Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
VCHRI is the publicly funded research arm of Vancouver Coastal Health and a partner of UBC's Faculty of Medicine, coordinating 2,400+ personnel across 13 research units and 473,000 sq ft of research space to translate health research into clinical practice for British Columbians.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute does
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) is the research arm of Vancouver Coastal Health, a public health authority in British Columbia, Canada, and operates as a health partner of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. The institute coordinates over 2,400 personnel across 13 research units and approximately 473,000 square feet of research space in Vancouver, spanning focus areas that include brain health, cancer, digital health and AI, heart health, lung health, mental health and substance use, and healthy aging. VCHRI is described as one of the top funded health research institutes in Canada, with funding sourced from provincial appropriations through Vancouver Coastal Health, competitive peer-reviewed grants from bodies such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and philanthropic donations from partner foundations including the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Richmond Hospital Foundation, and Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.
VCHRI's core offerings are specialized research services and facilities rather than commercial products. These include the VCH-VCHRI AI Hub (a dedicated unit for AI applications in health research, including cancer diagnostics and medical image analysis), the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Research Unit at UBC Hospital, the Hematology Research Unit at Vancouver General Hospital (BC's first dedicated inpatient clinical trials unit for early-phase blood cancer therapies, equipped for CAR T-cell therapy and first-in-human treatments), and a Clinical Research Unit providing operational support. Supporting infrastructure includes research facilitation, clinical trials administration, biobanking, a research privacy function, and an Indigenous Health Research Unit. Patient participation in research is open to the public through a 'Find a Study' portal and recruitment support services.
The institute's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: it engages researchers, trainees, healthcare professionals, and the general public through digital channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky), a Research Insider newsletter, the researcher directory on its website, and events and workshops. Distribution of research outcomes flows primarily through institutional channels within VCH and UBC, with academic publications and news dissemination supporting broader reach. The organization is publicly funded and does not operate as a commercial entity; there is no public pricing model or revenue per service. Its strategic plan covers 2022-2027, and recent activity includes the launch of the Hematology Research Unit, the Dilawri Cardiovascular Institute, and the M. H. Mohseni Institute of Urologic Sciences, alongside an active leadership transition with Dr. Stirling Bryan serving as Interim Executive Director.
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
- Legal name
- Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
- Website
- https://vchri.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- VCHRI is the publicly funded research arm of Vancouver Coastal Health and a partner of UBC's Faculty of Medicine, coordinating 2,400+ personnel across 13 research units and 473,000 sq ft of research space to translate health research into clinical practice for British Columbians.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Research Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) & Teaching Hospitals (HLAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI), Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA), Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Clinical Research Support (CRC/CTA) (EDAOAJAO)
Keywords
Where Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Government and Institutional Funding: VCHRI operates as a publicly funded research institute, receiving core funding through Vancouver Coastal Health and partnerships with the University of British Columbia. The institute is described as one of the top funded health research institutes in Canada.
- Research Grants and Awards: Competitive peer-reviewed grants from funding bodies such as Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), as well as internal awards and funding programs administered by VCHRI for researchers.
- Philanthropic Donations: Partner foundations including VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Richmond Hospital Foundation, and Lions Gate Hospital Foundation invest in innovative medical research and fund research ideas. The Hematology Research Unit received $5 million in philanthropic support.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VCHRI is a publicly funded health research institute that conducts clinical and discovery science research across 13 research units and multiple specialized centres. It provides research support services including clinical trials administration, research facilitation, biobank management, an AI Hub, and study recruitment support, while operating dedicated facilities such as the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Research Unit at UBC Hospital and the Hematology Research Unit at Vancouver General Hospital. The institute translates scientific discoveries into clinical practice for the benefit of British Columbians.
Product overview
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) is a research institute, not a technology product company. VCHRI provides specialized administrative research services, research facilities, and support infrastructure rather than a unified software product. The organization's offerings include research support services such as the AI Hub, Clinical Trials Administration, Clinical Research Unit, Research Facilitation, Biobank Team, and Indigenous Health Research Unit, along with specialized research facilities like the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Research Unit and Hematology Research Unit. VCHRI operates research centers focused on areas including Brain Health, Cancer, Digital Health and AI, Heart Health, Lung Health, and other clinical specialties.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VCH-VCHRI AI Hub
- Clinical Trials Administration
- Clinical Research Unit
- Research Facilitation
- VCHRI Phase 1 Clinical Trials Research Unit at UBC Hospital
- Hematology Research Unit
- Biobank Team
- Indigenous Health Research Unit
- Study Recruitment Support
- Find a Study Portal
Quantifiable outcome
- 91-97% vaccine efficacy for new shingles vaccine in adults 50-70 years old
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- University of British Columbia (UBC)coreVCHRI is a health partner of the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. The relationship enables integration of academic research with clinical practice, providing a pathway for translating discoveries into healthcare applications. UBC faculty and researchers collaborate extensively with VCHRI through research programs and clinical trials.
- Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)coreVCHRI is the research arm of Vancouver Coastal Health. This integration embeds research directly within the health authority's clinical operations, enabling research translation to patient care settings across the VCH service area.
- Providence Health CarecoreProvidence Health Care hosts the BC Centre on Substance Use, a provincial research centre that is UBC-affiliated and affiliated with both Providence Research and VCHRI, providing leadership in substance use and addiction research and evidence-based clinical care.
- BC CancercoreBC Cancer is a key research partner, with VCHRI researchers conducting cancer research including hematology, prostate cancer, and immunotherapy studies in collaboration with BC Cancer researchers and facilities.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- University Health Network: Toronto-based hospital network and one of Canada's largest research enterprises, operating multiple research institutes (Princess Margaret, Toronto General, Toronto Western). Directly comparable as a top-funded Canadian AMC-affiliated research institute conducting clinical and discovery science research across similar disease areas.
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute: The research arm of The Ottawa Hospital, similarly embedded as a health-authority-affiliated research institute with clinical trial infrastructure and translational research mandate. Direct peer in scale, funding model, and academic-medical-center integration pattern.
- SickKids Research Institute: Hospital-affiliated research institute at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, one of Canada's largest pediatric health research enterprises. Comparable in research intensity, academic-affiliation model, and competitive CIHR grant capture, though focused on pediatrics.
- McGill University Health Centre Research Institute: Montreal-based research institute integrated within a major Quebec academic health centre, conducting clinical and basic science research across multiple disease areas with university (McGill) partnership. Comparable in structure, funding sources (CIHR, provincial), and translational mandate.
- BC Cancer Research Centre: Provincial cancer research organization and named strategic partner of VCHRI. Operates overlapping oncology and hematology research programs with comparable clinical trial infrastructure within British Columbia.
Broad incumbents
- University of British Columbia: VCHRI's named academic partner through UBC's Faculty of Medicine. Comparable as a major Canadian research university with biomedical, clinical, and population health research activity; not a direct competitor but the academic umbrella under which VCHRI research faculty operate.
Regional players
- Fraser Health Authority: Adjacent British Columbia health authority providing regional health services and affiliated research activities. Comparable as a BC provincial health authority with research mandate, though smaller research scale than VCHRI.
- Providence Health Care Research Institute: Vancouver-based sister research organization also operating within British Columbia, partnered with VCHRI through the BC Centre on Substance Use. Directly comparable in provincial geography, health-authority-affiliated structure, and academic (UBC) partnership model.
- Alberta Health Services: Provincial health authority operating in Alberta with affiliated research institutes (e.g., Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Libin Cardiovascular Institute). Comparable in provincial-public-health-authority research model, though operating in a different Canadian province.
Others
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Canada's federal funding agency for health research and a major source of VCHRI's competitive grant revenue. Comparable as a peer only in the broader Canadian health research ecosystem; functions as a funder/ecosystem participant rather than a competing research operator.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute social profiles
Digital presenceVancouver Coastal Health Research Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
What does Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute do?
VCHRI is a publicly funded health research institute that conducts clinical and discovery science research across 13 research units and multiple specialized centres. It provides research support services including clinical trials administration, research facilitation, biobank management, an AI Hub, and study recruitment support, while operating dedicated facilities such as the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Research Unit at UBC Hospital and the Hematology Research Unit at Vancouver General Hospital. The institute translates scientific discoveries into clinical practice for the benefit of British Columbians.
Is Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute a public or private company?
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute founded?
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute based?
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government and Institutional Funding is the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Awards and philanthropic Donations.
Who are Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are University Health Network, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, SickKids Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute and BC Cancer Research Centre. University of British Columbia is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Fraser Health Authority, Providence Health Care Research Institute and Alberta Health Services. Canadian Institutes of Health Research is listed as an others.
Does Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
What industry is Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute in?
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute's product category is Healthcare Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAAAA, Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) & Teaching Hospitals, with a secondary code of EDAHAGAI, Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.