Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

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Infectious disease

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are investigating promising new approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat a wide range of infectious diseases. Our work spans the full spectrum of research from basic science to clinical research to implementation.

Research News

	The Ottawa Hospital and uOttawa launch new cancer immunotherapy research projects with funding from BioCanRx September 22, 2020 - BioCanRx, Canada’s Immunotherapy Network, today announced funding of $10M for 14 cancer immunotherapy research projects and eight core and biomanufacturing facilities across the country. Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and the University of
	How to mitigate ICU drug shortages related to COVID-19 September 9, 2020 - As COVID-19 continues to disrupt global drug supplies, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are playing a key role in developing and implementing mitigation strategies for intensive care units (ICUs).
	Canadian study compares COVID-19 spit test to traditional swab test September 8, 2020 - A new study led by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory shows that a Canadian-made spit test can detect the COVID-19 virus.
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	Algorithm helps prescribers choose more targeted antibiotics August 27, 2020 - A study led by Dr. Derek MacFadden found that a combination of tools helped increase the number of patients receiving the most targeted and effective antibiotic for bacterial blood infections.
	Protecting cancer patients from COVID-19 July 8, 2020 - In the race to find new ways to prevent and treat COVID-19, Canadian researchers have launched an innovative clinical trial focussed on strengthening the immune system for one of the most vulnerable populations – cancer patients.
	Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for COVID pneumonia June 26, 2020 - Astudy led by Dr. Sylvain Boet will test if hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be able to help some people with COVID-19 pneumonia.
	Preventing dangerous blood clots in COVID-19 patients June 26, 2020 - Drs. Lana Castellucci, Marc Carrier and colleagues are contributing to an international clinical trial to find out whether a high dose of blood thinner can prevent dangerous blood clots in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
	Using big data to find promising drugs for COVID-19 June 26, 2020 - Dr. Derek MacFadden and his colleagues plan to identify promising drugs to treat COVID-19 by analyzing past data from 3,000 Ontario patients treated for other kinds of coronavirus infections.
	Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and babies June 25, 2020 - Very little is known about how COVID-19 affects pregnant women and their babies. Drs. Darine El-Chaâr, Marc-André Langlois and their team plan to address this knowledge gap through several large studies. Dr Langlois’s team will be responsib
	Harnessing cancer-fighting viruses to develop a COVID-19 vaccine June 25, 2020 - Drs. Carolina Ilkow, John Bell and colleagues are harnessing their expertise in making oncolytic (cancer-fighting) viruses to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, in partnership with scientists and clinicians in Canada and around the world.
	Using cell therapy to calm the immune system in critically ill patients June 25, 2020 - Drs. Duncan Stewart, Shane English, Dean Fergusson and colleagues will launch a randomized, controlled clinical trial in several centres across Canada to test MSCs in people with severe COVID-19.
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded $4.7 million for COVID-19 research from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research June 25, 2020 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $4.7 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for four research projects that could transform our understanding of COVID-19 and lead
	Helping COVID-19 survivors stay healthy June 23, 2020 - Drs. Sara J. Abdallah and Juthaporn Cowan will study the long-term effects of COVID-19 in survivors, checking in on them three, six and 12 months after they were initially infected.
	TOHAMO awards $1.2M for COVID-19 research projects June 12, 2020 - Could artificial intelligence help predict which COVID-19 patients will become gravely ill? Could a home-based spit test diagnose COVID-19? Could virtual care after surgery reduce patient returns to hospital?
	Can virtual care after surgery reduce patient returns to hospital? Research study now open in Ottawa June 10, 2020 - COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of all kinds of virtual health care, from phone and video appointments to tools that monitor symptoms remotely. The Ottawa Hospital continues to be at the forefront of this trend with the launch of an innovative
	Using lab-grown human tissues to identify possible treatments June 8, 2020 - Dr. William Stanford and his colleagues are using human tissue models to understand why COVID-19 makes some patients severely ill.
	Stopping COVID-19 with behavioral science and artificial intelligence June 8, 2020 - Dr. Justin Presseau and colleagues plan to use state-of-the-art behavioural science and artificial intelligence to develop an app that can help people reduce how much they touch their eyes, nose and mouth.
