Research

Persons from across Canada are being invited to participate in the IMAGINE research study. The IMAGINE Network is investigating the interactions between inflammation, microbiome, diet and mental health in patient with IBD (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IMAGINE is also studying whether new therapies (fecal transplants, diet, probiotics, cognitive behaviour therapy) have the potential to transform the management of IBD and IBS and their associated mental health issues.
 
You may be eligible to participate in this study if you have been diagnosed by your physician with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, or are a healthy individual without gastrointestinal symptoms.

Visit www.imaginespor.com for more information and to find a recruitment site near you.

What is this study about?

The purpose of this study is to understand the genetic factors that might be contributing to inflammatory Bowel Disease in individuals of Black or Hispanic/Latinx ancestries. We hope our findings will help in personalizing treatments for IBD.

Your Role in this Study

Participants will be asked to:

• donate one tablespoon of blood and/or saliva sample
• complete a questionnaire about their IBD history
• provide access to their medical records

Who can Participate?

You are eligible if you identify as:

• African American or Black or
• Hipanic/Latinx
• Have been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis
• Willing to donate blood and/or saliva sample
• Willing to give the study access to your medical records

Participants will receive compensation for their time after completing all study procedures. The study is located at the Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON.

This study has been approved by the Mount Sinai Hospital Research Ethics Board (REB# 02-0234-E).

Primary Contact
ibd.research@sinaihealth.ca

Principal Investigator
Mark Silverberg
Mount Sinai Hospital

What is this study about?

CAMH is currently recruiting participants with IBD for a brain imaging study! Many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience symptoms of depression including depressed mood, sleep disturbance, trouble enjoying things and low energy. It is thought that this can be caused by the inflammation in IBD spreading to the brain.

At CAMH, we developed a brain scan to detect inflammation, the body’s response to injury and infections. We have used this brain scan to study many different illnesses, but it is new for use in IBD. If our study shows that this type of brain scan detects changes in IBD, our hope is that the results will help develop new treatments specifically for depression caused by inflammation.

Your Role in this Study

Participation in this study will include in-person visits that are done at CAMH. The first visit will be done to assess eligibility to participate in the study. The other visits will include one to two PET scans with blood sampling, one to two MRI scans, and questionnaires.

Who can Participate?

The eligibility criteria is:

•    Have a diagnosis for IBD (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
•    Be otherwise in good physical health
•    Be age 18 – 65, non-smoker
•    No history of neurological illness
•    Not currently taking street drugs
•    Not currently pregnant or breastfeeding

Compensation will be provided.

For more information, please contact our study team at ibd.study@camh.ca or 416-535-8501 x 30741. Voicemails will be returned within one week.

The security of information sent by e-mail cannot be guaranteed. Please do not communicate personal sensitive information by e-mail. Please do not use e-mail to communicate emergency or urgent health matters.

For information about programs and services at CAMH, please visit www.camh.ca or call 416-535-8501 (or 1-800-463-6273).

This study has been approved by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Research Ethics Board (REB# 102/2016).

Primary Contact
Joeffre Braga
ibd.study@camh.ca

Principal Investigator
Jeffrey Meyer
Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

What is this study about?

You're invited to take part in a unique opportunity to contribute to pregnancy and IBD research!

The Mount Sinai Hospital Preconception and Pregnancy in IBD Clinic and Research program has launched the Breast Milk and IBD study.

We aim to better understand the connection between inflammatory bowel disease, breast milk, and infant health.

Who can participate?

Adults (18+) who are pregnant AND have a diagnosis of IBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), AS WELL AS Adults (18+) who are pregnant and DO NOT have a diagnosis of IBD

Your role in this study
 

• Complete 7 questionnaires (10-15 minutes) about your and your infant's health throughout pregnancy and postpartum
• Provide breast milk samples at 1 and 3 months postpartum (approximately 30 minutes for each sample collection)

This study has been approved by Mount Sinai Hospital's Research Ethics Board (REB# 22-0080-E).

Primary Contact
Vivian Huang
preg.ibd@sinaihealth.ca

Principal Investigator
Vivian Huang
Mount Sinai Hospital

What is this study about?

The Toronto Immune & Digestive Institute is inviting you to participate in a study to determine the best treatment target(s) in management of Ulcerative Colitis (UC).  Disease activity and response to therapy in UC are assessed through patient reported symptoms, endoscopy, biopsy, and biomarkers. In this study, most participants will be treated with a Health Canada approved biologic Entyvio and randomized to different treatment groups which differ by treatment target.  


Who can participate?

UC patients who are 18 years or older with active symptoms of UC. There are other criteria that you will need to meet to qualify for the study, which the study team will discuss with you. The study team will also discuss the potential benefits and risks of being involved in the study and explain what participating would mean for you.


Your role in this study

To determine whether you can take part in the study, you will be invited to go to our clinic to undergo medical tests and assessments. This visit will occur up to 4 weeks before the start of study treatment. If you qualify and enter the study, you will be asked to return to our clinic to receive infusions every 4-8 weeks depending on the group you are in and undergo an assessment approximately every 16 weeks for 2 years (9 visits). Your participation is voluntary. You are allowed to leave the study at any time. Participation can be stopped if you or your study doctor have concerns or if you change your mind about being in the study. You will not be paid for taking part in this study. However, you may be reimbursed for travel to and from the study center and for parking expenses. There will be no charge for any study-related treatment or care.

This study has been approved by Advarra's Research Ethics Board (REB# MOD01412585).

