At Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, commitment to kids and youth with disabilities is top of mind—and that's in part, thanks to its Bloorview Research Institute (BRI).
As Canada's largest hospital-based childhood disability research institute, the BRI is internationally recognized for its dedication to and leadership in improving the lives of children with disabilities and their families through client and family-centred rehabilitation research. In fact, it has been ranked among the top three research hospitals in Canada (small tier category) in both researcher and hospital intensity for three consecutive years in the annual ranking of the top 40 research hospitals in Canada by Re$search Infosource. Over the years, it has found solutions and conducted studies that have transformed disability research, all while ensuring family voices are the ones heard.
"One really distinguishing feature is the focus on the human experience, of care and disability," says Dr. Tom Chau, the BRI's Vice President of Research & Director of the BRI.
"What we're all endeavoring to do in our respective research programs is ultimately focused on the futures of the family and children. It's important not to forget the kids and families we're serving will have a tomorrow—and we have a duty and responsibility to ensure that future is the most meaningful and healthy as it can be."
Guided by three key pillars, the institute focuses on exploring human dimension of care and disability, the development and improvement of interventions, and understanding developmental diversity.
And, in terms of research, the BRI conducts many studies focused on brain computer interfacing, autism, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida, to name a few. It is also home to Canada's first-ever immersive, customizable, child-friendly and fully accessible, research MRI.
And despite the pandemic disruptions, the institute remains busy.
"There's lots going on. One is that we're getting a mobile exoskeleton and this will launch a whole new area of work," says Dr. Chau.
"Basically it's a pair of robot legs—attached to a walker, attached to a child's legs—that will help children walk over grounds and not just on a treadmill. We'll be launching a number of research studies, to understand the effectiveness of these mobile robotic interventions: we'll look at the brain and muscle changes."
Other innovations include the expansion of the Social ABCs, which helps parents communicate with their child who may have autism spectrum disorder; and the creation of a new test, originally developed in the Netherlands, to help assess children who are non-verbal.
Currently, the BRI has 12 research labs and 40 scientists and investigators, dedicated to promoting innovation in client and family centered rehabilitation research. And in collaboration with universities, they also support and train 100+ graduate students, and the next generation of pediatric researchers, with more than $7 million in external funding.
And thanks to generous donors, the institute has embarked in the largest research expansion in the hospital's 122-year history in order to advance discoveries that will change lives. By its completion in 2022, the BRI will open up even more avenues to create a world of possibilities for children with disabilities and their families through research and innovation.