In a recent study published in Science Robotics, Dr. Pascal John Mosimann from UHN’s Krembil Brain Institute and his international team at the Swiss Polytechnic School in Lausanne (EPFL) developed a new catheter system that uses blood flow to reach very small brain blood vessels faster and more safely. This approach is the first to enable super-selective embolization—the delivery of a drug that blocks blood flow, called an embolic agent, to a targeted area—in vessels previously considered too small, deep, or tortuous for existing technologies.
Super-selective embolization involves guiding a very small catheter, called a microcatheter, through a blood vessel to deliver the embolic drug to a precise location, stopping blood flow. Until now, endovascular catheters could only be safely used in vessels a minimum of 0.5 millimetres (mm) wide—about as thick as a credit card—although many vessels requiring treatment measure 0.05–0.4 mm. Existing microcatheterization systems require physically pushing the catheter along the vessel walls, increasing the risk of vessel wall damage or perforation.
Using advanced engineering techniques, Dr. Mosimann and his team developed a new microcatheter system about as thin as a human hair called MagFlow. The system remains flat while it moves through the vessel and then inflates when a drug or other therapeutic agent is injected once it reaches the desired treatment location. MagFlow utilizes blood flow in the artery or capiliary that the catheter is in to move, eliminating the need for manual force and thus reducing the risk of injuring the blood vessel wall. A specialized external magnet, called OmniMag, can be moved around the outside of a patient’s head to assist with positioning of the catheter. Movement of the catheter is monitored via X-ray fluoroscopy.
Results from tests in preclinical models were promising. The novel MagFlow and OmniMag system could be safely and effectively guided and used for the injection of embolic drugs in vessels as small as only 0.18 millimetres—about as thin as a cat’s whisker.
This advancement could transform care for patients with aneurysms, strokes, brain tumours, and other complex vascular conditions. By enabling access to vessels previously considered unreachable, MagFlow opens the door to highly targeted therapies that minimize risk and maximize precision. Clinicians may soon be able to treat delicate brain regions with less trauma, offering safer interventions and expanding options for conditions that were once untreatable.
The first author of this study is Dr. Lucio Pancaldi, a former Postdoctoral Scientist at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland.
Dr. Pascal John Mosimann, a Clinician Investigator at UHN’s Krembil Brain Institute and Associate Professor of Neuroradiology at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. Mahmut Selman Sakar, an Associate Professor and director of the MicroBioRobotics Systems Laboratory at EPFL in Switzerland, are corresponding and senior co-authors of the study.
This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC), Innosuisse, BRIDGE, Innogrant, the Swiss National Science Foundation, and UHN Foundation.
Drs. Pancaldi and Sakar filed patents for the ultraflexible flow-directed device and system, and another patent on the magnetic guide system.
Pancaldi L, Özelçi E, Gadiri MA, Raub J, Mosimann PJ, Sakar MS. Flow-driven magnetic microcatheter for superselective arterial embolization. Sci Robot. 2025 Oct 22;10(107):eadu4003. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.adu4003.
MagFlow microcatheter device sitting on a gloved adult hand, to emphasize the size of this new technology. (Image courtesy of Dr. Pascal Mosimann)
Depression and anxiety are common following spinal cord injury (SCI) and can worsen pain and negatively impact quality of life. Researchers at UHN’s KITE Research Institute (KITE) are exploring how adapting the language and content of mindfulness-based interventions—programs that teach present-moment awareness and acceptance—can improve psychological well-being and recovery for individuals with SCI.
Mindfulness-based interventions are proven to reduce pain and improve mood in those with chronic pain. However, most interventions were designed for individuals without motor or sensory impairments. Standard exercises such as mindfulness walks or instructions like “feel your feet on the ground” can be frustrating or impossible for those with limited mobility or altered sensation. Without adaptation, these practices may feel inaccessible and discourage participation.
To explore how mindfulness-based interventions could be made more inclusive, KITE researchers interviewed 22 individuals with SCI to identify motivators and barriers to practicing mindfulness. Participants noted physical challenges—such as pain, stress, and poor sleep—as key motivators. They also reported perceived benefits, including reduced anxiety and depression, improved emotional regulation, and feeling more present in relationships.
