Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute strives to support and promote excellence in health research. The annual Investigator Awards recognize the efforts of health investigators through awards that help build their research capacity to expand the possibility of improving health research. They are supported by VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and TD Grants in Medical Excellence.

The 2017 VCHRI Investigator Awards recipients are:

• Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, for his research examining how we can more accurately prescribe treatments for patients with major depressive disorder using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. “This study is the first of its kind worldwide and positions Vancouver Coastal Health and the UBC at the cutting-edge of scientific discovery in this area,” says Vila-Rodriguez.
• Dr. Alina Gerrie, for her research investigating how to improve side-effects for patients who have undergone allogeneic hematoietic stem cell transplantation through exercise. “We anticipate this study will improve the quality of life, heart health, mobility and strength of patients after bone marrow transplant, allowing a faster and healthier recovery,” says Gerrie.
• Dr. John Staples, for his research examining if the risk of a motor vehicle crash is heightened after an ED visit for syncope, with the aim to inform post-syncope driving regulations worldwide. “The best treatment for trauma is to prevent it from happening,” explains Dr. John A. Staples. “We hope our study’s results will help to keep British Columbians safe and healthy for years to come.”