General Information
Scarborough Health Network (SHN) Research Institute is dedicated to supporting SHN researchers and their teams in achieving their research goals. We provide the necessary oversight and guidance to ensure regulatory compliance, grant administration, and quality control in study conduct. We engage clinical researchers, academic institutions and community members to promote collaboration and reduce barriers to research conduct.
SHN Research Institute by the numbers
141
RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED
64
SHN-APPOINTED RESEARCH INVESTIGATORS
Do You Have Questions?
For questions or clarifications regarding the REB process (including whether the submission qualifies as a delegated review or a full board review), REB membership, research contracts, etc.
Federal Wide Assurance (FWA)
We are FWA/IRB registered. Please contact the research office if you require more information.
Our Mission and Vision
Mission
To partner with our diverse communities to generate and apply new knowledge and innovative solutions that make healthcare more equitable, accessible and relevant.
Vision
Better health through research that matters to our community.
SHN Research Institute Strategic Plan outline
SHN Research Ethics Board
SHN’s Research Ethics Board (REB) ensures that research is designed and conducted with the utmost regard for the people who choose to participate in research studies.
At SHN, the REB’s clear moral foundation requires that people will not be disadvantaged by research participation. The SHN REB is responsible, on behalf of the hospital, for ensuring that the rights, safety, and well-being of clinical trial participants are the most important consideration — even above the interests of science. The basic ethical principles of the REB are to do no harm (non-maleficence), to disclose all facts, to communicate truthfully (veracity), and to conduct valid research. The REB and Research office ensure all research complies with the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement for Conducting Research in Humans (TCPS2), the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, and the Personal Health Information Act.
SHN REB is comprised of the following members:
- REB Chair who is an SHN physician with extensive expertise in both clinical research & REB.
- Physicians and Registered Nurses – from various Clinical Departments
- Clinical Ethicists
- Community Members with expertise in different types of research
- Former Patient
- Lawyer
- Pharmacist
- Privacy Expert
Interested in helping bring research to life in Scarborough?
REB governance
REB Chair
Dr. Nisha (Nisanthini) Ravichandiran is a family physician with a community practice in Scarborough. As the Chair of the Research Ethics Board, her goals are to ensure that the voices of the community are represented and that research in Scarborough is ethical and respectful of the diversity of its community. Dr. Ravichandiran is particularly appreciative of the efforts of members of the Research Ethics Board who volunteer their time to ensure that the interests of potential research participants are protected.
REB Members
- Laura Alcazar Prada, EPIC Local Operations Coordinator
- Paul Armstrong, RN, Emergency
- Michael Capitano, Lawyer (external)
- Tasha Castagnier-Seery, Manager of Mental Health
- Meghan Cellamare, RN, Manager of Women and Children’s Health
- Jane Dargie, Privacy Consultant (external)
- Simon Donata-Woodger, Critical Care RN
- Dr. Marek Gawel, Neurology Physician
- Dr. Rosemarie Lall, Family Medicine Physician
- Bruce Power, Professor, Community Member and Patient Rep
- Dr. Sherryn Roth, Cardiology Physician
- Deval Shah, Pharmacist
- Dr. Tabo Sikaneta, Nephrology Physician
- Callum Tyrrell, VP, Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, Community Member
- Jordan Wadden, Bioethicist
Non-voting Members
- Attia Qamar, Manager of Research Operations
- Chantelle Morris, Research Administrative Coordinator
Research at SHN
Scarborough is composed of some of the most ethnically and culturally diverse communities in Canada and is uniquely situated as a microcosm of Canada’s diverse future and poses extensive opportunities for research studies and findings on population health that not only translate into improved care in Scarborough, but that also can have applications for health systems that form on the cutting-edge of what communities across this country are headed towards.
SHN Research Institute-appointed researchers
Dr. Nisanthini Ravichandiran
Dr. Niraj Mistry
Dr. Martin Betts
Dr. Evan Baker
Dr. Ilan Fischler
Dr. Kibar Yared
Dr. Rosemarie Lall
Dr. Michael Hawkins