Therapeutic Areas

Cardiology/Vascular Diseases
Dental/Maxillofacial Surgery
Dermatology/Plastic Surgery
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology
Hematology
Immunology/Infectious Diseases
Musculoskeletal
Nephrology/Urology
Neurology
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Otolaryngology
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Psychiatry/Psychology
Pulmonary/Respiratory Diseases
Rheumatology
Trauma/Emergency Medicine

Center Overview

The QEII Centre for Clinical Research provides research services to the QEII Health Sciences Centre, which is both the principal adult tertiary care facility for the Atlantic Provinces and the principal teaching hospital affiliated with Dalhousie University.

At the QEII, research is a fundamental and integral component of improved and quality patient care.

The Centre for Clinical Research has dedicated research facilities, over 200 experienced Investigators and 250 Research Employees.

Clinical Research Experience

The QEII Centre for Clinical Research has been involved in clinical research for 20+ years.

Our therapeutic specialties include the following: Anesthesia, Cardiac Sciences, Cardiovascular Surgery, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Gastroenterology, Geriatric Medicine, Hematology, Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, Nuclear Medicine, Nephrology, Neurosciences, Neurosurgery, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic Surgery, Osteoporosis, Palliative Care, Pathology, Physical Medicine, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation, Respirology, Rheumatology, Transplant, Trauma, and Urology.

Facility Description

The Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre (QEII) is the major adult referral centre for the Maritime Provinces. It is comprised of the five adult care hospitals in central Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre. The QEII provides acute care, long-term care, psychiatric care and rehabilitation care. It is the principal teaching hospital affiliated with Dalhousie University, and is a centre for medical research. It has 1,100 beds and approximately 6,500 staff.

Investigator Experience

Dr. John G. Hanly
Head, Division of Rheumatology

Dr. Ross Leighton
Area of Expertise: Musculoskeletal Diseases

Dr. Walter Schlech
Area of Expertise: Infectious Diseases

Dr. David Bell
Area of Expertise: Nephrology/Urology

Dr. Lynn Johnston
Area of Expertise: Infectious Diseases

Dr. Ivar Mendez
Area of Expertise: Neurology/Neurosurgery

Dr. J.W.D. Knox
Area of Expertise: Anaesthesia/Pharmacology

Dr. Richard Crowell
Area of Expertise: Cardiology

Dr. Vivian McAlister
Areas of Expertise: Gastroenterology/Immunology/Infectious Disease/Surgery/Transplantation

Dr. R. Mark Sadler
Area of Expertise: Neurology/Epilepsy

Dr. Kailash Jindal
Area of Expertise: Nephrology

Dr. Richard Norman
Areas of Expertise: Urology, Transplantation

Dr. Kevin Forward
Area of Expertise: Microbiology/Infectious Disease

Dr. Balwantray Chauhan
Area of Expertise: Ophthalmology

Dr. Stewart Cameron
Area of Expertise: Family Medicine

Dr. Fred Burge
Area of Expertise: Family Medicine

Dr. Ehud Ur
Area of Expertise: Endocrinology

Dr. T.J. Murray
Area of Expertise: Neurology/Multiple Sclerosis

Dr. Blair O'Neill
Area of Expertise: Cardiology

Dr. S. Veldhuyzen vanZanten
Area of Expertise: Gastroenterology

Dr. Jonathan Howlett
Area of Expertise: Cardiology

Dr. Sendar Dursun
Area of Expertise: Psychiatry/Psychology/Pharmacology

Dr. Paul Hernandez
Area of Expertise: Pulmonary Diseases

Dr. Michael Gross
Area of Expertise: Musculoskeletal

Dr. Richard Hall
Area of Expertise: Pharmacology/Critical Care/Anesthesiology

Dr. Orlando Hung
Area of Expertise: Pharmacology/Toxicology

Dr. David Anderson
Area of Expertise: Hematology/Vascular Diseases

Dr. Allan MacDonald
Area of Expertise:Transplantation/General Surgery/Gastroenterology

Dr. Graeme Rocker
Area of Expertise: Pulmonary Disease/Intensive Care

Dr. Roger Rittmaster
Area of Expertise: Endocrinology

Dr. Bruce D.O. Colwell
Area of Expertise: Medical Oncology

Dr. Mary L. Davis
Area of Expertise: Medical Oncology

Dr. Ravinder P.S. Sawhney
Area of Expertise: Medical Oncology

Dr. David Haase
Area of Expertise: Infectious Diseases

Dr. C. Noel Williams
Area of Expertise: Gastroenterology

Dr. K. Sue Robinson
Area of Expertise: Hematology

Dr. Kevork M. Peltekian
Medical Director, Atlantic Canada Liver Transplantation Program
Medical Director, Nova Scotia Home Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Program
Area of Expertise: Hepatology (liver diseases including viral hepatitis), Nutrition, Transplantation

