Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute: applied health research in British Columbia

The Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) is the research arm of Vancouver Coastal Health and a health partner of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. Its activity spans the full spectrum of health research, from discovery through translation, clinical research and population research, with the stated goal of turning findings into clinical realities.

The institution describes itself as one of Canada's top funded health research institutes and maintains that its work is supported by world-class expertise, collaboration and innovation. It brings together 13 leading research centres and programs that unite interdisciplinary specialists to address complex health challenges.

Research areas

VCHRI research is organized around thematic focus areas covering brain health, cancer, digital health, healthy aging and mobility, heart health, immune system, injury and rehabilitation, lung health, mental health and substance use, as well as other specific areas.

The institute structures its activity along four main lines: discovery, translational, clinical and population research, in order to improve patient outcomes and the functioning of health systems.

Centres and programs

VCHRI comprises a network of centres and programs including the BC Centre on Substance Use, the Centre for Aging SMART, the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, the Centre for Lung Health, the Dilawri Cardiovascular Institute, the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, the International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries, the M. H. Mohseni Institute of Urologic Sciences and the Ovarian Cancer Research Centre.

Alongside these centres operate programs such as the Community Research Program, the Emergency Medicine Research Program, the Hematology Research Program and the Skin Research Program, which broaden the thematic coverage and connect research with specific care settings.

Clinical trials platform and innovation

The institute operates a province-wide clinical trials platform that connects researchers, health systems and biomanufacturing to accelerate the evaluation and adoption of innovative therapies. This platform includes the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Research Unit, the Hematology Research Unit and the Clinical Research Unit.

The VCH-VCHRI AI Hub is an integrated ecosystem in which clinicians, researchers and data scientists develop, evaluate and scale artificial intelligence solutions aimed at improving the quality, safety and efficiency of health care.

The Indigenous Health Research Unit is an Indigenous-led research unit working to decolonize health research and improve health equity by embedding Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.

Research support services

The institute offers comprehensive support across the research lifecycle, from study development and approvals to data management and community-based research. Its services include research facilitation, grant management, learning and development, contracts and compliance, operational approval, research privacy and clinical trials administration.

It also provides communications and media relations services, financial policies and procedures, internal awards, clinical research and Indigenous research. For researchers, the institute offers guidance and administrative services at every stage of the process; for industry, it proposes collaborating to advance innovative therapies, technologies and health solutions within one of Canada's leading academic health research environments.

Patient participation and dissemination

VCHRI keeps public participation in its studies open, with resources to find studies, learn about participant stories and receive support during the recruitment phase. The institution also publishes news and recent discoveries, organizes events and workshops and maintains a researcher directory.

Among the content it disseminates are topics such as balancing daily habits, endometrial cancer prevention, improving respiratory protection for wildland firefighters, the recipients of the Knowledge Translation Challenge 2026, possible treatments for severe bipolar depression and harm reduction through drug analysis.

Institutional profile

The institute defines itself by building bridges between world-class university research and clinical specialists, with the goal of accelerating the translation and implementation of new discoveries, technologies and treatment options into the health system. Its research and clinical community works to improve health across the lifespan for every British Columbian, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status.

The interim executive director is Dr. Stirling Bryan. Previously, Dr. Teresa Tsang and Dr. David Granville held that position.