Barriers included misconceptions about how hard it is to fit mindfulness into daily life and a lack of accessibility in the language used during exercises. Emphasis on specific body postures or traditional mindfulness practices, such as walking meditations, made participation challenging.
Adapting mindfulness-based interventions with more inclusive language, flexible options for body positioning, and improved education around mindfulness could greatly increase program accessibility. Removing these barriers could support more patient-centred care for individuals with SCI.
Dorothy Luong, first author of the study, is a Research Associate at UHN’s KITE Research Institute in the lab of Dr. Sarah Munce.
Dr. Sarah Munce, senior author of the study, is an Affiliate Scientist at UHN’s KITE Research Institute and an Implementation Scientist at the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. At the University of Toronto, Dr. Munce is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation and is cross appointed at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute.
This work was supported by Crain H. Neilsen Foundation and UHN Foundation.
Luong D, Lee TJ, Simpson R, Fetterly MJ, Jaglal S, Allin S, Craven C, Hearn J, Webster F, Munce S. How do individuals with spinal cord injury practice mindfulness? Barriers & facilitators to practicing mindfulness and considerations for tailoring programs. Disabil Rehabil. 2025 Oct 29. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2580297. Epub ahead of print.
A new study from UHN unveils an AI model to analyze data from electrocardiograms (ECG)—quick, low-cost recordings of the heart’s electrical activity that are commonly used as an initial test for patients with cardiac symptoms. This model has been made publicly available and may enable faster, more consistent ECG interpretation for screening, assessing risks, and predicting the need for further testing—information that isn't readily available.
AI tools can help doctors interpret ECG results. However, most AI tools need large volumes of manually labelled data to learn general patterns. A foundation model—a type of AI trained on a very large dataset to learn patterns in the data—can get around this issue through its ability to learn the basic patterns in non-labelled ECGs. After that, it only needs a few labelled examples to work on new tasks.
A research team at UHN set out to create a publicly accessible foundation model capable of interpreting ECGs and assessing its performance on clinical tasks. Using data from 1.5 million ECG tests, they developed ECG-FM, a model designed to learn ECG patterns on its own. The team then evaluated its ability to interpret common ECG findings and predict changes in heart function indicators such as reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)—an important measure of how effectively the heart pumps blood.
When tested, ECG-FM performed better than previous models and worked well across different datasets and with little labelled data. It was accurate in interpreting common ECG findings and identifying LVEF and heart rhythm irregularities such as atrial fibrillation.
Overall, ECG-FM is versatile, efficient, and accurate for tasks like heart screening, risk assessment, and monitoring and reduces the need for large, labelled datasets, providing a reproducible framework for ECG research. To support comparability and usage, the team has released their AI code along with tutorials and a public benchmark so that others can test, adapt, and improve it. This is especially beneficial for small ECG datasets geared toward a specific task. These details can be found here.
Kaden McKeen is a Doctoral Candidate in Dr. Bo Wang’s lab and the first and corresponding author of the study.
Dr. Sameer Masood is a Clinician Investigator at UHN and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is the clinical lead and co-author of this study.
Dr. Bo Wang is the Chief AI Scientist and a Senior Scientist at UHN, and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology and Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He is the senior author of the study.
This work was supported by UHN Foundation.
McKeen K, Masood S, Toma A, Rubin B, Wang B. ECG-FM: an open electrocardiogram foundation model. JAMIA Open. 2025 Oct 16;8(5):ooaf122. doi: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooaf122.
UHN has secured the top spot on the list of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals by Research Infosource Inc. This marks the 15th consecutive year UHN has led the rankings, a testament to our commitment to advancing health research.
The annual rankings compare research hospitals across Canada based on research spending, including grants, contributions, and contracts from internal and external government and non-government sources. In the 2024 fiscal year, UHN invested over $599 million in research, reinforcing its position as a global leader in discovery and innovation.
Within the "Large Hospital" category (institutions with total hospital spending exceeding $1 billion), UHN also ranked among the top for research intensity—defined as the percentage of research spending relative to overall hospital expenditures.
