Supports for Researchers

Find out how to access member supports 

Core Services

Researchers at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute are supported by several core service facilities that provide expertise on everything from data analysis to pathology. 

The Mozell Family Analysis Core is a research resource for Libin Cardiovascular Institute members. The analysis group specializes in managing health data and biostatistical and analytical methodology. The mandate of the Mozell team is to improve and enhance the quality of research conducted within the institute and increase research productivity. Mozell services are free of charge to faculty, staff and students with a Libin affiliation.

Services: 

  • Development support for research activities within the Libin Cardiovascular Institute

  • Statistical consultation and analytical expertise

  • Study design and sample size calculation

  • Health data management, statistical analysis and data interpretation

The Mozell team can help at any stage of research from study design and grant applications to manuscript preparation and conference presentations

Other Resources: 

The Mozell Family Analysis Core is one of several resource teams available to Libin members. One of these other teams may be better suited to assist in your quality improvement or research project; Mozell can help get you there!

Start a Project with the Mozell Family Analysis Core Lab:

To start a project or discussion, please follow the link below to fill out an intake form. Once we have received your information, we will reach out to arrange a project kick-off meeting.

For other questions, you may contact AnalysisCore@ucalgary.ca

Located in Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC) GB44, the Core Pathology Lab is a shared resource centre within the Libin Cardiovascular Institute to manage and process human and animal tissue, cultured cells and artificial samples. Services are open to all University of Calgary principal investigators, including their staff and students.

Currently, users may leave samples with Core Pathology Lab staff members, who will process each sample. When complete, users may pick up their result(s) and/or slide(s), or the Core Pathology Lab may photograph the result(s) and e-mail it to the user. Turnaround time will depend on volume.

Contact Dr. Yong-Xiang Chen, Core Pathology Technician at yonchen@ucalgary.ca, for more information. 
 

The Centre for Health Informatics is the newest University of Calgary research and innovation centre within the Cumming School of Medicine. The Centre came into existence in 2018 to advance the mandate of the Cumming School of Medicine’s focus on precision medicine and precision public health. 

The purpose of the cardiovascular physiology core is to aid members of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute in their research to understand the impact of disease on the heart and vascular system. This support is mediated through the development and characterization of cardiovascular disease models (small animal: mouse and rat) and the ability to visualize and characterize the phenotypic changes associated with these models. 

Our non-invasive cardiovascular phenotyping is accomplished through echo analysis of heart and vascular function using a Vevo-3100 echocardiography machine. This echo machine is capable of providing B-Mode and M-Mode measurements of the heart and vasculature with high resolution capable of measuring blood vessels as small as a mouse coronary artery. Colour flow Doppler, Tissue Doppler and Pulse Wave Doppler are used to examine mitral valve activity in heart and the response of blood vessels to various treatments.

The core has established models of heart disease such as coronary artery ligation for myocardial infarction (MI), transverse aortic constriction (TAC) for cardiac hypertrophy, vascular surgery for aneurysm development, as well as experience with the application of vectors (adenovirus/plasmid/exosome) involved in altering the phenotype of the heart. Cardiac function and blood pressure measurements are obtained through pressure catheters and pressure-volume (PV) loop analysis. 

Additional assistance in tissue collection and preparation for gene/protein expression and analysis, as well as the development of specialized systems for the analysis of cardiac function (Langendorf, isolated working heart system) are available.

Services

  • Echocardiography
  • Small animal surgery
  • Lab work

There is a cost to use the Cardiovascular Physiology Core. 

For more information contact Dr. Darrell Belke, PhD, at dbelke@ucalgary.ca

The Cumming School of Medicine’s Clinical Trials Core is made up of several groups that offer everything from coordination of research to data, methods and quality assurance.

  1. ​​​​​​​The Calgary Centre for Clinical Research

    The Calgary Centre for Clinical Research (CCCR) coordinates research projects. It's services are open to faculty. Contact cccr@ucalgary.ca.

  2. Heritage Medical Research Clinic

    The Heritage Medical Research Clinic (HMRC) is located at the Foothills Hospital Campus on the fifth floor of the Teaching Research and Wellness Building. Set up to accommodate the needs of researchers, the agency merges patient care with clinical trials. Contact Sabine Moritz at sabine.moritz@ucalgary.ca for more information. 

  3. Clinical Research Unit

    The Clinical Research Unit works with researchers in the Cumming School of Medicine to support the delivery of cutting-edge research support services in the area of data, technology and methodology. Contact Lori Campbell at lori.campbell1@ucalgary.ca for more information. 

  4. Quality Assurance Program

    The Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance Specialist assesses research quality, verifying research studies are conducted and data is generated, documented and recorded in compliance with the study protocol, applicable regulations, standards operating procedures and institutional policies. For more information, contact Jenna Dobry at jldobry@ucalgary.ca

  5. Centre for Mobility and Joint Health

    The Centre for Mobility and Joint Health (MoJo) is located within the McCaig Institute in the Cumming School of Medicine. Researchers within the centre use state-of-the-art imaging, motion assessment and diagnostic equipment to assess individual bone and joint health on every level. MoJo's researchers work with the Alberta Health System, physicians and patients to develop new technologies for the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of bone and joint conditions. Contact Yves Pauchard  at yves.pauchard@ucalgary.ca for more information. 

woman working in a lab
two people working on a lab top

Enhance Your Grant Success

The goal of these resources is to enhance grant success for members. All members planning to submit a grant application are encouraged to take advantage of these programs, which offer constructive feedback, support and guidance on applications throughout the different stages of development.

The goal of this program is to provide feedback on your ideas before they are formally written in a grant proposal. Participants will present their concept to an expert audience for constructive feedback for design and execution of their proposed science at the early stages of grant development.

Details

  • Begin this process three to four months before your grant application deadline
  • Provide a one-page overview of your proposal
  • Use the white board and/or slides to outline your proposed aims, hypotheses, approaches and methods
  • If desired, provide a list of people from whom you would like to receive feedback

 

This program provides feedback on grant writing. Grant review increases your chance of success through CIHR and other granting agencies. 

Details

  • Available to all Libin members, whether or not you have participated in Test Your Concept
  • Provide a written draft of your grant proposal at least eight weeks before your grant application deadline
  • Provide a list of people you would like as reviewers based on their background. Note that evidence shows that grant review, even when provided by individuals without direct expertise in your area of study, enhances grant success. 

To increase the implementation of the SAGER guidelines and PROGRESS framework within research and publishing from the Libin membership, the Women’s Cardiovascular Health Initiative will be offering a new consultative service. 

Libin members and their students will be eligible for cost-free consultation and practical facilitation of the inclusion of sex and gender considerations into their research. This service can be used to expand and improve research at any point of the research cycle (i.e. grant applications, protocol development, thesis and/or manuscript publication). Researchers in all pillars are encouraged to access this service.