CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center

CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center

Early-stage mother and child clinical research key to therapeutic solutions

CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center
Dr. Michel Duval - Head of the Hematology-Oncology Department and clinical researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center

Dr. Michel Duval
Head of the Hematology-Oncology Department and clinical researcher
CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center

The Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center (CHU Sainte-Justine) is a mother and child pediatric hospital known worldwide for medical care, teaching and research into novel therapies for young patients, from conception through gestation to adulthood.

The early-stage clinical research activities at the CHU Sainte-Justine are aimed at better understanding rare and complex diseases and participating in the development of innovative treatments that benefit a patient population that generates 3,500 births, 83,300 emergency visits and 223,000 outpatient visits every year. In collaboration with the Charles Bruneau Foundation, the hospital implemented a phase l pediatric oncology unit, the Unité de recherche clinique précoce en hématologie-oncologie (URCP-HO, clinical research unit in hematology-oncology) and launched the SIGNATURE program in genomics and immunotherapy for pediatric cancers.

Areas of expertise

The CHU Sainte-Justine stands out for the innovative design of its perinatal and rare disease clinical trials. More specifically, the CHU Sainte-Justine’s physician-researchers develop and actively participate in phase I and II studies for pediatric diseases, such as neurodevelopmental (such as epilepsy), gastrointestinal and infectious diseases.

Services

  • Research team highly specialized in conducting phase I clinical research: collecting samples for pharmacokinetic assays for pediatric patients, assessment of palatability and acceptability, high-level safety framework, close monitoring of adverse effects, completion of case report forms (CRF) in under 48 hours;
  • Centralized expertise to manage large-scale multicentre studies: biostatistics, bioinformatics, medical publishing, data management and electronic data capture system;
  • Collaboration with an extensive North American hospital network as part of the KidsCAN initiative (clinical trials for children)/MICYRN (Maternal Infant Child and Youth Research Network) for launching multi-site clinical trials;
  • Development of pediatric formulations suitable for children at the CHU Sainte-Justine’s Goodman Pediatric Formulations Centre;
  • Clinical genomics analysis at the Quebec Centre for Clinical Genomics.

Investigators specializing in phase I trials

Dr. Michel Duval – Hematologist-oncologist – cancer: mechanisms, new therapeutic approaches and disease outcomes
michel.duval@umontreal.ca

Dr. Henrique Bittencourt – Hematologist-oncologist – refractory leukemias and relapses, cellular therapy
henrique.bittencourt.hsj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

Dr. Yvan Samson – Hematologist-oncologist – solid tumours and brain tumours
yvan.samson@umontreal.ca

Dr. Sébastien Perreault – Neurologist – neuro-oncology, mechanisms and new therapeutic approaches
s.perreault@umontreal.ca

Dr. Pierre Teira – Hematologist-oncologist – neuroblastoma: mechanisms, new therapeutic approaches
pierre.teira.hsj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

Dr. Bruce Tapiero – Pediatric infectiologist – vaccines
bruce_tapiero@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

Dr. Julie Autmizguine – Pediatric infectiologist – antibiotherapy
julie.autmizguine@umontreal.ca

Dr. Philippe Major – Neurologist – epilepsy
philippe.major@umontreal.ca

Kelly Grzywacz – Gastroenterologist – Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Kelly.Grzywacz.hsj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

Contact

Marie Saint-Jacques
Coordinator, Early-Stage Clinical Research Program
CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre
T: 514.345.4931, ext. 6875
marie.saint-jacques@recherche-ste-justine.qc.ca