Primary Contact
Nina Chan
nchan@tidhi.ca

Principal Investigator
Mark Silverberg
Toronto Immune and Digestive Health Institute

What is this study about?

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effects of a fasting mimicking diet on depressive symptoms in Participants with inflammatory bowel disease. This is an exploratory randomized two-arm trial using a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) or a caloric-sufficient diet (CSD) matching the composition of the FMD in Participants with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are in clinical remission but experiencing depressive symptoms.

Who can participate?

IBD patients in remission but experiencing depressive symptoms between the ages of 18 and 65 and located in Edmonton, Alberta.
 

Your role in this study

Participants will begin with a 3-week baseline period and then will be randomized to either a FMD or a CSD for a period of 3 months. The dietary intervention will be carried out for a 5-day period once a month for 3 months. Participants will consume their normal diet between the cycles.

Blood and stool samples will be collected before and after each 5-day period to test for changes in immune function and microbial activity. Questionnaires related to quality of life, dietary intake, disease activity, physical activity, anxiety, fatigue and depressive symptoms will be filled out regularly throughout the trial.

FMDs have essentially no refined sugar or starch, with low protein levels and complex carbohydrates and healthy fats from plant-based products. To determine if the beneficial effects are due to either the reduced calories of the FMD or the dietary composition of the FMD, the control group will consume a diet with their normal caloric intake but consisting of the same plant-based foods as in the FMD.


This study has been approved by the University of Alberta's Research Ethics Board (REB# Pro00115405).


Primary Contact
Raymond Odsen
rodsen@ualberta.ca
 
Principal Investigators
Karen Madsen
University of Alberta

The PediCRaFT (Pediatric CRohn’s Disease Fecal Microbiota Transplant) Trial is the first Health Canada approved fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) trial for children living with Crohn’s disease across Canada.

Study involves:
i) Colonoscopy (optional): Patients will have baseline disease severity assessed on endoscopy, and receive FMT infusion into the terminal ileum via colonoscopy. Initial baseline colonoscopy (supervised by pediatric anesthesia, endoscopy nurse, and pediatric gastroenterologist) through McMaster Children’s Hospital’s outpatient pediatric endoscopy suite..

ii) Rectal enema (optional): Patients may receive a rectal enema FMT infusion instead of colonoscopy, based on availability and patient preference. This is done through the McMaster Children’s Hospital outpatient Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition clinic.

iii) Oral FMT Capsule (6 weeks): Twice per week, for 6 weeks, you will be given oral capsules that you may take at home. Capsules will contain healthy bacteria. 

Who is eligible?
Children ages 3 to 17 years old, diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or IBD-U. 

Study Requirements:
1.) Bloodwork
2.) Urine Samples
3.) Stool samples
4.) Complete a 6-Question survey

This study has been approved by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board (REB#4457)

To find out more information please get in touch with:

Research Contact: Lee Hill
Email: hill.lee.devlin@gmail.com
Telephone: 514-443-8488

Principal Investigator: Dr Nikhil Pai

The purpose of this study is to better understand the monitoring experiences, enablers and barriers, benefits and drawbacks, and preferences in adults with Crohn’s Disease. There is little information about patient perspectives and beliefs regarding disease monitoring and gathering this information can help to guide health care. Such an understanding will help to develop both communication strategies for patients to enhance understanding of rationale and best structure measurement of disease activity to optimize adherence and patient acceptance. We will gather information about your experiences and preferences during Crohn’s disease monitoring using online focus groups. Focus groups allow for 6-8 people to come together to share their knowledge and expertise in a confidential group format.

Who can participate?

• Are diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease;
• Are 18 years of age or older;
• Live in Canada, United States, Australia, United Kingdom [England, Scotland, Wales];
• Speak and understand English fluently; and
• Have experienced at least 2 types of disease monitoring [endoscopy (ex. colonoscopy), magnetic resonance enterography (MRE), CT scan, intestinal ultrasound, blood tests, or stool tests].

Primary contact
Toyin Ogunyannwo
oluwatoyin.ogunyannw@ucalgary.ca

Principal Investigator
Dr. Kerri Novak

What is this study about?

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effects of a fasting mimicking diet on depressive symptoms in Participants with inflammatory bowel disease. This is an exploratory randomized two-arm trial using a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) or a caloric-sufficient diet (CSD) matching the composition of the FMD in Participants with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are in clinical remission but experiencing depressive symptoms.

Who can participate?

IBD patients in remission but experiencing depressive symptoms between the ages of 18 and 65 and located in Edmonton, Alberta.
 

Your role in this study

Participants will begin with a 3-week baseline period and then will be randomized to either a FMD or a CSD for a period of 3 months. The dietary intervention will be carried out for a 5-day period once a month for 3 months. Participants will consume their normal diet between the cycles.

Blood and stool samples will be collected before and after each 5-day period to test for changes in immune function and microbial activity. Questionnaires related to quality of life, dietary intake, disease activity, physical activity, anxiety, fatigue and depressive symptoms will be filled out regularly throughout the trial.

FMDs have essentially no refined sugar or starch, with low protein levels and complex carbohydrates and healthy fats from plant-based products. To determine if the beneficial effects are due to either the reduced calories of the FMD or the dietary composition of the FMD, the control group will consume a diet with their normal caloric intake but consisting of the same plant-based foods as in the FMD.


This study has been approved by the University of Alberta's Research Ethics Board (REB# Pro00115405).


Primary Contact
Raymond Odsen
rodsen@ualberta.ca
 
Principal Investigators
Karen Madsen
University of Alberta