Our Mission

We’re committed to improving the lives of people with gastrointestinal (GI) and liver conditions, supporting research, advocating for appropriate patient access to healthcare, and promoting GI and liver health.

About Us

In 1976, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research (CSIR) was founded in Vancouver and arose as the first registered charity in Canada to enhance public awareness by providing patient and professional information and funding medical research on a wide array of gastrointestinal diseases and disorders within British Columbia. 

In 2008, we formed a partner charity, the Gastrointestinal (GI) Society, to reach all individuals throughout Canada. Together, we work to be the leading provider of evidence-based and accessible information of patient resources on a variety of gastrointestinal and liver diseases and disorders, which affect as many as 20 million Canadians. The staff of GI Society run CSIR, but both organizations have a separate board of directors.

After 44 years of service in BC, we have the resources, networks, and relationships to ensure that our programs directly benefit individuals in the province. We continue to be there for patients by providing awareness, education, and support, ultimately helping them become better equipped to make a positive difference in their health.

Programs and Services

All our programs and services focus on providing individuals with trusted, commercial-free, medically-sound, and accessible information on obesity, gut, and liver diseases and disorders in both official languages. This includes our free BadGut® Lectures (currently on hiatus due to the pandemic), quarterly Inside Tract® | Du coeur au ventre newsletter, free patient information pamphlets, and educational videos, arming individuals with the information they require to better understand and manage their specific needs. Our resources have a wide reach, supporting healthcare facilities (hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, other healthcare professionals), wellness centres, patients, and individuals in rural and urban regions.

We also work closely with healthcare professionals and governments at all levels toward system-wide improvements in care and treatment.

All our material, whether in print or online, is either written or vetted by our Medical Advisory Council, consisting of gastroenterologists, hepatologists, surgeons, researchers, and pharmacists.