Above: Gabe Boldt, Clinical Librarian, reviewing information in the Clinical Research Library at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)
The Clinical Research Library at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has been recognized with the Medical Library Association’s (MLA) 2025 Research Advancement in Health Sciences Librarianship Award for its leadership in advancing health information research and evidence-based practice at LHSC. This prestigious honour highlights LHSC’s strong commitment to integrating librarians in research, clinical care, and education across the organization.
“Clinical Librarians are essential research partners at LHSC,” says Nicole Girotti, Director of Academics and Research Operations at LHSC. “This award recognizes the critical role they play in championing research engagement, ensuring access to the best evidence, and setting a high standard for innovation and scholarly impact.”
The Clinical Research Library is a centre of excellence at LHSC and London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI), connecting patient care providers, clinical educators, health researchers, and health-care administrators with the best available evidence. LHSC Clinical Librarians Gabe Boldt, Darren Hamilton, Allison Fairbairn, and Alla Iansavitchene bring specialized expertise that elevates research quality, informs clinical decision-making, and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration.
Above (from left to right): Alla Iansavitchene, Clinical Librarian; Gabe Boldt, Clinical Librarian; Darren Hamilton, Clinical Librarian Specialist; Allison Fairbairn, Clinical Librarian; Nicole Girotti, Director of Academics and Research Operations, standing together as a team outside LHSC’s Clinical Research Library at Victoria Hospital and Children’s Hospital.
The team partners with a broad range of clinical areas and departments at LHSC, including critical care, cancer care, cardiac care, renal services, surgical care, nursing professional practice, decision support, environmental and support services, and many more. Their contributions include more than 670 evidence synthesis projects, including systematic and scoping reviews, as well as hundreds of expert literature searches supporting quality improvement initiatives, directly impacting patient care, safety, and the delivery of high-quality health care both within the organization and beyond.
“When our team partners with researchers and physicians, we go beyond providing information – we become part of the research process,” says Alla Iansavitchene, Clinical Librarian at LHSC. “Together, we refine research questions, focus study objectives, and design comprehensive search strategies to ensure that every piece of relevant evidence is captured. A systematic review synthesizes all available research to answer a clearly defined question and strengthens the foundation for clinical decision-making and patient care.”
Receiving the MLA’s 2025 Research Advancement in Health Sciences Librarianship Award is a testament to the expertise, dedication, and collaborative spirit of LHSC’s Clinical Librarians. Their work continues to advance a culture of evidence-informed practice and innovation across the organization. As LHSC looks to the future, the Clinical Research Library remains a vital partner in driving research excellence and improving patient outcomes.
The MLA is a global nonprofit educational organization with more than 2,500 members in the health information field. Medical librarians and other health information professionals support health-care organizations worldwide with expertise in delivering high-quality, relevant, and evidence-based information. To learn more, visit the MLA website.