Listed below in a searchable and downloadable (MS Excel, CSV) format is the most up-to-date inventory of COVID-19-related research projects (including clinical trials) in British Columbia.
Due to the volume of information received, please scroll to the right to see the complete inventory table.
Note: This inventory is a work in progress and is not a complete list; it may also include studies that have not yet been approved to start.
| Title | BC Lead Investigator(s) | Other Collaborators | Lead Organization | Other organizations | Types of research question(s) | Biomedical questions | Clinical questions | Health services and policy questions | Population and public health questions | Is this study engaging with patients, public, community partners, etc as part of the research team? | Specific to BC or larger national/international project | Funder(s) | Description | BC Geographic Areas | Clinical Trial? | Trial Phase | Clinicaltrials.gov identifier (if applicable) | Ethics File number | Study population attributes | |||
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| id | ID | Title | BC Lead Investigator(s) | Other Collaborators | Lead Organization | Other organizations | Types of research question(s) | Biomedical questions | Clinical questions | Health services and policy questions | Population and public health questions | Is this study engaging with patients, public, community partners, etc as part of the research team? | Specific to BC or larger national/international project | Funder(s) | Description | BC Geographic Areas | BC Geographic Areas | Clinical Trial? | Trial Phase | Clinicaltrials.gov identifier (if applicable) | Ethics File number | Study population attributes |
| 97.106 | 1 | CATCO: Canadian Treatments for COVID19 | Srinivas Murthy | Fiona Auld, Sara Belga, Gregory Deans, James Douglas, Jennifer Grant, Allison Mah, Daniel Ovakim, Eric Partlow, David Patrick, Natasha Press, Ted Steiner, Titus Yeung | UBC | Fraser Health, Interior Health, Northern Health, Island Health, BCCDC, Providence Health, Vancouver Coastal, BC Children's and Women's | Biomedical | Understanding more about the virus and its pathways of effects, Potential drug therapies | No | Multi-provincial or multi-nati | CIHR | A randomized, controlled trial of lopinavir/ritonavir in hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID19. | Vancouver/Surrey | Vancouver, Fraser, Island | Yes | Phase II | NCT04330690 | H20-00737 | Tested positive, Adult, Pediatric, In-Hospital | |||
| 97.107 | 3 | SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Research: Fast track isothermal viral diagnostics | Peter J Unrau, Masahiro Niikura | Michael Adachi (SFU), Robert Britton (SFU), Marc Romney (Providence Health Care Vancouver), Don Sin (UBC). | SFU | Providence Health UBC | Clinical | Optimizing diagnosis and treatment | No | BC-specific | CIHR | The Unrau laboratory at Simon Fraser University has engineered an isothermal RNA detection kit that reports the presence of RNA template by fluorogenic aptamer (RNA Mango) synthesis in a simple fluorogenic assay (Mango NASBA). This technology, which currently is being commercialised for the detection of pathogens in human tissue culture, can be rapidly adapted for the detection of SARS-CoV_2 and offers several advantages over conventional RT-PCR: 1. Isothermal Mango NASBA viral testing has a considerably simpler work flow than RT-PCR requiring only a simple fixed temperature device capable of detecting fluorescent readout. This offers the potential to implement real time viral testing at venues (i.e. airports, borders, hospitals etc) not normally considered with existing RT-PCR methodologies and that require more costly real-time thermocycler infrastructure to implement. 2. We anticipate that Mango NASBA offers a significant time saving of ~3-4 fold relative to a standard RT-PCR assay (90-120 min) in high viral load samples. Should high sensitivity detection be required, Nested Mango NASBA can be performed subsequently. Nested Mango NASBA has sensitivity directly comparable to RT-PCR and can be performed twice as fast as RT-PCR methodologies. | Vancouver | Fraser | No | Early phase | ||||||
| 97.108 | 4 | Augmented Discovery of Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL Protease | Arterm Cherkasov | UBC | Biomedical | Potential drug therapies | No | BC-specific | CIHR | We have recently established a powerful Deep-Learning accelerated Docking pipeline to virtually screen a commercial 1.3-billion-compound library in a matter of one week--compared to the three years with previous programs. We have applied this novel algorithm to identify 1000 quality "candidate" compounds to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro) which is uniquely critical for the viral life cycle. We will screen these compounds with a high throughput screening biochemical assay and then evaluate these hits using a cell-based SARS-CoV-2 viral replication assay in a Canadian Containment Level 3 facilty at University of British Columbia. In addition we will use X-ray crystallography to refine the protease 3D crystal structure to accelerate the development of COVID-19 therapeutic drug development. Our research program will ... rapidly identifying small anti-viral drug molecules in an extremely condensed timeframe. | Vancouver | No | Early phase | |||||||||
| 97.109 | 5 | Host cellular protein substrates of SARS-CoV-2 proteases | Eric Jan | UBC | Biomedical | Potential drug therapies | No | BC-specific | CIHR | In this study, we will identify the host proteins that are targeted by a viral protein called a protease using an unbiased proteomics approach. Identifying the protein targets of SARS/MERS-CoV proteases will reveal into the protein sequence that binds to the proteases. We will engineer and optimize decoy protein sequences that will effectively block SARS/MERS-CoV protease function and thus, inhibit SARS/MERS-CoV infection. Uncovering the proteins that are targeted by the SARS/MERS-CoV proteases will also provide a catalog of the host processes that these viruses affect, thus gaining insights into the pathogenic mechanisms that lead to COVID-19 disease. | Not applicable | Early phase | ||||||||||
| 97.110 | 6 | Neutralizing human-derived single-chain antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 | Horacio Bach | UBC | Biomedical | Potential drug therapies | No | BC-specific | CIHR | The objectives of this application are 1) to develop antibodies that will block the entrance of the virus into the cells, and to test the efficacy of these antibodies in mice. | Vancouver | Not applicable | Early phase | |||||||||
