Research News & Stories

Research-related news and stories from PHSA, from all programs and services.
Research supports BC families in building healthy habits to prevent childhood obesity​ 

(March 17, 2025)
Dr. Louise Mâsse  and Dr. Olivia De-Jongh González have worked on a mobile health program to help families build healthy habits to prevent childhood obesity.​

Read about the program​​​​

First-in-world BC patient successfully treated for rare immune disease

(February 27​, 2026)
Ty Sperle, who was being treated at BC Children’s Hospital for a rare disease called chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) became the first person ever to receive and be cured by a gene modification treatment known as “Prime Editing.”​​

Read ​​more

​Prescribing ice cream and countering misinformation: Q&A with Dr. Alastair McAlpine

(February 25, 2026)
BCCHR met with Dr. Alastair McAlpine to learn more about his medical journey, research, and commitment to counter misinformation.

Read the interview​

First-of-its-kind pan-Canadian trial to treat baby brain cancers without radiation​

(February 3, 2026​​)
Pediatric centres nationwide have united to launch  a first-of-its-kind clinical trial that uses chemotherapy delivered to the brain to avoid radiation in treating babies and young children with aggressive brain cancer.​

Read the article

​Is prenatal antidepressant exposure safe for the developing child?

(December 23, 2025)
Long-term studies reveal that ongoing maternal mental health and supportive environments play the biggest role in shaping outcomes across childhood and adolescence, versus ​prenatal antidepressant exposure.

Read about the study 

The Year of the Treg: The latest discoveries by the Levings lab

(December 15, 2025)
Dr. Megan Lev​ings and her team have recently published two papers on the very different functions and uses of regulatory T cells (Tregs). ​

Read about​ the study​

New BC study reveals the 2017 transfer of Correctional Health Services to PHSA reduced deaths

(November 26, 2025)
Health outcomes for people released from BC’s provincial correctional centres have improved since PHSA assumed responsibility for health care services in 2017, with fewer deaths – particularly overdose deaths – among those released from custody.

Read about the study​

Ensuring research participation is available to all Canadians​

(November 13, 2025)
Improving language accessibility in clinical research studies helps pave the way for more equitable health outcomes, and makes research more generalizable to the local population. 

Read a​bout the initiative ​​​

The impact of myofascial dysfunction on chronic pain

(November 7, 2025)
During National Pain Awareness Week, BCCHR interviewed researchers to discuss myofascial dysfunction and pain. Myofascial dysfunction makes it hard for soft tissues to move as they normally would, may lead to chronic pain, and is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed.​

Read the Q&A ​​

From research to practice: Empowering oncology nurses in advance care planning

(November 12, 2025)
 A new study from BC Cancer researchers explores how to better support oncology nurses in engaging patients and families in advance care planning (ACP).

Read about the study​

Pediatric hypertension significantly increases risk of kidney disease in adulthood

(October 29, 2025)
 ​A new s​tudy shows that children and adolescents with hypertension (high blood pressure) have a 4.5 times greater risk of developing kidney disease when they become young adults compared to their peers without hypertension.

Read th​e article

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