	Understanding the challenge of COVID-19 for Ottawa’s most vulnerable people June 8, 2020 - Dr. Smita Pakhale and her colleagues will harness the trust and engagement they have built with Ottawa’s most marginalized communities over the last 10 years through community-based participatory action research to examine how COVID-19 has impacted t
	Mobile reporting of adverse events from a pandemic COVID-19 vaccine June 8, 2020 - Dr. Kumanan Wilson and his colleagues will harness their electronic vaccine-tracking platform CANImmunize to let Canadians report potential adverse events from a COVID-19 vaccine through their mobile device.
	Could blood plasma shore up our COVID defenses? June 5, 2020 - A team led by Dr. Alan Tinmouth and Dr. Dean Fergusson is part of a collaboration aiming to settle the long-standing question of whether “convalescent” blood plasma from recovered patients can be used to treat actively sick ones.
	Creating a new mouse model to study COVID-19 lung disease June 4, 2020 - Researchers are working to develop a mouse model of COVID-19 that mimics the severe lung disease seen in humans. The lack of good, accessible animal models of this disease is severely limiting research around the world.
	Studying the immune response of COVID-19 patients in the ICU June 4, 2020 - A study led by Dr. Shirley Mei will examine why some people get severely ill and die of COVID-19, while others experience only mild symptoms
	Experimental Stem Cell Therapy a Potential Weapon in COVID-19 Fight May 28, 2020 - Ottawa-based researchers pivot at lightning speed to launch study on treating related respiratory failure
	COVID-19 research on cell therapy, drug screening and marginalized populations funded through Ontario’s Rapid Research Fund May 21, 2020 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded almost $2 million from Ontario’s COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund for three research projects that could help in the fight against the virus. These three pr
	Thanking the heroes behind clinical trials May 20, 2020 - COVID-19 has put a special focus on the importance of clinical trials in finding ways to diagnose, treat and prevent this new infection, but clinical trials have always been essential to improving care and saving lives at The Ottawa Hospital. Six cli
	COVID-19 Evidence Network to support decision-making May 11, 2020 - To help leaders around the world respond to unprecedented challenges related to COVID-19, Drs. Jeremy Grimshaw and John Lavis are co-leading The COVID-19 Evidence Network to support Decision-making (COVID-END). Partners in the network include experts
	COVID-19 research moving at ‘lightning speed’, thanks to generous community support May 8, 2020 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are working around the clock to advance more than 50 potentially life-saving research projects to support the world-wide effort to find better ways to treat and prevent COVID-19. Now, nine of these projects have bee
	Researchers use lab-grown human tissues to understand secrets of COVID-19 infection, identify possible treatments April 29, 2020 - A team of Ontario researchers is using 3D lab-grown human tissue models to understand why COVID-19 makes some patients severely ill. They also hope to identify drugs that can reduce the severity of the infection.
	Cancer-killing viruses provide inspiration for COVID-19 vaccine April 28, 2020 - While physical distancing has slowed the spread of COVID-19, the vast majority of people around the world remain susceptible to the virus. That’s why most experts believe we won’t be able to fully find a new normal until a vaccine is developed. At T
	Clinical trial to test plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients as possible treatment April 28, 2020 - Researchers, clinicians and patients at The Ottawa Hospital will be contributing to the global effort to determine if plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 (called convalescent plasma) could be an effective treatment for actively infect
	Harnessing stem cells and regenerative medicine to fight COVID-19 April 23, 2020 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have been awarded $490,000 from the Stem Cell Network for two research projects that could help in the fight against COVID-19. These peer-reviewed grants are part of an overall investm
	Should I leave my retirement or long-term care home due to COVID-19? New tools can help with tough decisions April 22, 2020 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa, the Champlain Local Health Integration Network?and the National Institute of Ageing have developed tools to help seniors decide if they should temporarily move out of their retirement, a
	How are you coping during COVID-19? April 20, 2020 - COVID-19 is changing core aspects of people’s lives in a unique manner. Social interactions, family and work are all affected. Researchers want to understand the impacts of these changes and determine what helps people cope.? They have launched a stu
	Don’t change blood pressure medication because of fear of COVID-19 April 17, 2020 - Viruses get inside our cells by latching onto specific proteins on the cell surface. In the case of COVID-19, the virus latches onto a protein that normally controls blood pressure. In fact, common blood pressure medications increase the level of thi
	New COVID-19 projections show how physical distancing can make a huge difference in Ottawa April 8, 2020 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, in partnership with Ottawa Public Health, have created a new interactive Ottawa COVID-19 website, that predicts various scenarios around the number of hospitalizations and deaths in O
