UHN has secured the top spot on the list of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals by Research Infosource Inc. This marks the 15th consecutive year UHN has led the rankings, a testament to our commitment to advancing health research.
The annual rankings compare research hospitals across Canada based on research spending, including grants, contributions, and contracts from internal and external government and non-government sources. In the 2024 fiscal year, UHN invested over $599 million in research, reinforcing its position as a global leader in discovery and innovation.
Within the "Large Hospital" category (institutions with total hospital spending exceeding $1 billion), UHN also ranked among the top for research intensity—defined as the percentage of research spending relative to overall hospital expenditures.
Dr. Brad Wouters, UHN’s Executive Vice President of Science and Research, shared: “We are incredibly proud to be recognized as Canada’s top research hospital once again—a position that reflects the passion and contribution of the 6,000-plus members of our research community and the many supporters of this team. From novel discoveries to clinical innovation and education, we are united by one purpose: improving health and transforming care for patients everywhere.”
This short video celebrates the people, places, and passion driving UHN’s continued success as Canada’s top research hospital.
These achievements are supported by strong partnerships with many institutions, including our financial supporters—The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and UHN Foundation—government agencies, industry, and other charities. UHN is proud to be part of Toronto’s vibrant research ecosystem alongside the University of Toronto and other academic hospitals, working together to accelerate discovery and impact. We are also strongly supported by our many patient partners that work with us every day towards our goal to create A Healthier World.
Research Infosource Inc. reports on research activity across Canada. Click on the following links to view the complete list of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals and a Spotlight on Hospital Research Activity within the Large Hospital category.
Welcome to the latest issue of Research Spotlight.
As Canada’s largest research hospital, UHN is a national and international source for discovery, education, and patient care. This newsletter highlights top research advancements from over 5,000 members of TeamUHN—a diverse group of trainees, staff, and principal investigators who conduct research at UHN.
Stories in this month’s issue:
● Reducing Heart Risk in Kidney Care: Daily omega-3 supplementation linked to fewer serious cardiac events in hemodialysis patients.
● Rehabilitation Beyond the Clinic: AI tailors rehabilitation for people with hand impairments.
● Brain Barrier Preserved in Stroke: Blocking a key enzyme helps protect brain blood vessels and reduces damage after stroke.
● Improving Radiation Sensitivity: Study identifies new target that could make radiation more effective in small cell lung cancer.
Read these stories and more online here. To read previous issues, see the newsletter archive.
A clinical trial led by Dr. Steven Chan at UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) found that patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and a specific gene mutation may benefit from a combination therapy of two drugs: venetoclax and enasidenib.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are blood cancers caused by myeloid precursor cells (cells that normally develop into blood cells) that accumulate and fail to mature properly. These diseases often result from genetic mutations, such as in the IDH2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 2) gene. Mutations in IDH2 block the ability of cells to develop.
Enasidenib, a drug that targets mutant IDH2, is used to treat cases of AML with this mutation. Although enasidenib has shown promising results in clinical trials for patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant AML and MDS, more effective therapies are still needed.
Previous studies from Dr. Chan’s lab have shown that enasidenib may work well with another drug called venetoclax—an inhibitor of a protein that helps cancer cells survive. Preclinical studies showed that a combination of enasidenib and venetoclax was more effective than either drug alone.
Dr. Chan’s team investigated how safe and effective the two drugs are together in patients with relapsed or hard-to-treat IDH2-mutated AML or MDS in a clinical trial, called ENAVEN-AML. They enrolled 27 patients with IDH2 mutations across two Canadian centres, including Princess Margaret and the University of Alberta Hospital.
Results showed that enasidenib and venetoclax were safe and active in these patients. “Of the 26 participants with AML, the overall response rate to the combined drug therapy was 62%, with 50% (13 out of 26) having complete remission—almost double the effect of using enasidenib alone, based on data from another clinical trial,” says Dr. Guillaume Richard-Carpentier, first author of the study.
For those who responded to the treatment, the effects lasted a median of 16.6 months, and some patients remained in remission for over two years. As for the safety results from the trial, the combination was well-tolerated, with manageable side effects.
“Because both drugs can be taken orally and they have a good safety record, patients can manage the treatment outside of the hospital. This treatment could serve as an effective bridge to stem cell transplantation for some patients, or as long-term therapy in patients not fit for transplantation,” says Dr. Chan, senior author and Senior Scientist at PM. “We are excited to see such promising results, especially in a population with limited treatment options.”
While more research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the combination in newly diagnosed patients, this study offers hope for a safer, outpatient-friendly treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory AML.
Dr. Guillaume Richard-Carpentier is a Hematologist and Clinician Investigator at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is the first author of the study.
Dr. Steven Chan is an Allan Slaight and Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is the corresponding author of the study.
This work was supported by AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, and The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
Dr. Guillaume Richard-Carpentier participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Taiho, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Astellas; participated in consultancy meetings with Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, and AbbVie; and received honoraria from Pfizer and Astellas. Dr. Steven Chan received research funding from Bristol Myers Squibb/Celgene, AbbVie, Servier, Agios, and AstraZeneca. For a complete list of competing interests, see the manuscript.
Richard-Carpentier G, Gupta G, Koraksic C, Cathelin S, Wang L, Bankar A, Davidson M, Gupta V, Maze D, Minden MD, Murphy T, Schimmer AD, Schuh AC, Sibai H, Yee K, DiNardo CD, Brandwein J, McNamara CJ, Chan SM. Enasidenib plus venetoclax in patients with IDH2-mutated relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukaemia or myelodysplastic syndrome (ENAVEN-AML): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 1b/2 trial. Lancet Haematol. 2025 Nov;12(11):e887-e897. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(25)00254-6. Epub 2025 Oct 8.
Virtual reality (VR) holds significant promise for health care, particularly in eye health. Its immersive experience, ability to deliver care remotely, and potential to collect large amounts of data through headset-mounted sensors are among its many advantages. But research on VR in vision care is still in its infancy. Understanding what has been studied and what remains unexplored is essential for continued progress and improved outcomes.
Dr. Michael Reber, Senior Scientist at UHN’s Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute (DKJEI), and Dr. Lora Appel, Affiliate Scientist at UHN’s KITE Research Institute (KITE), address this need in a recent literature review published in the journal, Technologies.
The DKJEI and KITE teams assessed 76 studies on VR headsets as interventions for vision-related conditions. Across these studies, 31 different VR systems were evaluated. Some focused on specific conditions—most commonly glaucoma or amblyopia—while others simulated disease symptoms in healthy participants. Most studies explored VR as a diagnostic or treatment tool and a smaller subset examined its screening potential. Notably, only 15% were randomized controlled trials.
The review highlights a major challenge to widespread VR adoption in vision care: inconsistent study designs. Without standardized sample sizes, participant types, and VR systems, reliable conclusions about accessibility, efficacy, and usability remain elusive.
Drs. Reber and Appel also note barriers to clinical implementation, including high start-up costs and data security concerns, and propose strategies to address them.
As the first scoping review of VR as a tool in eye care, this work offers a comprehensive roadmap for future research and clinical adoption. By integrating expertise in vision care and digital health technologies, the review demonstrates how coordinated efforts can overcome current barriers and accelerate adoption in clinical settings.
These recommendations aim to make future studies more robust and implementation of VR into clinical settings more seamless. Ultimately, as researchers continue to explore VR and clinicians begin to integrate it into eye care, this technology has the potential to transform treatment approaches and improve accessibility for patients worldwide.
Kiana Masoudi is the first author of this review. She is a research assistant in the VRx Lab.
Ani Orchanian-Cheff, a co-author of this study, is an archivist at UHN.
Dr. Michael Reber is a co-senior and corresponding author of this review. Dr. Reber is a Senior Scientist at UHN’s Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Lora Appel is a co-senior author of this review. She is an Affiliate Scientist at UHN’s KITE Research Institute, Collaborating Scientist with OpenLab at UHN, where she leads the VRx Lab, and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health at York University.
This review was supported by UHN Foundation.
Masoudi K, Wong M, Tchao D, Orchanian-Cheff A, Reber M, Appel L. Seeing Opportunity in Virtual Reality: A Rapid Review of the Use of VR as a Tool in Vision Care. Technologies. 2025 August; 13:342. doi: 10.3390/technologies13080342.
The Pride in Patient Engagement in Research (PiPER) team envisions a future where UHN is an international leader in partnering with people with lived experience (PLEX; includes patients, families, and caregivers) in research. PiPER is working to build organizational structures, policies, and technology to make these partnerships possible, ensuring that research is relevant and impactful. On October 8, 2025, PiPER hosted its third annual Research Day to share accomplishments toward this goal and enhancing health outcomes.
