Researchers Search Results

• Near infrared spectroscopy in urology, pediatric critical care, and the operating room.
• Investigation of factors adversely affecting hemodynamics, and cerebral and tissue oxygenation in animal models, neonates, children and adults.
• Injury prevention and early detection of developmental disability in the community.
• Application of new technology to the critically ill or injured.
• Inter-facility transport and emergency care of high-risk neonates and children.
• Health education - innovation and evaluation.
• Complementary and alternative medicine.
• Psychosocial aspects of care

My principal research interest is the application of near infrared spectroscopy, a non-invasive means of measuring tissue oxygenation and hemodynamics using near infrared light, to improve the care of infants, children and adults. A new patented version of this technology has been developed as an adjunct to evaluation and diagnosis in adults with symptoms related to bladder pathology. Other applications include evaluation of muscle physiology in health and disease and research to establish ways of preventing hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and ischemia (inadequate blood flow) in a variety of clinical situations, particularily those involving the brain or spinal cord. 

My second area of interest is improving the care of sick and injured infants and children in need of inter-facility transport (transport by air ambulance from a distant hospital to specialized care). I am particularly interested in the complexities imposed by transport at altitude, the role of paramedics, and the logistics of delivery of prehospital health care services.

The third area of interest is injury prevention and preventive strategies designed to improve the health of aboriginal children.

Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)
Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology allows for the non-invasive diagnosis of diseases. The potential benefits of NIRS research are considerable. I was the first scientist to bring NIRS technology to Canada; I lead a research group that is recognized to be in the forefront of basic research and medical applications of this technology, particularly with regard to measurement of oxygenation and hemodynamic change in the brain and other tissues.

NIRS is in its infancy for urological applications. As with all medical devices, in order to obtain acceptance in the medical community and gain regulatory approvals, validation studies must be undertaken to establish the range of physiologic variables that can be detected, and to determine whether the technology can discriminate between normal, healthy physiology, and pathologic conditions. More importantly, the device must demonstrate that it reliably distinguishes between pre- and post-treatment conditions. Otherwise, it has no clinical usefulness.

In the case of NIRS urology monitoring, we are identifying patterns of change in NIRS parameters that are able to distinguish between normal and pathological states. In addition, my team is developing new technologies to map dynamic change in hemodynamic parameters in the bladder, provide NIRS modules for ambulatory use, and to assist in biofeedback. Current work also includes collaboration with industry in a number of contexts including non-invasive evaluation of the effects of pharmacological agents on bladder physiology.

The University of British Columbia Industrial Liaison Office has filed a number of applications for patent protection with the United States Patent and Trademark office for the latest discoveries in NIRS made by my team. A commercial partnership with Urodynamics Technologies, Inc. Vancouver begun in 2005 has resulted in the development of a NIRS instrument which, following a series of clinical trials, has US Food & Drug Agency and Health Canada approval and is now available for use by other investigators and clinicians. My team’s work has received a number of awards including: the 2004 and 2007 Cooper Award for innovation in urology research and a 2008 American Urological Association award for excellence in research. Independent industrial analysts have described my team's work as a "brilliant, new and disruptive technology."

Pre-hospital and transport medicine
Research activities in pre-hospital care and transport medicine have established an international reputation for the province of British Columbia’s air medical transport program based at Children’s and Women’s Hospital and operated in conjunction with the BC Ambulance Service. Consequently, this program has contributed significantly to the current evidence base for transport standards of care, and had collaborated with programs worldwide to improve the training and operational scope of air medical transport. Most recently, this assistance has included programs in Ontario, Scotland, England and Kenya.

Currently a Vancouver-based team is part of multi-institution international consortium evaluating resuscitation outcomes funded by the National Institutes of Health. I am the only pediatric investigator on the Vancouver team. The goals are to document the cause and outcome of all acute life-threatening events involving children in the province and develop appropriate guidelines for improvement.

Preventive health
This research includes:

• An oral health program (the only one in North America to show a significant reduction in the incidence of dental caries in aboriginal children). This program has subsequently been translated to Ugandan communities.
• A pre-diabetic screening initiative for First Nations communities. This is the first research that has defined the high incidence of metabolic syndrome and impaired glucose tolerance in a Western Canadian Aboriginal population. Nutrition, lifestyle and complementary therapy programs to address these findings are being developed collaboratively with the communities.
• A school-based study to define the epidemiology and demographics of self-asphyxial practices (chocking game) in Canadian and American youth as a means of calling for greater understanding and awareness amongst health professionals of this problem and promoting appropriate health education for youth. 

Zorzi A, Wahi G, Macnab AJ, Panagiotopoulos C.: Prevalence of Impaired Glucose Tolerance and the Components of Metabolic Syndrome in Canadian Tsimshian Nation children. Can J Rural Med. 2009 Spring;14(2):61-7.

