Meet Dr. Jesse Siffledeen, gastroenterologist

Dr. Jesse Siffledeen’s commitment to advancing medical treatment through clinical trials is providing options for patients that they would otherwise never be able to access.

“Being able to offer my patients something that will benefit them that doesn’t exist on the market yet is the first and most important thing about running clinical trials,” says Jesse. “And we've been very successful in that.”

A gastroenterologist at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton, Jesse has been pioneering numerous clinical trials since joining Covenant Health in 2012. His research has brought groundbreaking treatments directly to patients suffering from complex gastrointestinal disorders.

Jesse’s experience with clinical trials goes back to 2002 when he worked with his mentor, Dr. Richard Fedorak, a clinical trialist based at the University of Alberta, where he attended medical school. Later in his career, after returning from completing an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) fellowship in Oxford, England, Jesse sought to build a clinical practice in Edmonton. However, he soon identified a gap that needed to be filled.

“By 2017, it was apparent that we needed to offer our patients access to these important clinical trials,” Jesse says.

Although he could refer patients to clinical trials elsewhere, Jesse knew that wouldn’t work long term, and he wanted to set up something at the Grey Nuns that would better serve his complex IBD patients.

Over the years, Jesse has completed many highly successful trials leading to new treatment drugs being marketed. And these interventions have proven to be hugely beneficial for the trials’ participants.

“In one specific case, if six of the patients had not had access to the drug in the trial, they would have lost their colon or, heaven forbid, something worse.”

The trials also allow Jesse to hire nurses to provide more focused care to participants, a level of care his patients would otherwise not have access to, he says.

Setting up the trials has been no small feat, says Jesse. It requires significant investment, strategic planning and the right team.

"Success in clinical trials hinges on teamwork. You need a reliable team that's not only skilled but also deeply committed to patient care; otherwise, it’s impossible to manage the complexities involved."

While Jesse says he’s motivated to perform clinical trials for several reasons, including advancing the management of IBD and maintaining his collegial relationship with the IBD scientific community, it all boils down to one thing.

“At the end of the day, it’s about making people’s lives better. That’s the primary reason for the work we do.”

May 20 is International Clinical Trials Day. Learn more.