Dr. Brad Wouters, UHN’s Executive Vice President of Science and Research, shared: “We are incredibly proud to be recognized as Canada’s top research hospital once again—a position that reflects the passion and contribution of the 6,000-plus members of our research community and the many supporters of this team. From novel discoveries to clinical innovation and education, we are united by one purpose: improving health and transforming care for patients everywhere.”
This short video celebrates the people, places, and passion driving UHN’s continued success as Canada’s top research hospital.
These achievements are supported by strong partnerships with many institutions, including our financial supporters—The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and UHN Foundation—government agencies, industry, and other charities. UHN is proud to be part of Toronto’s vibrant research ecosystem alongside the University of Toronto and other academic hospitals, working together to accelerate discovery and impact. We are also strongly supported by our many patient partners that work with us every day towards our goal to create A Healthier World.
Research Infosource Inc. reports on research activity across Canada. Click on the following links to view the complete list of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals and a Spotlight on Hospital Research Activity within the Large Hospital category.
Welcome to the latest issue of Research Spotlight.
As Canada’s largest research hospital, UHN is a national and international source for discovery, education, and patient care. This newsletter highlights top research advancements from over 5,000 members of TeamUHN—a diverse group of trainees, staff, and principal investigators who conduct research at UHN.
Stories in this month’s issue:
● Reducing Heart Risk in Kidney Care: Daily omega-3 supplementation linked to fewer serious cardiac events in hemodialysis patients.
● Rehabilitation Beyond the Clinic: AI tailors rehabilitation for people with hand impairments.
● Brain Barrier Preserved in Stroke: Blocking a key enzyme helps protect brain blood vessels and reduces damage after stroke.
● Improving Radiation Sensitivity: Study identifies new target that could make radiation more effective in small cell lung cancer.
Read these stories and more online here. To read previous issues, see the newsletter archive.
A clinical trial led by Dr. Steven Chan at UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) found that patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and a specific gene mutation may benefit from a combination therapy of two drugs: venetoclax and enasidenib.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are blood cancers caused by myeloid precursor cells (cells that normally develop into blood cells) that accumulate and fail to mature properly. These diseases often result from genetic mutations, such as in the IDH2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 2) gene. Mutations in IDH2 block the ability of cells to develop.
Enasidenib, a drug that targets mutant IDH2, is used to treat cases of AML with this mutation. Although enasidenib has shown promising results in clinical trials for patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant AML and MDS, more effective therapies are still needed.
Previous studies from Dr. Chan’s lab have shown that enasidenib may work well with another drug called venetoclax—an inhibitor of a protein that helps cancer cells survive. Preclinical studies showed that a combination of enasidenib and venetoclax was more effective than either drug alone.
Dr. Chan’s team investigated how safe and effective the two drugs are together in patients with relapsed or hard-to-treat IDH2-mutated AML or MDS in a clinical trial, called ENAVEN-AML. They enrolled 27 patients with IDH2 mutations across two Canadian centres, including Princess Margaret and the University of Alberta Hospital.
Results showed that enasidenib and venetoclax were safe and active in these patients. “Of the 26 participants with AML, the overall response rate to the combined drug therapy was 62%, with 50% (13 out of 26) having complete remission—almost double the effect of using enasidenib alone, based on data from another clinical trial,” says Dr. Guillaume Richard-Carpentier, first author of the study.
For those who responded to the treatment, the effects lasted a median of 16.6 months, and some patients remained in remission for over two years. As for the safety results from the trial, the combination was well-tolerated, with manageable side effects.
“Because both drugs can be taken orally and they have a good safety record, patients can manage the treatment outside of the hospital. This treatment could serve as an effective bridge to stem cell transplantation for some patients, or as long-term therapy in patients not fit for transplantation,” says Dr. Chan, senior author and Senior Scientist at PM. “We are excited to see such promising results, especially in a population with limited treatment options.”
While more research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the combination in newly diagnosed patients, this study offers hope for a safer, outpatient-friendly treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory AML.
Dr. Guillaume Richard-Carpentier is a Hematologist and Clinician Investigator at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is the first author of the study.
