Prevention, detection, and improved treatment of bone and joint diseases to enhance mobility and quality of life across the lifespan.
State-of-the-art facilities, equipment and cutting-edge technologies at the Centre for Aging SMART (Solutions for Mobility, Activity, Rehabilitation and Technology) at Vancouver Coastal Health foster a research environment with a focus on innovation. Our research strengths include bone and joint imaging for the early detection of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis; movement analysis and rehabilitation of function; interventions that enhance bone health, cognitive function, mobility, in addition to preventing falls and fracture; bone and joint biomechanics; biomaterials engineering; population health and epidemiology; health economics; innovations to reduce the overall burden of orthopaedic surgeries; molecular and cellular physiology of bone, muscle, and tendon; knowledge translation; and implementation science.
- High resolution clinical imaging (DXA, pQCT, HRpQCT, OpenMR)
- MicroCT (in vivo and ex vivo)
- biomechanical engineering
- Physiological assessment (metabolic cart, isokinetic dynamometer, falls and gait analysis)
- Education
- Healthcare and social services
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized lab | Equipment |
|---|---|
| Cartilage Tendon Muscle Unit | Flexcell FX-4000T Computer-Regulated Bioreactor |
| Microscopy Laboratory | Nikon Eclipse 80i Fluorescence Microscope |
| Nikon SMZ800 Stereomicroscope | |
| Biomedical Engineering Laboratory | Konica Minolta VIVID 9i 3D Digitizer |
| Ultrasonix SonixRP 3D Ultrasound | |
| Siemens ARCADIS Orbic 3D C-Arm Fluoroscope | |
| National Instruments PXI-1050 Data Acquisition System | |
| O2C LW1212 Laser Doppler | |
| Instron ElectroPuls E1000 Linear-Torsion Materials Testing System | |
| NDI Optotrak Certus Motion Capture System (Active Marker) | |
| Histology Laboratory | Leica CM3050 S Cryostat |
| Leica RM2235 Microtome | |
| Technicon Paraffin Bath (2C) | |
| Thermo Scientific Microm STP 120 Spin Tissue Processor | |
| Preclincal MicroCT Imaging Suite | SCANCO Medical µCT35 high resolution microCT System |
| SCANCO Medical Viva CT40 Preclinical microCT System | |
| Clinical Imaging Suites | Hologic Discovery W Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry system |
| SCANCO Medical XtremeCT high resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography | |
| Stratec XCT 3000 Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography system | |
| MRI Suite | Paramed Medical Systems MROpen Upright Open MRI system |
| Bone Health / Falls Research Laboratory | seca 284 Anthropometry Measuring Station |
| Novotec Medical Leonardo Mechanograph® Force Platform | |
| Mobility Function Laboratory | Bertec Fully Instrumented Treadmill (FIT) |
| COSMED and Cardinal Health Metabolic Carts | |
| Raptor-E Digital RealTime System (Motion Capture System-Non Active Marker) | |
| CIR System Inc. GAITRite Portable Gait Analysis System | |
| Exercise Prescription Suite | Keiser Air-Resistance Fitness Equipment |
| Muscle Assessment Laboratory | Biodex System 4 Pro Isokinetic Dynamometer |