Frequently Asked Questions

What is clinical health research?
  • There is no perfect definition for 'clinical health research'. Based on the Alberta Clinical Research Consortium Glossary and Common Terminology, clinical health research has the goal of improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment (including rehabilitation and palliation) of disease and injury, and improving and evaluating the health and quality of life of individuals. Clinical research is conducted on or for the treatment of human subjects. This includes clinical trials on patients, epidemiological and behavioral studies, outcomes research, health services research and population health studies, typically falling under the CIHR rubric of pillars 2 (clinical research), 3 (health services) & 4 (social, cultural, environmental, and population health research).
Who conducts clinical research in the FoMD?
  • Based on multiple sources of data (i.e., home department, MD status, Faculty Administration Resource Manager [FARM]), there are approximately 300 faculty members within the FoMD working in the clinical health research domain according to the definition above. This group includes both clinically-trained and non-clinically trained faculty members conducting clinical research.
Who conducts clinical research outside the FoMD?
  • Researchers conducting clinical research span a number of Faculties outside the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, including the Faculties of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Science; Nursing; Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences; Kinesiology, Sport & Recreation; Rehabilitation Medicine; and Public Health. Institutes, such as the Alberta Diabetes Institute (ADI), Alberta Transplant Institute (ATI), Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI), Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI), and the Women and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI) represent well-established networks for clinical researchers from different faculties to communicate and collaborate.
How can I access support for my clinical research?