Every year hundreds of individuals seeking health care at the MUHC also participate in health care research.  Our studies are designed to evaluate whether treatment with a new drug, a natural health product, a vaccine or a medical device will deliver the results anticipated to diagnose, alleviate or prevent disease and medical conditions.  Other research investigates causes of illness or ways to improve population health outcomes and generates knowledge to develop public programs that promote wellness.

The MUHC delegates to internal committees known as Research Ethics Boards (REBs) the responsibility to apply high ethical standards to its health care research. The MUHC's nine REBs include over 120 members that combine the expertise of biomedical and behavioral scientists and health care professionals, with ethics and legal specialists and representatives of the community. Each adult and pediatric study is evaluated to make certain the research conducted at the MUHC is scientifically and ethically sound, and acceptably safe.  The REBs strive to deliver fair and impartial decisions to assure prospective study subjects that the potential benefits of participating in research would outweigh the associated risks.

The conduct of human subjects research is highly regulated. In 1999, the MUHC established its Research Ethics Office (REO) to coordinate a consistent approach to oversee its research. The REO Director and experienced staff provide support and guidance to the REBs and the health care community by interpreting multiple regulatory frameworks and developing compliant policies and procedures. In this way, the REBs and the REO together promote responsible conduct of research at the MUHC.

If you have a question about:

•  submitting research for review, please consult the Clinical Research section of the RI portal

•  using the eReviews submission platform, please contact the RI eReview user support service at 514-934-1934 ext. 42953 or at study [dot] review [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca

•  the MUHC REBs or REO, contact us at reo [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca

•  the Quality Assurance and Education Program, contact us at qaep [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca