Current Research in OBGYN
Name |
Contact |
Research |
Accepting Trainees? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Assistant Professor |
ajlong1@ualberta.ca |
Identifying serum biomarkers that may serve as a non-invasive blood test to identify individuals at risk of having endometriosis. |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
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Professor, |
kozyrsky@ualberta.ca |
Dr. Kozyrskyj leads the SyMBIOTA (Synergy in Microbiota) research program on early-life environmental shaping of the infant gut microbiome, and child immune-related and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the CHILD Cohort Study (www.childstudy.ca). SyMBIOTA was funded by the 2010 CIHR Microbiome Initiative and is now part of CIHR’s IMPACTT microbiome research network, where Kozyrskyj is co-PI of the Human Cohort Design and Analyses Platform (www.impactt-microbiome.ca). |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Associate Professor |
annick1@ualberta.ca |
Pelvic floor research, chronic pelvic pain, Urogynecology access to care. |
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Associate Professor,
|
chlee2@ualberta.ca |
Our research focus is on identifying more effect therapies for clinically aggressive types of ovarian and endometrial cancer. We have identified through multi-omics analyses targetable molecular alterations and cellular signaling changes. We continue to establish preclinical models of aggressive ovarian and endometrial cancer types, which can be used to evaluate the efficacy of candidate drugs identified through multi-omics analyses and/or through high throughput drug screen. |
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Assistant Professor |
preuss@ualberta.ca |
Dr. Aubrey’s research interests include qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, and in particular related to obesity and endometrial cancer, social determinants of health, real-word outcomes and applications of gynecologic oncology diagnostic and treatment modalities in a public healthcare context. She is also interested in medical education research, particularly with regards to the hidden curriculum in postgraduate medical education. |
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Associate Professor
|
christyl@ualberta.ca |
The underlying vascular and cellular mechanisms that are affected in conditions such as preeclampsia and advanced maternal age. Experiments involve examining ex vivo function of blood vessels from animal models as well as from human tissue (obtained from pregnant women at the time of cesarean section). |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Assistant Professor
|
kkao@ualberta.ca |
Multi-centered randomized controlled trial to study the effect of a single dose of antenatal corticosteroids versus double doses (the "SNACS" trial) in collaboration of McMaster University and many other Canadian sites. We are actively recruiting pregnant patients to help us understand the effect of steroids in perinatal outcome when given to individuals at risk of preterm birth. Dr. Kao is also working on a study of retrospective chart review on the effect of mode of delivery on the outcomes of neonates with known congenital cardiac anomatlies. In hopes that this study will be the guide to improve pregnancy care and delivery planning for complex pregnancies. Website: https://snacstrial.com |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Professor,
|
cnorris@ualberta.ca |
Focus on how sex and gender impact women’s health throughout their entire life cycle, from perimenopause to post-reproductive health. Her research explores how these factors influence conditions like cardiovascular disease and other health concerns. Website: www.yegwomensresearch.ca |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Professor |
dmolson@ualberta.ca |
Preterm birth from environmental stress, gene-environment, mechanistic, predictive and therapeutic perspectives. The focus of recent studies is on allostatic load and inflammatory pathways as factors leading to preterm birth. Collaborative efforts with international groups are aimed at bringing diagnostic and therapeutic research products into clinical utilization. |
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|
Professor |
dghemmin@ualberta.ca |
The Hemmings laboratory studies placental dysfunction in pregnancies complicated by infections or inflammation including placental malaria, preeclampsia, and intrauterine growth restriction. We also investigate vascular and cellular responses to signaling by bioactive lipids and their roles in vascular and placental adaptations in pregnancy. Our group is also exploring the impact of chronic cytomegalovirus infection in breast cancer and metastasis. |
Not accepting trainees at this time. Dr. Hemmings is currently on sabbatical from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. |
|
Associate Professor
|
eckelly@ualberta.ca |
Ongoing research: A patient education focus including the following projects: the impact of patient education on patient preparedness prior to urogynecology consultation, the impact of preoperative patient education on patient preparedness for surgery - a systematic review, Creation of health education tools for women with bladder pain syndrome, and creation of health education tools for women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse. Other ongoing projects include: pelvic floor injections for chronic pelvic pain - a systematic review, and cannabis use among women with chronic pelvic pain; antibiotics at the time of bladder botulinum A injection for overactive bladder: a randomized controlled trial. |
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|
Professor,
|
schulz@ualberta.ca |
Dr. Schulz is part of a large multidisciplinary clinical academic practice at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, in addition to being involved in ongoing teaching of medical students, residents, fellows, physicians in the community, and allied health professionals. Dr. Schulz’s research focus is on clinical innovation, quality improvement, and projects that have immediate clinical knowledge translation. |
