Albertans4HealthResearch.ca

Community and patient volunteer representatives to join University of Alberta Health Research Ethics Board (Biomedical Panel)
University of Alberta

Background
The University of Alberta is seeking volunteer community and patient representatives to consider joining its Health Research Ethics Board (Biomedical Panel). The Health REB reviews health and biomedical research studies to ensure they are conducted ethically and protect the rights, welfare, and interests of research participants. As a community/patient representative, you would be a full voting member of the Board and participate in monthly meetings. Meetings focus on reviewing research protocols, consent forms, and other participant-facing materials before studies are approved to proceed. Community representatives are essential members of the Board and are required to meet quorum.. Ideal candidates may have experience as patients, research participants, or community advocates, and a desire to ensure that health research is respectful, fair, and understandable to the public.

We welcome individuals who:

· Bring lived experience with healthcare or health research.
· Can consider research from a participant or community perspective.
· Are comfortable sharing their views in group discussions.
· Are thoughtful, respectful, and open to diverse perspectives.
· Are able to review study materials and raise questions about clarity, fairness, and respect.
· Can commit time to meetings and uphold confidentiality.

No scientific, medical, or ethics background is required. Training, including the TCPS2 CORE Tutorial, is provided

Roles and Responsibilities
Research ethics boards play a critical role in ensuring that health research is conducted responsibly and ethically. Under the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2), community representation is required to help ensure that research is not only scientifically sound, but also understandable, respectful, and meaningful from a participant’s perspective.

Community and patient representatives help ensure that researchers clearly explain risks, benefits, and expectations, that consent processes are understandable, and that studies reflect respect for participants’ values, experiences, and realities. This perspective strengthens trust in research and helps safeguard participants. This work directly benefits research participants, patients, and the broader public by helping ensure that health research is ethical, transparent, and participant-centred. It also supports researchers by improving the clarity and quality of their study materials and helping them design studies that are more respectful and inclusive.

Ultimately, strong community involvement in ethics review helps ensure that health research serves the public interest, respects those who volunteer to participate, and contributes to better, more trustworthy health research outcomes for everyone.

Time Commitment
Meetings are held monthly, on Zoom with the exception that 1 yearly meeting that will be held in person. In person meetings would be held at the University of Alberta Campus and parking would be provided.

Meetings last about 1.5 - 2 hours each and members are expected to have reviewed the participant consent forms and application in advance to ensure that the participant materials are understandable to the patients who will be reading them. These reviews take about 20 minutes per application, and there are about 5 -7 studies reviewed per meeting.

Compensation/Reimbursement
Parking is covered for in-person meetings. Otherwise, there is no formal compensation for this role.

For more information or to express interest
Charmaine Kabatoff
kabatoff@ualberta.ca
780.492.0302