Dr. Steven Chan is an Allan Slaight and Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is the corresponding author of the study.
This work was supported by AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, and The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
Dr. Guillaume Richard-Carpentier participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Taiho, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Astellas; participated in consultancy meetings with Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, and AbbVie; and received honoraria from Pfizer and Astellas. Dr. Steven Chan received research funding from Bristol Myers Squibb/Celgene, AbbVie, Servier, Agios, and AstraZeneca. For a complete list of competing interests, see the manuscript.
Richard-Carpentier G, Gupta G, Koraksic C, Cathelin S, Wang L, Bankar A, Davidson M, Gupta V, Maze D, Minden MD, Murphy T, Schimmer AD, Schuh AC, Sibai H, Yee K, DiNardo CD, Brandwein J, McNamara CJ, Chan SM. Enasidenib plus venetoclax in patients with IDH2-mutated relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukaemia or myelodysplastic syndrome (ENAVEN-AML): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 1b/2 trial. Lancet Haematol. 2025 Nov;12(11):e887-e897. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(25)00254-6. Epub 2025 Oct 8.
Virtual reality (VR) holds significant promise for health care, particularly in eye health. Its immersive experience, ability to deliver care remotely, and potential to collect large amounts of data through headset-mounted sensors are among its many advantages. But research on VR in vision care is still in its infancy. Understanding what has been studied and what remains unexplored is essential for continued progress and improved outcomes.
Dr. Michael Reber, Senior Scientist at UHN’s Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute (DKJEI), and Dr. Lora Appel, Affiliate Scientist at UHN’s KITE Research Institute (KITE), address this need in a recent literature review published in the journal, Technologies.
The DKJEI and KITE teams assessed 76 studies on VR headsets as interventions for vision-related conditions. Across these studies, 31 different VR systems were evaluated. Some focused on specific conditions—most commonly glaucoma or amblyopia—while others simulated disease symptoms in healthy participants. Most studies explored VR as a diagnostic or treatment tool and a smaller subset examined its screening potential. Notably, only 15% were randomized controlled trials.
The review highlights a major challenge to widespread VR adoption in vision care: inconsistent study designs. Without standardized sample sizes, participant types, and VR systems, reliable conclusions about accessibility, efficacy, and usability remain elusive.
Drs. Reber and Appel also note barriers to clinical implementation, including high start-up costs and data security concerns, and propose strategies to address them.
As the first scoping review of VR as a tool in eye care, this work offers a comprehensive roadmap for future research and clinical adoption. By integrating expertise in vision care and digital health technologies, the review demonstrates how coordinated efforts can overcome current barriers and accelerate adoption in clinical settings.
These recommendations aim to make future studies more robust and implementation of VR into clinical settings more seamless. Ultimately, as researchers continue to explore VR and clinicians begin to integrate it into eye care, this technology has the potential to transform treatment approaches and improve accessibility for patients worldwide.
Kiana Masoudi is the first author of this review. She is a research assistant in the VRx Lab.
Ani Orchanian-Cheff, a co-author of this study, is an archivist at UHN.
Dr. Michael Reber is a co-senior and corresponding author of this review. Dr. Reber is a Senior Scientist at UHN’s Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Lora Appel is a co-senior author of this review. She is an Affiliate Scientist at UHN’s KITE Research Institute, Collaborating Scientist with OpenLab at UHN, where she leads the VRx Lab, and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health at York University.
This review was supported by UHN Foundation.
Masoudi K, Wong M, Tchao D, Orchanian-Cheff A, Reber M, Appel L. Seeing Opportunity in Virtual Reality: A Rapid Review of the Use of VR as a Tool in Vision Care. Technologies. 2025 August; 13:342. doi: 10.3390/technologies13080342.
Research at UHN takes place across its research institutes, clinical programs, and collaborative centres. Each of these has specific areas of focus in human health and disease, and work together to advance shared areas of research interest. UHN's research spans the full breadth of the research pipeline, including basic, translational, clinical, policy, and education.
See some of our research areas below:
Research at UHN is conducted under the umbrella of the following research institutes. Click below to learn more:
