GI Research Institute

The GI Research Institute (GIRI) is the research branch of The Digestive Health Center of BC. As a non-profit organization, GIRI is dedicated to advancing knowledge and improving care in the field of digestive health through high-quality clinical research and innovation. We support and conduct a wide range of studies and clinical trials focused on gastrointestinal disorders, working closely with physicians, patients, and industry partners.

Our mission is to drive evidence-based improvements in diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes locally and beyond.

Areas of Research

GIRI’s work spans four main areas of research, each focused on advancing understanding and improving care in key domains of digestive health.

Hepatology

Research focused on liver-related diseases, including:

  • Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH)
  • Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
  • Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
  • Hepatitis C (HCV) and Hepatitis B (HBV)

IBD

Research focused on Inflammatory Bowel Disease related themes, such as:

  • Emerging therapies and disease management innovations in IBD
  • Crohn’s Disease (CD)
  • Ulcerative Colitis (UC)

SPARC

The St. Paul’s Hospital Advanced Endoscopic Resection Centre (SPARC) focuses on prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials evaluating Gastrointestinal cancer screening and prevention and procedures like Third space, or pancreatobiliary endoscopies.

Other

GIRI also runs diverse projects that don’t fall under a single category but are critical to innovation in digestive health, such as:

  • The Capsule Endoscopy program
  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE)
  • Celiac disease
  • Fibrosis progression and other advanced diagnostics

Facts & Funding

GIRI supports a dynamic portfolio of active clinical research studies. These projects range from early exploratory work to large-scale clinical trials, all with the shared goal of improving digestive health outcomes.

Our studies fall into two main categories:

Investigator-Initiated Studies (IIS)

Involving DHC doctors, IIS projects are driven by GIRI’s investigators and are funded through grants and donations made to the institution. These studies allow us to explore novel ideas and patient-centered innovations that may not yet have commercial backing.

Sponsored Studies

Sponsored studies are supported by pharmaceutical companies, academic partners, and hospitals, providing essential resources to conduct trials that test new treatments, devices, and diagnostic tools.

Additional Services

Beyond research, GIRI operates two service areas that provide direct patient care while supporting our studies with seamless access to procedures and treatments:

01 Endoscopy unit

Our in-house endoscopy unit supports clinical care and research by offering a range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, which include:

Read more
  • Colonoscopy
  • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
  • Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)

02 Infusion Clinic

Our infusion clinic provides infusion therapy and injection treatments for patients enrolled in clinical studies and those receiving routine care. This allows for

Read more
  • Consistent treatment delivery
  • Close monitoring of patient response
  • Improved trial coordination

03 Hepatology Outreach Clinic

To improve accessibility, our Outreach Clinic deploys trained technicians to partner sites in Surrey and Burnaby to perform non-invasive liver scans. This initiative provides a convenient option for patients and enhances recruitment and retention in liver-related studies by minimizing the need for travel to central clinics.

Read more

In addition, we provide HCV testing and facilitate linkage to care for marginalized populations within our communities. These outreach efforts aim to increase awareness of HCV screening and care and support the identification of individuals with HCV.

Engaging with us

To be considered for participation in clinical trials at our institute, patients must be referred by one of the physicians at the Digestive Health Centre of BC.

If you are interested in joining a study, please contact the Digestive Health Centre directly and speak with your doctor about potential research opportunities.

For more information, please contact us at:

Tel:  604-688-6332 ext. 235

Fax:  604-689-1044