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|
Professor,
|
lhornber@ualberta.ca |
For the past 3 decades, Dr Lisa Hornberger ‘s research has focused on the early diagnosis, evolution, management and outcomes of fetal and neonatal heart disease including on the diagnosis and management of fetal arrhythmias and the evolution of fetal heart function from the 1st trimester in health and disease. She has spearheaded clinical quality improvement initiatives to better understand diagnostic and prognostic inaccuracies in fetal cardiology and explored through population and clinical cohorts current inadequacies in prenatal detection of major fetal heart disease to identify strategic targets for prenatal screening and service improvement. Through key collaborations, her research has spanned clinical, population, health services and basic science pillars, most recently exploring the impact of adverse early life exposures on long-term cardiovascular health, the contribution of sociodemographic factors and remoteness on fetal and pediatric cardiac outcomes and access to care, and exploring the role of vascular health on adverse pregnancy outcomes in maternal heart disease. |
|
| May Sanaee
|
sanaee@ualberta.ca |
Developing the first standardized, reproducible clinical and pelvic physiotherapy protocol supported by image and video documentation, including an adhesion severity grading system to enable future trials and broad clinical adoption. With ethics approval secured and early knowledge translation already underway. |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Associate Professor
|
mriddell@ualberta.ca |
Placental morphogenesis and the pathogenesis of common pregnancy complications. We are particularly interested in the formation and function/dysfunction of two different cell types: 1) the trophoblasts; a placental specific cell lineage 2) endothelial cells; the cells that form the lining of blood vessels. Studies are carried out using biochemistry and cell biology techniques in order to understand molecular mechanisms at a cellular level. Website: https://sites.google.com/ualberta.ca/riddell-lab/home |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Assistant Professor |
lavecchi@ualberta.ca |
Dr. Lavecchia’s research focuses on improving care for patients and their families affected by or at risk of gynecologic cancers. |
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|
Clinical Lecturer
|
pgroves@ualberta.ca |
Ongoing research: Prophylactic antibiotics following treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder with intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA for the reduction of postoperative UTI: a randomized blinded placebo-controlled trial. |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Assistant Professor
|
rrich@ualberta.ca |
Ongoing research: Outcomes and experiences of pregnant patients relocated to Edmonton from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut: A mixed methods study. Investigating Postpartum Mortality in a Small Cohort of Indigenous People in Northern Canada. Reflexive Evaluation of the Indigenous Admissions Process (IAP) for the OBGYN Program at the University of Alberta: A Community-Driven Approach. |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Professor,
|
sdavidge@ualberta.ca |
The Davidge laboratory studies vascular dysfunction in pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and excessive hypercholesterolemia (a risk factor for preeclampsia). We investigate potential mediators for vascular endothelial cell dysfunction. We also study the impact of pregnancy complications on long-term cardiovascular function of offspring born from an adverse intrauterine environment (also known as developmental origins of disease). |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Associate Professor
|
spin@ualberta.ca |
Current research: Quality Improvement initiatives related to Same Day discharge, Surgical site infections and hypersensitivity reactions in patients undergoing systemic therapy for ovarian cancer. Ongoing research: Preoperative weight loss for patients with a diagnosis of endometrial cancer and Canadian Management of Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma. |
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|
Clinical Lecturer
|
shpalmer@ualberta.ca |
Ongoing research: A Canada-wide survey of obstetrics and gynecology residents’ career goals and the factors influencing their career planning. |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Associate Professor |
schandra@ualberta.ca |
Ongoing research: Use of obstetrical point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in the University of Alberta Obstetrics and Gynecology residency training program: A quality improvement study. Identifying Appropriate Referrals to Maternal Fetal Medicine for Monochorionic Twins: A clinical Audit. Corticosteroids for HELLP (hemolysis, elevated livers enzymes, low platelets) syndrome in pregnancy. |
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|
Professor |
vjain@ualberta.ca |
Dr. Jain's primary research interest is quality improvement in obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine. This includes care in the obstetrics triage, labour and delivery and diagnostic imaging during pregnancy. Dr. Jain also participates in multicenter/multidisciplinary research in areas that include use of antenatal corticosteroids, maternal/newborn microbiome and iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy. |
Not accepting trainees at this time. |
|
Associate Professor,
|
yangxin@ualberta.ca |
(1) Molecular mechanisms governing the tumorigenic phenotypes in ovarian cancer (signaling pathways and gene regulation) and (2) the impact of rRNA methylations on mRNA translation and the tumorigenic phenotypes in glioblastoma. |
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