VITALiTY Research Laboratory

The VITALiTY research laboratory is unique in Canada in that it has a strong focus on translational laboratory investigation. Translational research in medicine is vital in that it allows us to take research that has been done at the bench and apply it to human populations. It occupies a vital “interzone” between bench and animal studies and large population-based studies. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health identified the main barrier to innovation and development in medical research was a lack of trained translational investigators.

VITALiTY Workshop Summary Report

On January 12, 2009, 60 researchers and health care professionals in the fields of aging, mobility, cognition and mood took part in the VITALiTY Research Workshop, co-sponsored by the BC Network for Aging Research (BCNAR), the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Medicine, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

For more details, please download VITALiTY Workshop Summary Report.

VITALiTY Team Research Plan

Participants identified five priority areas for research that emerged during the workshop:

  • Investigate prevention and early intervention strategies to prevent the cascade to progressive and catastrophic disability.
  • Conduct action research to develop translational evidence.
  • Map shared risk factors for mood, cognition and mobility.
  • Create interdisciplinary, inter-professional research teams.
  • Coordinate research across health authorities and the continuum of care.
For more details, please download VITALiTY Team Forum Summary



VITALiTY Team Expertise