Research Projects

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Azrieli du CHU Sainte-Justine

Our Research Projects

C-PIP

The Canadian-Pediatric Imaging Platform (C-PIP) project is a collaborative effort between Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, SickKids in Toronto, and the IMAGINE Center at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal. It aims to gather multimodal data on children from birth to adolescence to create a national reference sample of high precision. This sample will be used to better understand how various factors such as environmental, genetic, and traumatic brain injuries can impact neurological development. Through this three-year longitudinal study, researchers from C-PIP strive to develop new methods of data collection, processing, analysis, and sharing to provide the scientific community with an open science approach.

Executive Function and Parent-Child Relationship in Infants with Congenital Heart Diseases (CHD

Researchers Anne Gallagher, Miriam Beauchamp, Annie Bernier, and Guillaume Dumas have secured a project grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for a study titled "Executive functioning and parent-child relationship in infants with CHD: early screening and underlying brain mechanisms." This innovative project will be conducted at the IMAGINE Center, using the newly equipped hyperscanning NIRS-EEG.

Effects of Perinatal Exposure to Cannabis on the Infant Brain

Dr. Gregory Lodygensky, principal investigator, is leading a new study funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec. The study focuses on the effects of perinatal cannabis exposure on the infant brain and its development. The research includes anatomical and functional MRI investigations in newborns, aiming to establish guidelines for healthcare professionals to better guide future and new parents, as well as pregnant and nursing individuals.

Neurodevelopment and Psychosocial Stress

Researcher Tomas Paus and his team will obtain measurements of brain function (cognition) and structure using multimodal MRI in a total of 600 adolescents (including 200 born very prematurely, 200 premature, and 200 term-born) living in neighborhoods with varying levels of socioeconomic disadvantage. They will examine the modulating effects of the social environment on cognitive abilities and age-related changes in the structural properties of white and gray matter during adolescence.

Ethical Approval

To carry out data acquisitions, reserve slots on the MRI calendar, or even start recruiting participants for your study at the IMAGINE Center, it is imperative to have valid ethical authorization.

Since the launch of the Nagano platform on April 1, 2021, all applications for research project evaluations at CHU Sainte-Justine must be submitted through this platform.

Imaging projects conducted at the IMAGINE Center will be evaluated by the Pediatric Research Ethics Committee. For any additional information or assistance, please contact the administrative support of the IMAGINE Center.

Safety Training

At the IMAGINE Center, safety protocol training is essential for anyone working in an environment with a strong magnetic field. This training is mandatory for all staff, including operators, technical teams, researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, and anyone else likely to use the facility. The training content, provided by the leaders of the IMAGINE Center, includes:

Fundamental principles of magnetic fields,
MRI installation-specific safety procedures,
Current safety protocols, including COVID-19 measures,
Emergency response training,
A video presentation on MRI room safety guidelines,
A guided tour of the IMAGINE Center,
A screening questionnaire to assess the risks associated with exposure to intense magnetic fields,
A question and answer session.

To register for this training, visit the MRI safety training section on our website. The coordinator of the training will communicate the details and dates of upcoming sessions.

Incidental Findings

At the IMAGINE Center, procedures are in place for handling cases where anomalies are detected on MRI images. If an abnormal region is identified during an MRI scan, the images can be reviewed by a radiologist for a preliminary report. This report will indicate whether a detailed follow-up is recommended but does not constitute a clinical report.

To prepare and initiate a new study at the IMAGINE Center and for more information regarding our infrastructure and services, please write to us at the following address: centre.imagine.hsj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

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Updated on 8/6/2024
Created on 7/24/2024
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