Participate in Research
Research is our way forward in terms of improving lung health and the outcomes of those living with lung disease. Research contributes to the development of new ways of preventing, diagnosing, and treating illness. The outcomes of research could help you, your children, or even your grandchildren and by participating in research, you may gain access to treatments that are not yet readily available to the public.
If participating in research is something you might be interested in, read more about the current opportunities on this page!
Current Opportunities
Allergy and Asthma Study
About the Study
Allergies and asthma often occur together. Some of the same substances that trigger allergy symptoms may also trigger asthma symptoms.
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan Asthma Research Lab are looking for volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65 years of age to participate in a research study investigating a new oral medication for the treatment of allergic asthma.
How to Participate
For more information about this study, and to participate, please email investigator Dr. Beth Davis at beth.davis@usask.ca
Additional information about this study can be found at Asthma Research Lab.
Asthma Clinical Research Study
About the Study
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are participating in a global asthma clinical research study.
You may be eligible to participate if you:
- are 18 years or older with moderate to severe asthma; and
- have a physician diagnosis of asthma for at least a year and are currently using 2 or more controllers on a stable dose.
How to Participate
To learn more about the opportunity and to participate, visit www.asthmaclinicalstudies.com
Barriers to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Women Diagnosed with Pulmonary Disease
About the Study
Researchers from Acadia University want to create more inclusive and accessible pulmonary rehabilitation programs. They are currently conducting a study to determine the barriers to, and preferences for, pulmonary rehabilitation programs among self-identifying women diagnosed with pulmonary disease.
How to Participate
Participation is voluntary and involves the completion of a survey (takes approximately 20 minutes to complete).
For more information about this study, and to participate, please contact Ebe Otoikhine at 160776o@acadiau.ca or Carley O’Neill at carley.oneill@acadiau.ca or call 902 957 2011.
Cancer and Supportive Care
About the Study
Researchers at the University of Regina are exploring people’s experiences with accessing cancer and supportive care services.
Participation involves a one-hour Zoom or phone interview and participants will receive a $30 gift card for their time.
You may be eligible if you:
- are a cancer patient or survivor
- live anywhere in rural Saskatchewan
How to Participate
To learn more about the study and to participate, contact the study coordinator Ms. Yohanna Kiros at ytk045@uregina.ca, or by phoning (306) 713 8015.
Community Advisory Network
The Canadian Registry for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CARE-PF) is seeking patient partners to join a Community Advisory Network (CAN) in an advisory role.
Participation is virtual (online) and requires a time commitment of approximately 12 hours over 8 months. An honoraria of $40/hour will be provided.
You may be eligible if you:
- have personal experience living with pulmonary fibrosis (interstitial lung disease – ILD); or
- are a caregiver for someone living with pulmonary fibrosis.
How to Participate
To learn more about becoming a partner and to participate, contact Isha Joshi at isha.joshi@vch.ca, or by phoning (604) 655 1917.
COPD Care in Saskatchewan
About the Study
Close to 1 in 10 Saskatchewan residents over the age of 45 years are living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a number that is expected to climb over the next number of years.
Dr. Elizabeth Cooper and her research team from the University of Regina are looking at COPD care in Saskatchewan to better understand what care and supports are available in the province for those living with, and caring for, someone with COPD.
If you are a family member or friend of someone diagnosed and living with COPD, these researchers want to hear from you!
How to Participate
For more information, and to participate in this study, please call 1 (306) 337-2602 or email reynardc@uregina.ca.
Don’t Hold Your Breath – Share Your COPD Journey
About the Study
Are you living with COPD? Your voice matters! We are seeking participants for COPD device user interviews.
We are RespiraLink, a student-led team at the University of Calgary, developing a device to proactively and efficiently monitor flare-ups of lung inflammation caused by common COPD triggers. Insights about your experience with COPD management will help us create something truly helpful for everyone living with COPD.
We will conduct interviews via Zoom or phone call (whichever is most convenient) which will take approximately 30 minutes.
Participation is voluntary, and your answers will be completely confidential. Your insights will be used solely for research purposes and will not be shared without your consent.
How to Participate
If you are interested in sharing your experiences and helping us develop innovative solutions, email Caitlin Calder-Bellamy at caitlin.calderbellam@ucalgary.ca to schedule your interview today. Help us shape the future of COPD management.
Health Education & Learning Platform
About the Study
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are interested in learning whether people on a lung transplant journey have interest in using a new mobile app to manage their health and wellbeing.
Participation involves learning about the new app and completing an online questionnaire.
You may be eligible if you are:
- a transplant patient
- a transplant candidate
- a patient care partner
How to Participate
To learn more about the study and to participate, scan the QR code in the poster attached, or contact Taylor Raiche at taylor.raiche@usask.ca, or by phone at (306) 966 6369.
Healthy Future Sask
About the Study
Hosted by the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Healthy Future Sask is a population health research study that aims to answer questions about the causes of cancer and chronic disease by following the health of Saskatchewan residents for up to 50 years.
Healthy Future Sask is looking to engage with more than 7000 Saskatchewan residents between the ages of 30 and 74 to participate in the study. Participants will be asked to complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire, donate a biological sample (for example, blood or saliva), and have physical measurements taken on more than one occasion throughout the study. The information provided by volunteer participants will help researchers find out how lifestyle, genetics, and environment influence the health of future generations to come, helping us understand and potentially change tomorrow’s health together.
How to Participate
To participate in the study take the SURVEY.
For more information about the study email info@healthyfuturesask.ca or call 1-833-701-0089.
Investigation of Immune Status During Long-Term Recovery From COVID-19
About the Study
Long COVID is a debilitating disease that affects several organ and organ systems such as the lungs, brain, and kidneys. However, there is limited understanding of what causes Long COVID and how to treat people who are suffering. In this project we are determining how the immune system is dysregulated during COVID-19 recovery and in Long COVID. The results will be important for determining the causes of Long COVID as well as identifying possible treatments for people suffering from the disease.
Researchers from the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) are recruiting individuals to donate a blood sample for a research study on immune responses in humans to COVID-19. We are looking for people who 1.) have Long COVID; 2.) had COVID-19 and do NOT have Long COVID; and 3.) have not had COVID-19 ever.
This study will require a time commitment of approximately 30 minutes. As a participant in this study, you would be asked questions related to your health and asked to donate a small amount of blood. Appointments are taking place in Saskatoon and Regina. The study's goal is to understand the immune responses in people suffering from Long COVID.
How to Participate
If you are interested in participating or want more information, please contact Ethan Jansen (ethan.jansen@usask.ca, 306-966-2568) or Brittany Thivierge (b.thivierge@usask.ca, 306-966-6929).
Living with Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic
About the Study
A research team from the University of Regina (Department of Nursing & Department of Psychology) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Department of Nursing) are conducting a qualitative research study to explore the experiences of people living with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research team is particularly interested in better understanding how people living with cancer view and engage in protective behaviours (e.g., hand washing, mask wearing, social distancing) as well as the psychological impact of this during the pandemic.
Eligible participants must be above the age of 16 years old, been diagnosed with cancer within the last four years, and are currently residing in Saskatchewan.
Participants can expect a 45-60 minute interview, conducted over the phone or Zoom and will be compensated with a $25 Amazon gift card for their time.
How to Participate:
For more information about the study, and to participate, please contact the study coordinator (Mr. Andrew McLennan) at 587-877-0486 or Aim421@uregina.ca.
Long Covid Dyspnea Study
About the Study
Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan are looking for adults across Saskatchewan who have experienced ongoing shortness of breath after having COVID-19. The purpose of the study is to better understand how persistent shortness of breath after COVID-19 is related to lung function, ability to do daily activities, and quality of life.
How to Participate
Participants will be asked to take part in surveys, spirometry (breathing tests), and activity testing now, and again in 6 months. Please contact longcovid.lungs@usask for more information or to participate.
Making Visible the Life Stories of Families of Children Who Are Immunocompromised (IC) During COVID-19
About the Study
Researchers at the University of Manitoba are interested in learning about the experiences families are having during the COVID-19 pandemic if living with a child who is immunocompromised or has an immune system condition.
Participation in the study involves taking part in virtual interviews and activities using photographs and videos. In-person interviews may be arranged upon request.
Honorariums will be provided in appreciation of participation in this study.
How to Participate
To participate in this study, email the research team with your interest at ingauge@umanitoba.ca or call 204-480-1051.
Sask Long COVID
About the Study
There is growing recognition that many people experience a prolonged recovery after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These persisting, new, or relapsing symptoms have now been referred to as Long COVID.
Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan are looking for volunteers with various experiences with COVID-19 to participate in a Long COVID study.
As a participant in this study, you would be asked to take part in a survey conducted online or through a mobile phone app. You will be asked to provide information on your symptoms of Long COVID and how you are currently managing your symptoms or, if you do not have Long COVID you will be asked about these symptoms anyway as they also may be common. Your participation in the survey would involve one to several online/mobile phone app sessions, each of which is approximately 10-20 minutes.
After completing the survey, you may also choose to take part in one online focus group to help identify the resources that may be helpful in managing your symptoms. These discussions will last about 60-90 minutes.
How to Participate
For more information and to participate in this study, visit Sask Long COVID or call 306-966-3338.
Understanding Lived Experiences of Persons Living with COPD & their Informal Caregivers
About the Opportunity
Dr. Shannon Sibbald’s team at Western University is recruiting participants exploring the lived experiences of persons living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and their informal caregivers.
They are looking to engage with persons living with COPD and informal caregivers across Canada about their experiences with managing COPD and what ideal support looks like for them.
Participation will include taking part in a one-hour virtual interview. All individuals will be compensated for their participation.
How to Participate
Please click this SURVEY LINK or contact Dr. Shannon Sibbald, email ssibbald@uwo.ca, to participate or for more information about the study.
Virtual Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) in the Post-pandemic Era
About the Study
The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes to healthcare delivery, prompting a rapid shift toward virtual care. In Canada, this transformation affected various centre-based healthcare services, including pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). The pandemic highlighted the potential of virtual PR, particularly for individuals facing barriers like accessibility and transportation. However, the extent of virtual PR implementation across Canada remain unclear.
To address these gaps and provide guidance for future implementations, a national survey on virtual PR in Canada has been initiated by Dr. Dina Brooks and her team (McMaster University).
This study aims to:
- Characterize Virtual PR Programs: By surveying healthcare providers in PR programs across Canada, we seek to gain insights into the current landscape of virtual PR, program content and delivery, and the composition of virtual PR teams.
- Determine the Impact of COVID-19: We will investigate how the pandemic influenced the implementation of virtual PR.
- Explore the Future of Virtual PR: This study aims to outline future resources and implementations of virtual PR.
How to Participate
The research team is looking for ONE Healthcare Professional representative from PR programs across Canada.
If you represent a PR program in Canada, participate in the survey here: https://surveys.mcmaster.ca/limesurvey/index.php/169423?newtest=Y&lang=…