Directory

Lawrence Richer, MD, MSc

Vice Dean Research, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Office of Research Admin
Associate Dean, Research, College of Health Sciences - Dean's Office
Contact Overview Publications

Contact

Vice Dean Research, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Office of Research Admin
Email
lricher@ualberta.ca
Phone
(780) 492-0051
Address
2J2.04 University of Alberta Hospital
8440 112 Street
Edmonton AB
T6G 2B7
Associate Dean, Research, College of Health Sciences - Dean's Office
Email
lricher@ualberta.ca
Phone
(780) 492-0051

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

concussion health services emergency department migraine autonomic nervous system headache orthostatic intolerance real-world evidence postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

About

I am a Pediatric Neurologist and Professor in the Department of Pediatrics. I serve as Vice-Dean Research (clinical) in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and Center Director of the Northern Alberta Clinical Trials and Research Center.



Clinical Interests

  1. Pediatric migraine and headache disorders
  2. Pediatric autonomic disorders and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Research

My research focusses on three interrelated areas:

  1. Evaluation of functional changes in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and brain in children with migraine, brain injury, and pediatric autonomic disorders like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). The ANS is a dynamic system responsible for the maintenance of a stable internal environment and responding rapidly to external challenges or threats. Functional changes in the ANS are observed in the above disorders are initially adaptive, but these changes may become maladaptive over time - often as the disorder becomes chronic or with severe injury. Changes in the ANS may be predictive of undesirable clinical outcomes providing an early warning sign to consider earlier intervention. 
  2. Development and evaluation of new therapeutics for children. A better understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of disorders like migraine, concussion, or POTS may present novel therapeutic targets. Treatments intending to be used in children need to be tested in children for their efficacy and safety.
  3. Innovative clinical trials and real-world studies. The evidence gap for treatments in children may be reduced when existing health data and innovative or pragmatic study designs are employed. 

Featured Publications

Health resource utilization and cost before versus after initiation of second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics among adults with schizophrenia in Alberta, Canada: a retrospective, observational single-arm study

Wong KO, Klarenbach SW, Martins KJB, Chue P, Dursun SM, Snaterse M, Guigue A, So H, Luu H, Vu K, Richer L

2022 July; 22 (1):444 10.1186/s12888-022-04075-y

A randomized trial of ketorolac and metoclopramide for migraine in the emergency department

Richer LP, Ali S, Johnson DW, Rosychuk RJ, Newton AS, Rowe BH

2022 June; 62 (6):681-9 10.1111/head.14307

A novel preference-informed complementary trial (PICT) design for clinical trial research influenced by strong patient preferences

Ali S, Hopkin , Poonai N, Richer L, Yaskina M, Heath A, Klassen TP, McCabe C on behalf of the KidsCAN PERC Innovative Pediatric Clinical Trials No OUCH Study Group & the KidsCAN PERC Innovative Pediatric Clinical Trials Methods Core

2021 March; 22 (206) 10.1186/s13063-021-05164-1