Staff Expertise

Lisa Underwood
Director, Research Services
QEII Health Sciences Centre
Centre for Clinical Research
5790 University Avenue
Halifax, NS B3H 1V7

Patient Demographics

The QEII serves the population of the Central Region Health Board, some 400,000 people. The majority of our patients are from the Halifax Region Municipality, an amalgamation of rural areas and Nova Scotia’s major urban centre which includes the twin cities of Halifax and Dartmouth.

Other Information

The Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre (QEII) is comprised of five hospitals and the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre. The hospitals are the Victoria General, (including the Dr. D.J. Mackenzie Laboratories and West Annex, and the Dickson Ambulatory Care Centre), the Halifax Infirmary, the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre, Camp Hill Veterans' Memorial and the Abbie J. Lane Memorial.

The amalgamation of these health care centres was formalized by provincial legislation proclaimed into effect in February, 1996.

The QEII is the major adult referral centre for Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. In close collaboration with community-based providers, other local hospitals, and health care education programs, the QEII provides general hospital services for Halifax and other parts of the Central Health Region of Nova Scotia.

The QEII is the largest health centre east of Montreal and is housed in 10 buildings on three sites in the heart of Halifax.

The QEII has 1,100 beds, including 175 beds dedicated to veterans; admits approximately 31,000 patients annually; sees 70,000 patients in its Emergency Medicine departments annually; and records approximately 375,000 ambulatory clinic visits annually.

Patient Care:
The QEII has expertise in a wide range of health care services with emphasis on: cancer, cardiovascular sciences (heart and blood vessels); cranial and maxillofacial surgery (head and neck); clinical neurosciences (nervous system) geriatrics (elderly); hepato-biliary disorders (liver); infectious diseases; multi-system trauma (injuries); physical rehabilitation (exercise, wheelchairs, braces, etc.); psychiatry; renal and genitourinary sciences (kidney and bladder); and transplant sciences.

Education:
The QEII is the main teaching hospital affiliated with Dalhousie University, its School of Medicine and other related health faculties. We offer basic education programs in diagnostic cytology (diagnosing cancer at cellular level), emergency medicine, radiography (x-ray), radiation therapy (cancer treatment), respiratory therapy (heart-lung disorders), nuclear medicine (using radioactivity for test) and health record science. We also have programs for health care professionals in diagnostic ultrasound, critical care nursing and perioperative nursing.

Research:
The QEII is a centre for research excellence. We have Nova Scotia's only Memeory Disability Clinic and we are home to the Atlantic provinces' only Sleep Disorders Clinic. Also at the QEII is the National Centre for Enteroviruses (intestinal viruses), part of a nation-wide network of research experts; the Rob McCall Centre for HIV (the virus that can lead to AIDS) Research; and one of four world-wide Parkinson's fetal neural transplant research centres. The QEII also operates the Atlantic AIDS Reference Lab for the Atlantic provinces; the Regional Centre for Canadian HIV Trials Network; and the Centre for Clinical Research. The QEII is the centre for one of the largest population-based studies ever undertaken to measure and improve existing health care for heart disease. This five-year study, titled Improving Cardiovascular Outcomes in Nova Scotia (ICONS) began in April, 1997. The QEII’s main research strengths lie in:

• Experience
• Patient base
• Facilities

Transplants:
The QEII is one of the busiest and most experienced transplant centres in Canada, doing bone marrow, kidney, liver, cornea, and heart transplants. In support of the busy transplant programs, the QEII operates the largest multi-tissue bank in Canada, processing and storing bone, bone marrow, skin, cardiac (heart) tissues and tissues for neurosurgical procedures.

Caring for Your Heart
The QEII is also the leading cardiac care centre in the Maritimes, performing more than 1100 open-heart procedures each year.

Surgery:
We have one of the busiest surgical programs in Canada, with about 33 operating theatres where staff perform about 30,000 surgical procedures annually.

Rehabilitation
The QEII is the major provider of physical rehabilitation services (exercise, braces, wheelchairs, etc.) in the Atlantic provinces.

Contact Center

If you are interested in contacting this center to discuss placing a clinical trial there, please complete and send the e-mail form below. A representative from the research center will then follow up with you.