The event was held at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough, and welcomed over 200 registrants including PLEX, researchers, community organization representatives, trainees, and health care leaders. Guided by the theme “Research Engagement in Action: Do the Right Thing, Share It With Others, Build a Better Tomorrow,” PiPER Research Day aimed to inspire collaboration across disciplines and create learning opportunities to foster innovation.
Brad Wouters, Executive Vice President of Science and Research at UHN, kicked off the day by emphasizing PiPER’s essential role in improving the impact and value of research at UHN. He provided an overview of PiPER’s key accomplishments to date and announced the launch of UHN Research Explained, a public-facing website that offers easy-to-read summaries of research at UHN.
Mahadeo Sukhai, a leading expert on accessibility and inclusion, delivered a keynote address titled “Anti-Ableism in Patient Engagement and Research: A Personal and Professional Journey”. As the world’s first congenitally blind geneticist, he encouraged attendees to reflect on how disability is represented in health research and challenged them to consider new models of inclusive research.
Mahadeo Sukhai delivering the keynote presentation.
The afternoon keynote panel, “The Important Role of People with Lived Experience in Long COVID Care and Research”, led by Angela Cheung, Senior Scientist at UHN, explored the evolving role of engaging those affected by long-COVID in care and research. Panelists Alexandra Rendely, Rebecca Lewkowicz, and Susie Goulding shared their personal learnings related to PLEX engagement and long-COVID as a physician, caregiver, and long-COVID patient.
Other Research Day activities included a workshop, oral presentations, posters, and an art exhibit highlighting best practices and innovations in PLEX engagement in research. Presenters discussed engaging PLEX early, involving them in research decisions, and including them in pre-clinical research.
Teams shared examples of PLEX engagement in action such as co-designing an aquatic rehabilitation program, a Veteran-led project creating learning modules on engaging Veterans in research, and partnering with Youth in a randomized controlled trial. Teams also presented on the power of artificial intelligence to include marginalized communities as partners in research and the co-development of more inclusive electoral practices.
We thank the Planning Committee, volunteers, speakers, and attendees who made PiPER Research Day possible. Beyond this annual event, PiPER continues collaborating with TeamUHN to develop new policies, processes, resources, and research methods that support the implementation of transformative research experiences, driving collective impact toward A Healthier World.
(Left) Attendees enjoying a guided walk during a break; (top, right) Keynote panellists (L-R) Angela Cheung, Susie Goulding, Rebecca Lewkowicz, and Alexandra Rendely; (bottom, right) Graphic artist Devon Kerslake, from ThinkLink Graphics, visually recorded key themes of the day.
To view summaries of the works presented, click here.
For more information on PiPER, click here or email piper@uhn.ca. Follow PiPER on LinkedIn and BlueSky.
PiPER Research Day was made possible by the support of our Silver Sponsor, The Ontario SPOR Support Unit (OSSU), and our PLEX Sponsors: Asthma Canada, BioCanRx, Canadian Cancer Survivor Network, Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences, Ontario Aids Network, and the Ontario Brain Institute. PiPER supported PLEX to attend through the CIHR-IMHA Inclusive Research Excellence Prize - Patient Engagement (RE5-195224).
Photographs in this story by Tim Fraser of UHN’s KITE Studio.
Congratulations to the 11 researchers with principal investigator [no-lexicon](PI)[/no-lexicon] status at UHN who have made the coveted 2025 list of Highly Cited Researchers from Clarivate—a global leader in bibliometrics and analytics. This year, Clarivate recognized 6,868 individuals across 60 countries, awarding 7,131 Highly Cited Researcher designations.
Citations—the acknowledgment of a scientific article in subsequent research—are a key measure of a publication's influence within a specific field. The Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher accolade is a testament to those whose publications over the past decade rank among the top 1% most-cited publications in their respective fields and publication years.
Notably, four of UHN's PIs earned the added distinction of being included in the ‘Cross-Field’ category, underscoring their interdisciplinary excellence and impact in multiple research fields.
Dr. Brad Wouters, Executive Vice-President of Science and Research at UHN, expresses admiration for these PIs, “These leaders are shaping the future of medicine and science. The recognition today reflects the fact that their work not only contributes directly to scientific advancement, but also has a tremendous influence globally on the research of others. Their impact reaches far beyond publications—it drives innovation that brings our vision of A Healthier World closer to reality.”
The full list of UHN PIs and the categories in which they received their distinction are listed below. For more details, see the Clarivate press release.
