Connected to the new St. Paul’s Hospital by a sky bridge will stand a 14-storey, 34,400 square metre building. It’s called the Clinical Support and Research Centre (CSRC) and it’s so much more than just new bricks and mortar.
Within the walls of the CSRC, groundbreaking treatments await discovery, driven by the collaborative force of medical visionaries, life sciences pioneers, and technological trailblazers. This powerhouse of innovation serves as the nexus where leading-edge research seamlessly transitions from laboratory breakthroughs to transformative applications in hospitals, ultimately revolutionizing health care and improving the quality of life for people across BC and beyond. The CSRC spearheads this transformative journey, introducing an entirely new Innovation Centre and robust infrastructure tailored for emerging technologies such as 3D bio-printing.
“We can’t change the world if all the great work done by our renowned researchers stays in the lab. The CSRC will be the innovation vehicle that drives a dynamic exchange of ideas and solutions among patients, physicians, clinician-scientists, researchers, academia, and beyond,” says Dr. Darryl Knight, president, Providence Research, PHC vice president, Research and Academic Affairs and associate dean, Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC).
“A nexus of discovery and clinical sciences, the CSRC will expedite life-changing findings, speed-up technology transfer, incubate new start-up ventures, and provide substantial training opportunities that will push the boundaries of science, innovation, and care. In doing so, it will not only elevate the landscape of scientific achievement, but also drive economic growth, not just in BC, but across Canada.”
The new St. Paul’s Clinical Support and Research Centre will bring cures to patients faster
The CSRC stands as a beacon of innovation poised to revolutionize health care on multiple fronts. At its core, the CSRC is a best-in-class research facility, boasting state-of-the-art wet labs, dry labs, a world-renowned biobank, and the capacity for phases 1-3 clinical trials.
This dynamic environment is meticulously designed to expedite groundbreaking findings from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside, ushering in a new era of swift and impactful medical discoveries. By leveraging leading-edge technology and collaborative research efforts, the CSRC is set to develop novel treatments at an unprecedented pace, offering hope to patients in need faster than ever before.
The transformative impact of the new St. Paul’s Hospital and adjacent CSRC will extend far beyond the confines of its physical space. Its technological infrastructure will enable its findings to transcend geographical boundaries. The innovative approaches to patient care made possible at the Jim Pattison Medical Campus will emphasize personalized and effective solutions that enhance both the quality of care and the overall well-being of individuals. The new St. Paul’s Hospital and the CSRC hold the promise of redefining the future of health care in BC.
Beyond its role as a research and innovation hub, the CSRC is a keystone of a thriving innovation district in Vancouver’s False Creek Flats, centred around the new St. Paul’s Hospital. It will unite partners in life sciences, biomedical research, technology, and design, fostering a collaborative ecosystem to create sustainable solutions to the most pressing challenges in health. The convergence of diverse expertise within the innovation district promises a synergistic approach to problem-solving, ensuring that advancements in health care are not only swift but also holistic.
Our present
Currently, in the over 130-year-old building on Burrard Street, scientists at St. Paul’s are working to find a cure for sepsis (an infection that kills more people worldwide than cancer or heart disease); to identify the genes associated with peanut allergies; to restore lung function in people with COPD; to discover medical breakthroughs, and so much more.
This is where Dr. John Webb pioneered TAVI, the minimally invasive procedure to replace heart valves without general anesthetic. It’s so effective, many patients go home the next day.
It’s where Dr. Julio Montaner developed HAART, the treatment to prevent people from dying of HIV/AIDS. His life-saving research continues to inform the standard of care prescribed by doctors around the world today.
Just imagine what our team can accomplish in a brand-new, purpose-built research and innovation centre.
Our future
The CSRC represents the future of medical research and innovation. Everything about it – from its occupants, its modern design, its equipment, and its technology to the sky bridge that connects it to the new St. Paul’s – will expedite collaboration between patients, researchers, clinicians, and industry partners in BC, across Canada, and around the world.
10 key takeaways about the new St. Paul’s Clinical Support and Research Centre
1. It’s where life-changing treatments will be found as leaders in medicine, life sciences, and technology work together to advance discoveries from the lab to the hospital to communities across BC and beyond.
2. It will be Western Canada’s first research facility with the potential to conduct all phases of clinical trials, with a focus on precision medicine.
3. It’s a “big bang” environment. That means researchers, PHC support staff, clinicians, industry, academia, and other partners can pool resources, spark ideas, create prototypes, test solutions, and solve problems all in one place.
4. It will house Canada’s largest biobank, containing hundreds of thousands of tissue specimens that will accelerate investigator-led research activities toward improving the health of our community.
5. Our current plan projects the new research facility will stand 14 storeys high with a total gross building area estimated at approximately 34,400 square metres or just shy of 370,000 square feet.
6. It will be attached to the new St. Paul’s Hospital by a sky bridge, designed to break down silos and increase collaboration between patients, clinicians, researchers, fellows, students, and staff.
7. It will contain the infrastructure, as well as an innovation sandbox, to fully utilize and leverage technology such as AR/VR, wearable tech, big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to its greatest potential.
8. It will be a part of Western Canada’s first integrated health campus, featuring global research programs, multi-partner collaborations, and both primary care and outreach programs to meet the needs of patients from across the province.
9. It will contain intentionally designed quality spaces that inspires efficiency, integrates flexibility and functionality, and promotes wellness by focusing on person- and family-centred care.
10. It will hold the entirety of Providence’s corporate and administrative services – creating a truly integrated ecosystem between staff, clinicians, and researchers.
St. Paul’s Foundation is leading the fundraising efforts to build this once-in-a-lifetime research and innovation ecosystem that will push the boundaries of science and care.
“The CSRC is where life-changing treatments will be found as leaders in medicine, life sciences, and technology work together to advance discoveries from the lab, to the hospital, to communities across BC and beyond,” says Dick Vollet, president and CEO, St. Paul’s Foundation. “With the donor community’s help, we can realize the full vision of the new St. Paul’s Hospital – more than just a hospital, it’s the beginning of a new era in health care for British Columbians.”
The announcement today of $331.7 million from the Province is fabulous news. But the work isn’t done. The Province is covering about half the cost, and the Foundation must fundraise a monumental $88 million to get this $638.3 million project to the finish line. We need your support to drive health care transformation in BC.