Clinician-researchers caring for women’s unique health at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre are constantly inspired with new ways to improve care. However historically, a lack of equipment and dedicated space have prohibited them from testing their ideas.
The Skidmore Goodman Research Wet Lab at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre is addressing these barriers to innovation. The first and only of its kind in British Columbia dedicated to women’s health research, it is accelerating cutting-edge advancements like never before. Take for example, the endometriosis research currently underway in this lab led by Dr. Paul Yong and PhD candidate Dwayne Tucker.
Wet labs, as opposed to dry labs, handle biological and chemical research — or simply put, anything that involves ‘the wet stuff’. They are traditionally much harder to build due to a requirement for unique infrastructure like special plumbing and HVAC systems.
Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility and pelvic pain impacting approximately 1 million individuals in Canada. However, gaps in knowledge mean lack of timely diagnosis and effective treatment for many people. The new facility is allowing Yong and Tucker to investigate gene mutations and nerve growth in endometriosis, with a goal of ultimately changing standards of care.
“Without donor-funded supports like the new Wet Lab and Catalyst Grants, our research wouldn’t be possible,” says Dr. Yong. Their work is proof that, together with you, we are shaping an exciting new future for women’s health.
Our 2022 Fall Impact Report, INVISIBLE TO INVINCIBLE, highlights a handful of ways that your investments are amplifying the voices of women, bridging the gender gap in women’s health research, and helping to fund vital equipment and upgrades at the province’s dedicated women’s hospital.