Wahi G, Klimek A, Macnab AJ, Panagiotopoulos D.: Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome among Canadian First Nations Children in a Remote Pacific Coast Community. Paediatrics and Child Health. 2009 Feb;14(2):79-83

Macnab AJ, Deevska M, Gagnon F, Cannon WG, Andrew T.: Asphyxial games or the ‘choking game’: A potentially fatal risk behavior. Injury Prevention. 2009 Feb;15(1):45-49.

Stothers L, Shadgan B, Macnab AJ.: Urologic applications of infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Can J Urol. 2008 Dec;15(6): 4399-4409.

Macnab AJ.: Healing as a creative art: opportunities to provide for the spiritual health of families when children need critical care Spirituality and Health International. (On line), 2008 Dec;9(4):185-92

Guilfoyle JF, Macnab AJ.: Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome: implications for transport management and care. Air Med J. 2008 Nov-Dec;27(6):299-302.

Shadgan B, Stothers L, Macnab AJ.: A transvaginal probe for near-infrared spectroscopic monitoring of the bladder detrusor muscle and urethral sphincter. Spectroscopy. 2008 Nov-Dec; 22(6):429-436.

Macnab AJ, Stothers L.: Near-infrared spectroscopy: validation of bladder-outlet obstruction assessment using non-invasive parameters. Can J Urol.  2008 Oct;15(5):4241-8.

Macnab AJ, Stothers L.: Development of a near-infrared spectroscopy instrument for applications in urology. Can J Urol. 2008 Oct;15(5):4233-40.

Macnab AJ, Rozmus J, Benton D, Gagnon F.: 3-year results of a collaborative school-based oral health program in a remote First Nation’s community. Rural and Remote Health. (On line), 2008 Apr-Jun; 8(2):882.

Stothers L, Guevara R, Macnab AJ. Classification of male lower urinary tract symptoms using mathematical modeling and a regression tree algorithm of non-invasive near infrared spectroscopy parameters. European Urology (in press).

Macnab AJ, Shadgan B, Stothers L. Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS); dynamic topography of the human bladder during voiding. J Biomed Optics (in press).

Shadgan B, Reid WD, Gharakhanlou R, Stothers L, Macnab A.J. Wireless near-infra-red spectroscopy of skeletal muscle oxygenation and hemodynamics during exercise and ischemia. Bio-materials and Engineering (in press).

Johnson D, Finlay J, Macnab AJ.  The use of cadaver testing to validate development of a new intraosseous vascular access system.  Military Medicine. 2005: 10(3); 251-7

Gagnon R, Macnab AJ, Gagnon F.  Brain, spine and muscle Cu-A redox patterns of change during hypothermic circulatory arrest in swine.   Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology.  2005; 141(3):264-70

International Awards
"Best of the Best” Research Award. American Urological Society, USA. 2008

Distinguished service award, Western Society for Pediatric Research - 2007

Cooper Award (for most innovative research), American Urological Association, USA - 2004 & 2007

Mead Johnson Scholarship, Western Society for Pediatric Research - 2006

Honoris Causa. (Research, Education and Mentorship), Fellowship of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health of England - 2005

American Federation for Medical Research Award - 2003

Laboratory named after A.J. Macnab in recognition for scholarship in research and education, St. Matthews University - 2003

Mead Johnson Scholarship, Western Society for Pediatric Research - 2002

Ross Research: St. Geme Award, Western Society for Pediatric Research (Research and Education Mentorship) – 1999

National Awards
Fellowship of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences - 2007

Jack Sarney Award, Canadian Council for Rehabilitation (Transport Research and Development) - 1990 

Provincial Awards
Award of Excellence, Gi’gat First Nation for community based research and contributions to aboriginal child health - 2007

Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, University of British Columbia - 2006 

University of British Columbia Lectureship named after Dr. AJ Macnab in Resident Visiting Scholar Program in recognition for leadership in Postgraduate Education - 2005

Gold Medal
Gold Medal, Canadian Medical Design Excellence Awards - 2000 (best new medical device in Canada)

Teaching Prizes
Research Mentor of the Year, UBC Department of Pediatrics - 2005 and 2001

Harvard Macey Scholar. Leadership in Education, Harvard University, USA - 2004

Excellence in Postgraduate Education Award, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - 2004

Excellence in Education Award with Distinction, Children’s & Women’s Hospital of BC, 2003

Killam University Teaching Prize, Faculty of Medicine, UBC - 2003

Teacher of the Year, UBC Department of Pediatrics - 1999, 1987, 1985, 1981

Near infrared spectroscopy: Lynn Stothers MD MHSc FRCSC, Ramon Guevara PhD, Babak Shadgan, MD MSc, Dr. Kourosh Afshar MD MSc FRCSC FAAP
Aboriginal Health: C.Panagiotopolous, MD, FRCPC,
Transport Medicine/Pre-hospital care: James Christenson, MD, FRCPC 
Injury prevention : Thomas Andrew, MD
International Health: Arabat Kasangaki, MD