Introducing QVasC
About Us
Who are we?
Welcome to QVasC, Queen's Vascular Health Research Cluster. Our team has a long-standing history of collaboration and innovation in the field of vascular health. United by a shared vision and a commitment to improving lives, we have recently formalized our efforts under the banner of QVasC to drive groundbreaking advancements in vascular health research.
Our Vision
To become national leaders of vascular research and combine expertise across the Faculty of Health Sciences to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular disease.
Objectives
1) Foundations
Lay the foundation for a sustainable program of innovative, transformative, and interdisciplinary vascular research and teaching.
2) Education
Promote educational excellence and train the next generation of highly qualified personnel (HQP)
5) Impact
Make significant contributions to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of vascular diseases.
4) International
Strive for international collaboration and recognition
3) Collaborate
Collaborate with the computational sciences department to develop and progress AI-based approaches for vascular disease risk assessment and clinical guidance.
Short Term Goals
1. Recognition and Identity: QVasC has made remarkable strides in identifying key research themes and achieving immediate goals. We commenced our journey by conducting preliminary meetings in the Fall of 2022 to identify the CORE members, with whom we had established working collaborations. We met in early spring with QHS to obtain guidance. We had our first official Group Meeting in April 2023, with “PechaKucha” style presentations, where we brainstormed ideas, identified common themes, set objectives, and built a strong foundation for our endeavors. Following our discussions, we established a name and identity that truly resonates with our vision. We created a captivating website, in a sleek and user-friendly platform, that showcases our mission, initiatives, upcoming events & will attract trainees.
2. Funding and Infrastructure: We have laid a foundation for a sustainable program of innovative, transformative, and interdisciplinary vascular research and teaching. Through strategic planning and effective resource allocation, we are positioning ourselves to make impactful contributions to vascular research and healthcare. Large scale funding, CIHR: Building upon existing comprehensive and innovative research projects, we will apply for large funding opportunities. Through our next group meeting in November 2023, we will have a “Grant Slam” event, more on this in our events section. Large scale CFI: We plan to apply as a REC for a CFI to acquire state-of-the-art equipment that will complement our research collaborations and expand our shared infrastructure. A priority will be the establishment of an AI & vascular imaging analysis unit. We will determine potential opportunities for fundraising campaigns (HSF). QVasc offers a niche program that will present opportunities for computer scientists to become involved in healthcare, developing novel AI software and algorithms for CV risk prediction.
3. Research Dissemination and Increased Collaborations: We are dedicated to developing a comprehensive vascular learning series. This will promote mentorship, professional development, educational excellence, and train the next generation of clinician scientists. This initiative aims at enhancing knowledge dissemination and skillbuilding within the REC and broader scientific community. This will lead to additional collaborations and shared knowledge between members. We will continue to develop community outreach initiatives, working towards establishing our new vascular health programs. We will build on our current international collaborations and networks to grow and implement global primary vascular prevention strategies.
Long Term Goals
To make significant contributions to vascular health, we have identified overlapping themes:
1. Implementation of Vascular Prevention Strategies: a) Implementation of a national POCUS vascular screening program for the detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic patients, b) determination of long term effects of interventions like statins on neurological and cognitive function, and c) PulsePoint mobile device application: the integration of psychotherapy platforms to assess mental health outcomes in individuals responding to traumatic scenes with the addition of resilience training and mental health supports for lay responders.
2. Creation of a Female Vascular Health Centre: a) Establishment of a centre of excellence that integrates ultrasound imaging and history of pregnancy complications (e.g., pre-eclampsia) as markers for future CV disease, b) development of lifestyle programs and psychotherapy modules post-CV events to improve outcomes in women, c) assessment of vascular brain health and its impact on network connectivity, cognitive and motor function.
3. Indigenous Health Vascular Tool Accessibility: Establishment of simplified programs to manage CV disease that can be implemented in remote regions, including training health care workers on vascular screening.