	Researchers join the fight against COVID-19 April 2, 2020 - As hospitals and communities band together to fight COVID-19, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are harnessing their unique expertise and resources to help.
	A COVID-19 palliative care pandemic plan: An essential tool March 31, 2020 - Palliative care physicians have created a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) palliative care plan as an essential tool to provide care and help manage scare resources during the pandemic. The plan, which focuses on 8 critical elements -- "stuff
	Nothing to sniff at: Screening platform identifies drugs that could fight the common cold January 10, 2020 - A team led by Dr. Robin Parks has developed a new way to identify drugs that may be good candidates for treating the common cold. While many products can treat cold symptoms, there is currently no way to treat the viruses that causes the disease, suc
	New scientist profile: Dr. Krishan Yadav aims to improve care for skin infections December 11, 2019 - Dr. Krishan Yadav wants to find the best way to treat the patients with skin infections he sees in the emergency department. Currently there is little evidence on how best to treat common skin infections such as cellulitis.
	Taking CANImmunize to the next level October 1, 2019 - CANImmunize, an award-winning vaccine-tracking platform developed by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, is transitioning into a startup company. The popular app-based platform will continue to digitally transform the delivery of immunization service
	Unravelling the mystery of how one gene contributes to Parkinson’s, Crohn’s and leprosy September 25, 2019 - Researchers have struggled for years to understand how mutations in one gene, called LRRK2, can increase the risk of three very different diseases: Parkinson’s (a brain disease), Crohn’s (a gut disease) and leprosy (a peripheral nervous system diseas
	The next frontier in HIV research: Ottawa scientists to play key role in new $17M prevention and cure studies August 14, 2019 - Despite great strides in HIV research, over 75,000 Canadians are living with HIV and approximately seven more contract it every day. And this incurable virus continues to take a huge toll around the world. The Government of Canada recently announced
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded 13 grants worth $11.2 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research July 26, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have been awarded 13 grants worth a total of $11.2 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The new projects focus on areas such as cancer immunotherapy, hepatitis C infection, blood clots, ar
	New scientist profile: Dr. Derek MacFadden helps prescribers fight antibiotic resistance June 26, 2019 - Ninety percent of antibiotics are prescribed outside of hospitals, and a third are unnecessary. Dr. Derek MacFadden’s research aims to help prescribers choose the right antibiotic for the bacteria they’re fighting instead of using broad-spectrum anti
	$950,000 to help develop stem cell treatments for septic shock, lung injury and muscle degeneration May 17, 2019 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the University of Ottawa are bringing discoveries made in the lab closer to human trials and therapies, thanks to four new peer-reviewed research grants from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medici
	Ottawa researchers working with World Health Organization to improve response to public health emergencies April 4, 2019 - In response to the SARS outbreak, the threat of influenza pandemics, and the changing nature of public health emergencies, the World Health Organization released the revised International Health Regulations (IHR(2005)). These regulations are the most
	Immunization tracking brought into the digital age November 30, 2018 - Building on successful public health reporting pilot projects in Ottawa and Kingston, Ontarians will soon be able to use CANImmunize to immediately see and download their own, and their families’ official immunization records held by the province. CA
	Experimental contraceptive could give women the power to prevent pregnancy and STIs November 30, 2018 - While condoms are the gold standard for preventing pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), there is a need around the world for solutions that can be used independently by women. New research led by Dr. Nongnuj Tanphaichitr brings a pot
	Standardizing digital vaccination records in Canada: team behind CANImmunize launches Canadian Vaccine Catalogue July 12, 2018 - As provinces and territories across Canada work to digitize vaccination records, a team of Canadian physicians, researchers and policy-makers has released the first version of the Canadian Vaccine Catalogue (CVC). This comprehensive, standards-based
	Using viruses to fight viruses: new approach eliminates “dormant” HIV-infected cells December 18, 2017 - While Ottawa researchers are known for their work on cancer-fighting viruses, one team is applying these viruses to a new target: HIV. Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have discovered that the Maraba virus, or MG1, c
	Stem cells for septic shock: world-first trial establishes safety, sets stage for larger trial November 2, 2017 - Stem cells are usually thought of as the building blocks of the body – able to give rise to all our cells and organs. But Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre, Dr. Duncan Stewart, Dr. Dean Fergusson and their colleagues are testing the idea that certain stem cells