Dr. Gary Bader | Cross-Field
Affiliate Scientist, UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Research focus: Bridging molecular and clinical datasets to identify clinically relevant targets of disease.
Dr. David Cherney | Clinical Medicine
Senior Scientist, UHN
Research focus: Physiological factors that initiate renal disease in patients with diabetes.
Dr. Slava Epelman | Immunology
Senior Scientist, UHN
Research focus: The contribution of immune cells to cardiac tissue injury and repair.
Dr. Eddy Fan | Clinical Medicine
Scientist, UHN
Research focus: Advanced life support for acute respiratory failure and patient outcomes from critical illness.
Dr. Michael Fehlings | Cross-Field
Senior Scientist, UHN’s Krembil Brain Institute
Research focus: Spinal cord injury treatments using regenerative medicine.
Dr. Anthony Lang | Neuroscience and Behaviour
Senior Scientist, UHN’s Krembil Brain Institute
Research focus: The disease etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of Parkinson disease and related movement disorders.
Dr. Tak Mak | Cross-Field
Senior Scientist, UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Research focus: The mechanisms underlying immune responses and cancer development.
Dr. Ozgur Mete | Biology and Biochemistry
Clinician Investigator, UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Research focus: Biomarker discovery for endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours.
Dr. Amit Oza | Clinical Medicine
Senior Scientist, UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Research focus: Targeted therapies and clinical trials for gynecologic cancers.
Dr. Matthieu Schapira | Pharmacology and Toxicology
Affiliate Scientist, UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Research focus: Computational drug design to fight cancer through epigenetics.
Dr. Lillian Siu | Cross-Field
Senior Scientist, UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Research focus: New anticancer drug development, particularly with respect to head and neck malignancies.
When someone is in respiratory failure, a ventilator takes over breathing to keep oxygen levels stable. However, this support can sometimes harm the lungs, diaphragm, brain, and circulation. New research from UHN shows that both too little and too much breathing effort while on a ventilator can be harmful for critically ill patients.
For patients on a ventilator, if the ventilator does most of the work, the diaphragm can weaken, and parts of the lung may collapse. The brain also becomes inflamed, leading to delirium and cognitive impairment. At the same time, excessive breathing drive—the body’s natural signal from the brain to breathe—results in high breathing effort which can injure the lungs and diaphragm, strain the heart, increase oxygen use, and cause distress. Keeping breathing drive and effort at a moderate level may help prevent these problems, especially in patients with severe lung injury.
However, current ventilator guidelines do not address breathing drive or effort, and their clinical impact on recovery has been unclear. To address this, researchers analyzed data from 1,186 adults who received mechanical ventilation at Toronto General Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) between June 2019 and April 2022. Daily measurements of breathing drive and effort were collected for up to 10 days, along with indicators of lung stress and oxygen levels.
The study found that both insufficient and excessive breathing drive and effort were linked to worse outcomes, including a higher risk of death and lower rates of leaving the ICU. Patients with low blood oxygen levels were particularly vulnerable to these effects. Overall, the findings suggest that how much a patient breathes on their own while on a ventilator can affect recovery.
This is the first study to report on the link between breathing drive, breathing effort, and patient outcomes. Monitoring these factors during ventilation could help detect risk early. Personalized ventilator support and other treatments to optimize breathing effort could significantly improve survival and recovery for these patients.
Dr. Jose Dianti, former postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto and current Physician at CEMCIC, Buenos Aires, is the first author of the study.
Dr. Ewan Goligher, Senior Scientist at UHN and Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Physiology, is the senior and corresponding author of the study.
This work was supported by the National Sanitarium Association and UHN Foundation.
Dianti J, Lovblom LE, Iftikhar MA, Sahetya S, Telias I, Urner M, Del Sorbo L, Amato MBP, Slutsky AS, Brochard L, Ferguson ND, Fan E, Goligher EC. Association of respiratory drive and effort with mortality and time to discharge in patients on mechanical ventilation in Canada: a longitudinal, prospective, registry-based cohort study. Lancet Respir Med. 2025 Sep 19:S2213-2600(25)00297-8. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(25)00297-8. Epub ahead of print.
Research at UHN takes place across its research institutes, clinical programs, and collaborative centres. Each of these has specific areas of focus in human health and disease, and work together to advance shared areas of research interest. UHN's research spans the full breadth of the research pipeline, including basic, translational, clinical, policy, and education.
See some of our research areas below:
Research at UHN is conducted under the umbrella of the following research institutes. Click below to learn more:
