Research

Increasing knowledge, improving care

"As surgeons, we make a difference in the lives of our patients every day.
As researchers, we impact the lives of all patients beyond the operating room."

The Division of Thoracic Surgery is engaged in clinical and basic science research.

The Division supports trainees who are interested to become the next generation of academic surgeons or surgeon-scientists.

We use a variety of research methodologies geared towards assessing the quality and effectiveness of thoracic surgical interventions for individual patients, as well as population-based research. Our goal is to integrate health services research into the advancement of thoracic surgical care emphasizing clinical outcomes, quality of care, and costs integral to defining best practices in academic thoracic surgery.

There is one basic/translational research laboratory with the Division of Thoracic Surgery tasked with investigating the biological structure and function of thoracic diseases. The laboratory focuses on the genetic and molecular mechanisms in the development of lung disease like cancer and COPD, with a particular focus on the effects of environmental exposures, such as cigarette smoke or radon.

In collaboration with Dr. Zhaolin Xu, Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, we have established the QEII Lung Tumour Bank. Established in 2005, this is one of the largest human lung cancer tumour banks in the country. The Lung Tumour Bank facilitates research into the genetic profile of lung cancer in correlation with pathologic tumour characteristics, response to treatment, and overall prognosis.

To learn more about research opportunities in the Division of Thoracic Surgery, please contact Dr. Alison Wallace .