IMAGINE Network

The IMAGINE network is a supported CIHR Strategy for Patient Orientated Research network that has strong patient engagement. Patients have identified the microbiome and diet as two important under researched areas on gastrointestinal disease. Reacting to this, we conducted the world’s first RCT evaluating fecal microbiota transplant in ulcerative colitis and found it induced remission with similar efficacy to biologic therapy. This has since been replicated by other researchers. We were also the first in the world to conduct an RCT that showed a specific probiotic can improve depression and anxiety in patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Both these papers are in the top 1% of cited articles in their class. The group has also done seminal RCTs showing that IBS patients responding to a low FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet can be predicted in those harbouring high histamine producing microbiota, suggesting approaches to personalized medicine.

The Accelerating Clinical Trials Consortium is generously supported through multi-year funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Clinical Trials Fund, as part of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy to ensure that Canadians are well served by a national clinical trials network.