There has been a steady rise in the research activity of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta over the past two decades. This encompasses a broad range of studies, including:
- Evaluation of clinical care.
- Assessment of proposed new therapies for reproductive disorders.
- Investigations into the fundamental mechanisms of reproductive health and disease.
The Division of Reproductive Sciences focuses on fundamental mechanisms of reproductive health and disease. Members of this division also conduct cross-boundary research with colleagues in the clinical divisions of our department.
Information about clinical research projects can be found at these links to the department's four clinical divisions:
Department research activity is funded through a variety of peer-reviewed grants from local, national and international agencies. Please visit the web pages of our divisions and individual investigators for details concerning their research interests and publications. In addition, many of our faculty members belong to the
Women & Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI). The institute supports research activities in our discipline.
Our research activities are showcased annually during
Department Research Day, usually held in late April/early May. This combined research-social event showcases research by clinical trainees as well as graduate students and post-doctoral fellows working in the department.
Areas of research in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology include:
- Control of parturition/preterm labour.
- Molecular regulation of smooth-muscle contractility.
- Pre-eclampsia.
- Cytomegalovirus infections in pregnancy.
- Role of bioactive lipids in pregnancy.
- Fetal origins of adult disease.
- Genomic/metabolomic diagnoses of complications of pregnancy.
- Ovarian cancer biology.