The Clinical Research Unit (CRU) offers services to Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) investigators from all health care disciplines to conduct biomedical or health-related human clinical trials. The VCHRI CRU supports industry-funded, grant-funded and investigator-initiated trials.

The VCHRI CRU is committed to:

  • Providing quality support to meet clinical trial needs
  • Supplying study participants with the best quality of care
  • Providing high-quality data to sponsors and investigators
  • Maintaining regulatory standards and practices, including standard operating procedures

Services

The CRU provides services that may be required to conduct or support a clinical trial from inception through execution and analysis. Learn more about the variety of services the CRU offers. 

Study Start Up Activities
  • Clinical Research Ethics Board/ Behavioural Research Ethics Board submission assistance
  • Informed consent development
  • Vancouver Coastal Health research operational approval 
  • Budgeting
Participant Activities
  • Recruitment, screening and consenting support
  • Study interview and follow-up visits
  • Study tests, examinations and questionnaires, including taking vital signs
Lab Services
  • Venipuncture and specimen collection (blood, urine, stool and throat swabs) and basic processing
  • Sample shipping and transportation of dangerous goods
  • Access to -20 and -80 freezers, 4–8 degree refrigeration
  • Temperature regulated centrifuges 
  • Lab incubator
Investigational Product Services
  • Investigational product storage as per Health Canada standards
  • Receipt, dispensing and accountability of investigational product
  • Investigational product administration
  • IV infusions
  • Vaccine administration
Biobank Services  
  • Participant consent, sample collection, processing and short-term storage of biospecimens
  • Data entry and data base management (open specimen) 
  • Research ethics support
  • Registered with the UBC Office of Biobank Education and Research Biobank Program
  • Certification with the Canadian Tissue Repository Network Biobank Certification program
Additional Support
  • Unblinded/Blinded study support
  • Intravenous starts
  • Data entry
  • Staff support and back up coverage

Requesting Services 

Service availability is based on scope of practice of the CRU research team and capacity to take on new projects. Service fees vary and are dependent on the complexity of the service requested and the funding for the trial. To request services, complete and submit the Request for CRU Services Form or the Request for Biobank Services Form.

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