	HIV kept at bay with single injection every 8 weeks August 17, 2017 - Over the last two decades, HIV has been transformed from a death sentence into a chronic, treatable disease, requiring just a single pill a day to keep the virus at bay for most people. A study co-authored by Dr. Jonathan Angel has now paved the wa
	New treatment for our sickest patients comes closer to reality June 30, 2017 - The Ottawa Hospital was one of the top sites for enrolling patients in an international clinical trial of a promising new treatment for shock. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a naturally-occurring protein calle
	Dr. Gonzalo Alvarez presents Taima TB research program to parliamentarians June 5, 2017 - Dr. Gonzalo Alvarez was on Parliament Hill today presenting the Taima TB research program to the Parliamentary Health Research Caucus on Indigenous Health Research in Canada. Taima TB Summary The challenge Despite the ongoing efforts of d
	Could stem cells heal premature lungs, fight infections, build muscles and strengthen bones? May 25, 2017 - Ottawa researchers closer to finding out, thanks to $1.5 million from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the University of Ottawa are bringing discoveries made in the lab closer to huma
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded 18 research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, worth $10.7 million May 19, 2017 - Eighteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded nearly $11 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a suc
	Government of Canada Supports Latent Tuberculosis Study March 24, 2017 - Tuberculosis (TB) is preventable and curable, yet it remains one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. In Canada, rates of TB are low; however, there is greater incidence among Canadian Indigenous people and among foreign-born individuals
	Ottawa researchers develop rapid review process to help WHO respond to global threats December 22, 2016 - Ms. Chantelle Garritty and collaborators in the Knowledge Synthesis Group have developed a process to help the World Health Organization (WHO) quickly create guidelines during global emergencies. During an outbreak of a new disease, WHO needs to a
	Dr. Paul MacPherson awarded Research Chair in Gay Men’s Health from Ontario HIV Treatment Network September 7, 2016 - Gay men make up 58 percent of the people living with HIV in Ontario. Although overall rates of new HIV infections are declining, gay men accounted for 60 percent of new diagnoses in 2015, highlighting the continuing risk of infection within this co
	Researchers find compound that can protect mice from Ebola July 27, 2016 - Drs. Michel Chrétien (OHRI Emeritus Scientist), Majambu Mbikay and colleagues from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg have found a compound that can protect mice from the Ebola virus, even when given as little as 30 minutes before i
	Ottawa research informs international Ebola guideline June 14, 2016 - Should clinicians wear double gloves or single gloves when caring for Ebola patients? What about full gowns versus coveralls? After Ebola broke out in West Africa in late 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) asked Dr. David Moher and his tea
	Two lives forever changed by 30 years of HIV drug research April 22, 2016 - Yves Brunet has taken part in 15 HIV drug trials at The Ottawa Hospital since the 1980s. Thanks to research, daily treatments have commuted a sentence of certain death from AIDS into a manageable condition. Yves Brunet and Andy Collins were di
	Landmark trial could expand revolutionary treatments to all hepatitis C patients February 3, 2016 - New targeted treatments have revolutionized care for hepatitis C, offering cure rates of close to 100 percent for people infected with the most common strain of the virus. Dr. Curtis Cooper and his team have played a major role in the research th
	Dr. Robin Parks awarded $790,000 from CIHR to study common cold virus December 16, 2015 - An average person will suffer around 400 colds in his or her lifetime and these colds account for 40% of all workplace absenteeism. Colds can also have much more serious consequences in people with compromised immune systems, as well as the very youn
	New treatments cure hepatitis C in patients co-infected with HIV July 29, 2015 - Around the world, between 4 and 5 million people are infected with both HIV and the hepatitis C virus. These patients have high rates of liver disease. Until now, effective treatment for co-infected patients has been difficult since the interferon-
	How does the liver affect the immune system? $175,000 grant to help find answers June 10, 2015 - Dr. Angela Crawley has been awarded a $175,000 grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to study how cells in the liver can influence the immune response. This project focuses on a kind of cell called a macrophage, w
	DNA test slashes wait times for tuberculosis diagnosis in Iqaluit March 23, 2015 - Study results prompt Government of Nunavut to fund TB test's continued use Tuberculosis continues to be a significant public health concern in Canada's North, where testing for TB takes far longer than in the country's major centres. A paper just
	Flu shots decrease overall risk of acquiring Guillain-Barré Syndrome January 19, 2015 - Drs. Kumanan Wilson and Steven Hawken published a paper this week that examines whether the flu shot increases or decreases the risk of getting Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare but serious autoimmune condition. Recent studies have associated