| 97.111 | 8 | Genomic epidemiology and evolutionary dynamics of COVID-19 and other emerging corona viruses | Jeffrey Joy | UBC | Biomedical | Understanding more about the virus and its pathways of effects | No | BC-specific | CIHR | We will study the genomic evolution of SARS-CoV-2 to investigate if particular motifs are under selection for increased virulence and immune evasion. We will compare SARS-CoV-2 with genomes of other zoonotic coronaviruses to elucidate common genomic features associated with virulence, host switching, and human-to-human transmission. We will also evaluate spatiotemporal transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2 across different populations using Bayesian phylogeographic analyses. | Vancouver | Not applicable | Early phase | |||||||||
| 97.112 | 9 | Understanding compliance with the International Health Regulations (2005):Â Recommended strategies | Kelley Lee | Robin Davies, Carmen Mihaela Dolea, Ryan Morhard, Karen Grepin, Adam Kamradt-Scott, Catherine Worsnop | Simon Fraser University | University of Sydney, University of Maryland, University of Hong Kong, World Health Organization, US CDC, World Economic Forum, Government of Australia - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security, Government of Hong Kong | Population and public health | Development of public health measures in response to COVID-19 | No | Multi-provincial or multi-nati | CIHR Operating Grant: Canadian 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Research Funding Opportunity. | The goal of this project is to strengthen global coordination of the COVID-19 outbreak response through a fuller understanding of crossborder measures adopted, their likely positive/negative impacts, reason(s) for adoption, and strategies to increase compliance. This project applies a mixed-methods approach to achieve 4 objectives: a) define, categorize and track crossborder measures adopted during the COVID-19 and previous outbreaks; b) systematically review existing evidence of their public health and wider impacts; c) understand decisions to adopt compliant or non-compliant measures in 4 case study settings (Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and US); and d) identify strategies to encourage increased compliance. Working closely with key knowledge users, including WHO, we will collect and analyze new data, and combine it with our existing datasets to conduct real time quantitative cross-outbreak analysis. The key outcome of this project is to mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19 through practical, evidence-informed strategies that strengthen global coordination. | Interior, Vancouver | Not applicable | Early phase | 2020s0111 | ||||||
| 97.113 | 10 | Wuhan Interview: Human Experiences During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan | Yue Qian | Amy Hanser | UBC | Population and public health | Development of public health measures in response to COVID-19, Effects of stay-at-home and physical distancing measures, Effects on specific populations | No | BC-specific | CIHR: City shutdown as a response to COVID-19: understanding human experiences and mental health co | We will conduct interviews with 120 adults who lived in Wuhan during the quarantine to examine how people understood, reacted to, and coped with the quarantine, and what local barriers, challenges, and needs existed in combating the outbreak. This research will inform community service planning for post-pandemic recovery. | Vancouver | Not applicable | Early phase | H20-00917 | Adult | ||||||
| 97.114 | 12 | Understanding and mitigating real-time differential gendered effects of the COVID-19 outbreak | Kelley Lee, Julia Smith | Pierre Blais (Global Affairs Canada), Caitlyn McKenzie (Government of Australia), Clare Wenham (London School of Economics), Ahmed Al-Rawi (SFU), Karen Grepin (U Hong Kong), Sara Davies and Huiyun Feng (Griffith U) and Sophie Harman (Queen Mary U), Rosemary Morgan (Johns Hopkins U). | SFU | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Queen Mary University of London, Griffith University, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University of Hong Kong, University of Queensland, Global Affairs Canada | Health services & policy, Population and public health | Development of public health measures in response to COVID-19, Effects on specific populations | No | Multi-provincial or multi-nati | CIHR, Canadian 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Response Fund | The impact of disease on individuals and communities is not homogenous, with women disproportionately infected and affected. However, public health efforts to effectively contain an outbreak, and mitigate its secondary impacts, remain hindered by a lack of real-time gender analysis. Gender analysis considers how women and men experience health crises and responses differently based on biological factors, social roles and power inequities. Gender inequities have been highlighted in past outbreaks, but the few analyses have been undertaken post-crisis without being able to offer real-time evidence to strengthen the public health response.COVID-19 appears to reproduce this gendered neglect: with no systematic gender-analysis of the outbreak by global health institutions or governments in affected countries (or in those preparing for the outbreak). This project enhances efforts to mitigate the social and economic impacts of the outbreak and inform operational responses through the development of practical tools to generate awareness of, and address, gender inequities in real-time. Rather than waiting for a lessons-learned review to establish gender-analysis gaps, we are undertaking a real-time, multi-faceted gender analysis of preparedness and response mechanisms, providing immediate evidence to inform public health responses. | Fraser | No | Early phase | 2020s0126 | ||||||
| 97.115 | 13 | Developing COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement Readiness Strategy Guidance for Trav | Cynthia Jardine | UFV | Population and public health | Development of public health measures in response to COVID-19, Effects of stay-at-home and physical distancing measures, Effects on specific populations | No | BC-specific | CIHR | People who travel back to their countries of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFR) (including the children of immigrants and international students) are often at a higher risk of getting the disease and then spreading it to others. A better understanding of VFR traveler knowledge, risk perceptions, information needs, barriers to pre-travel care and advice, and access to protective measures will help us better develop strategies to keep travelers healthy. This will prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its potential negative consequences. Our research will take place in the Fraser Valley and lower mainland of British Columbia as an area with a high number of immigrants. We are seeking information from Chinese and Punjabi VFR travelers, international students at the University of the Fraser Valley, and family physicians. We will use a combination of focus groups, surveys and interviews to get this information. | Vancouver, Fraser | No | Early phase |
