Maternal Infant Child and Youth Research Network

What is the value added of MICYRN?
Why join MICYRN?
What has MICYRN done to date?
What is MICYRN planning now?
How can I connect to MICYRN?
How can I find out about others doing research in an area of interest?
How can I find out about Knowledge Translation resources?
Does MICYRN provide research Data Management services?
Does MICYRN provide support for biobanking?

What is the value added of MICYRN?

The value-added of MICYRN is its ability to deliver gains in efficiency, economies of scale, and reduced duplication of effort, that will allow more resources to be directed to research studies.  Harmonization of standards and promotion of ‘best practices’ will increase the quality of clinical research conducted in Canada. Rapid and efficient linking of disciplines, new methods, and new technologies will give Canadians a maternal-child health research infrastructure that can quickly assess potential treatments and diagnostic tools.  Through shared infrastructure and knowledge, MICYRN will hasten initiation of new studies, conserve and enhance intellectual and physical resources, encourage multi-disciplinary connections, and identify and support research in priority areas.

MICYRN’s vision is that the synergistic strength gained from a formal collaborative network of researchers who are enabled by integrated infrastructure will spur tremendous advances that are unattainable by individual groups.

MICYRN is working to enhance the productivity of the maternal-child research community by sustaining and augmenting collaborative research networks and networking activities; addressing impediments to multicentre research activity; and developing key methodology-technology platforms.  MICYRN intends to improve the quality and safety of maternal-child research activities by building a sustainable human resource capacity; and promoting standards and best practices.

Joining forces with MICYRN will allow your input and help to address issues, and give a stronger voice to the maternal-child research community.    [top]

MICYRN Membership form

MICYRN began by conducting reviews and environmental scans.  Searchable registries of clinical research networks and birth cohorts have been developed.  Reports have been produced on the state of Knowledge Translation; and Research Support Personnel.  The Research Ethics and Regulatory Affairs (RERA) working group has published a number of articles including a comprehensive review of Ethics Best Practices in Children. 

MICYRN’s Data Management Working Group based in Edmonton (Stollery/WCHRI) has been testing data management software and survey tools, and can give demonstrations and offer advice on data management systems, and provide research data management services.

MICYRN has a partnership agreement with the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program (CCHCSP) to support training and co-develop training materials; and in 2008, supported a joint fellowship research training award. 

MICYRN has many initiatives currently in progress and offers support to researchers building new national collaborative research networks.    [top]

Regarding Ethics, MICYRN is part of an initiative of the Canadian National Council on Ethics in Human Research (NCEHR) to achieve consensus on a comprehensive report on Best Practices for Research Involving Children and Adolescents. posted for review and comment at [http://www.pediagen.org] In May-June 2010, workshops were held across Canada to present this document to stakeholders. Based on feedback the document is revised. MICYRN is organizing a first national consensus-building workshop for Winter 2010, bringing together the Chairs and ethicists from the 6 self-standing child/child-maternal REBs.

StaR Child Health is an international quality improvement initiative started in 2009, that seeks to enhance the quality, ethics and reliability of paediatric clinical research by promoting the use of uniform standards for clinical studies with children.  A first international StaR Summit was held in Amsterdam in October 2009.  The second StaR Summit being co-organized with MICYRN, will be held in Vancouver, BC, Canada September 10th and 11th, 2010.    [top]

Contact us!

MICYRN Director – Anne Junker, MD ajunker@cw.bc.ca
Associate Director – Aubrey Tingle, MD, PhD atingle@cw.bc.ca
Executive Assistant – Maureen Lowe mlowe@cw.bc.ca  604-875-2345 (4788)

Mailing Address
Maternal, Infant, Child and Youth Research Network
K4-135, 4480 Oak Street
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
V6H 3V4    [top]

Check out our inventories of Research Networks and Birth Cohorts Registries

If you are interested in information on Clinical Trials, check out the Paediatric Clinical Trials section of the World Health Organization http://www.who.int/ictrp/child/search/en/    [top]

MICYRN’s KT Environmental Scan and Needs Assessment report was packed with information which is now listed in our Resources section.     [top]

MICYRN’s Data Management Core is based in Edmonton at the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute.  Several data management systems are offered – you can arrange to see web-based demonstrations and discuss features to suit your needs.  Whether you want advice on acquiring software and hardware for your own purposes, or you want data management and hosting services, contact:

- Dr. Lawrence Richter (DM Core Chair)  Lawrence.Richer@albertahealthservices.ca
- Rick Watts B.Sc., FICR, CSci, Team Lead, Clinical Research Informatics
  (780) 248-1170 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
  (780) 248-1170 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or rick.watts@ualberta.ca     [top]

MICYRN does not provide biobanking services, however, MICYRN’s BioBanking Core working group is developing the ethical and quality assurance framework for biobanking. The BioBanking Core is working closely with the Research Ethics and Regulatory Affairs working group, and a number of articles have been published that discuss issues for consideration. Refer to http://www.pediagen.org  

Refer to MICYRN’s Biobanking Resources section for more information   [top]