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Alvarez, Gonzalo MD, MPH, FRCPC	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Infectious disease, Lung disease, Population health, Tuberculosis	Clinical research
Angel, Jonathan MD, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (Chronic Disease)	HIV, Infectious disease	Basic research, Clinical research, Translational research
Cameron, Bill MD, FRCPC, FACP	Senior Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	HIV, Infectious disease	Basic research, Clinical research
Cooper, Curtis MD, FRCPC	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Hepatitis C, HIV, Infectious disease, Influenza	Clinical research, Immunization
Cowan, Juthaporn MD, PhD, FRCPC	Associate Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Autoimmune disease, COVID-19, Infectious disease	Immunization, Immunotherapy
Diallo, Jean-Simon PhD	Senior Scientist (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, COVID-19, Infectious disease	Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Drug development, Gene therapy, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Translational research, Viral therapy
MacPherson, Paul MD/PhD	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Anxiety, Depression, Gay men's health, HIV, Infectious disease, Men's health, Sexually transmitted infections	Behaviour, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health promotion, Health services research, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Prevention, Psychology, Qualitative methods, Surveys
Manuel, Douglas MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Aging, Alzheimer's, Cancer, COVID-19, Dementia, Diabetes, Frailty, Global health, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Health in older peoples, Immigrant and refugee health, Infectious disease, Obesity, Parkinson's, Population health, Stroke, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Big data, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Digital and mobile health, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Prevention, Public health
Santos, Marlise MD (FRCPC), MSc, MPH	Clinician Investigator (Clinical Epidemiology)	Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Ataxia, Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Brain cancer, Concussion, Dementia, Depression, Global health, Head and neck cancer, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Infectious disease, Intellectual disabilities, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Population health, Spinal cord injury, Stroke, Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Thrombosis / thromboembolism, Traumatic brain injury, Traumatic injuries, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Basic research, Behaviour, Clinical decision rules, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Imaging, Patient safety, Pragmatic trials, Prevention, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Shared decision making, Surgery, Surveys, Systematic reviews
Tanphaichitr, Nongnuj PhD	Emeritus Scientist (Chronic Disease)	HIV, Infectious disease, Infertility, Men's health, Sexually transmitted infections, Women's health	Basic research, Contraceptive development, Drug development, Imaging, Lipidomics, Molecular and cellular biology, Proteomics
Wilson, Kumanan MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	COVID-19, Global health, Infectious disease, Newborn and child health, Population health	Big data, Biomarkers, Clinical research, Digital and mobile health, Epidemiology, Health services research, Health technology, Immunization, Public health, Transfusions, Translational research
Yadav, Krishan MD, MSc, FRCPC	Associate Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Infectious disease, Pneumonia, Skin disorders	Clinical research, Emergency medicine

Related Resources

Infectious disease research at The Ottawa Hospital: common cold, Ebola, Hepatitis C, HIV, immunization, Influenza, septic shock, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis

Infectious Diseases Clinic at The Ottawa Hospital

Infection Prevention & Control at The Ottawa Hospital

University of Ottawa Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (CI3)