May 16, 2023 - Dr. Kednapa Thavorn has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to research design and patient involvement in economic evaluations, which are taking the assessment of drugs and medical devices in new directions.

July 20, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, autism, Kabuki Syndrome, kidney disease, patient engagement, blood transfusions, sepsis, surgery, anesthesia, plasma donation, muscle disease, acute lung injury, neonatal lung injury and syncope.

March 18, 2022 - Dr. Mark Clemons’ keen sense of humour and sharp wit have earned him an enduring and respected reputation among cancer patients at The Ottawa Hospital, where he is a medical oncologist. His patients regularly comment on the positive difference his unique approach has made in their care.

December 17, 2021 - The REaCT-HOLD BMA study was awarded the “GRASP Choice Award” for its potential to advance cancer research and ultimately help people living with cancer live longer and better lives.

December 09, 2021 - Despite battling breast cancer, Paula Helmer found a driving ambition and raised her voice in support of clinical trials.

April 15, 2021 - Cancer chemotherapy often causes nausea and vomiting, but a new clinical trial shows that a personalized approach can help. The trial, led by Dr. Mark Clemons, used a calculator his team developed to identify breast cancer patients with a high risk of nausea and vomiting.

December 03, 2020 - There is such deep love in Gina Mertikas-Lavictoire’s eyes when she looks at her three young children. But there is something else, too: fear. Fear that one or even both of her daughters will develop the same aggressive breast cancer she’s had. So, when an opportunity arose to participate in a clinical trial through The Ottawa Hospital’s REthinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) program, she readily agreed.

November 28, 2020 - When cancer spreads to the bones, it can cause pain, reduce mobility and increase the risk of fractures. Bone modulating drugs can help, but a new study suggests that to maximize the value of these drugs, it may be better to give them less often.

October 15, 2020 - A new study published in Annals of Oncology shows that a drug commonly used to prevent infections in breast cancer patients can safely be given less often, meaning fewer hospital visits, fewer side effects and reduced treatment costs.

October 01, 2020 - During her treatment, Annette participated in several clinical trials through The Ottawa Hospital's innovative REthinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) program. This program engages patients and their loved ones in research every step of the way, from generating ideas to setting priorities to designing studies and sharing results.

April 29, 2020 - A number of outstanding researchers and research teams have been honoured through The Ottawa Hospital’s Excellence Awards program for 2020. They include the Rethinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) program, Senior Clinical Research Associate in Emergency Medicine Research Manya Charette, Cell Sorting and Flow Cytometry Core Facility, and the Global Tissue Consent and Collection Platform.

February 04, 2019 - Eighteen weeks into her third pregnancy, Jillian O’Connor was diagnosed with breast cancer and given less than two years to live. In February 2019, she celebrated the fourth birthday of her healthy baby boy. She lived life to the fullest and championed research until she passed away on September 30, 2019.

February 23, 2017 - Yasemin Heinbecker was a career diplomat used to working 10-hour days when she received a diagnosis last fall that stopped her busy life in its tracks. Like 25,000 other Canadian women every year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and ended up “relatively quickly on (the) couch for a dozen hours a day” while she underwent treatment.

September 28, 2016 - What is the most efficient way to answer the most important questions to improve care for cancer patients? Drs. John Hilton, Mark Clemons and Dean Fergusson got a group of Ottawa researchers together to answer this question and came up eight key principles, which form the basis for their Rethinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) Program. As described in the Journal of Oncology Practice, REaCT involves comparing different approved treatment strategies rather than developing new ones. It also involves a streamlined process for obtaining oral (rather than written) patient consent, immediate randomization into treatment groups using a mobile device and simplified data collection. Their first trial, which compares two strategies to prevent chemotherapy-related infections in breast cancer patients, has recruited nearly 150 patients in just over 18 months, at a small fraction of the cost of most cancer clinical trials. Nine other REaCT cancer trials are currently underway (with support from the